Those systems seem to replace the whole wrist seal. Is that a DIY job?
I typed the message below and realized that I should add the following disclaimer: "Based on my experience, I am totally biased towards using the si-tech wrist system with silicone seals."
The way it would work with your suit is that the wrist seal would be trimmed back/removed and their is a flexible ring that serves as the base of the system, glued into the suit. It could be DIY job, there was someone on Scuba Board who did it and posted his experience along with details and pictures, but it is much simpler to leave it to a shop that has experience doing the install.
The Si-Tech wrist cuff systems comes with:
1. the flexible ring (known as the PU ring) that is glued into the suit.
2. the rigid oval ring that gives the system its oval profile and retains the removable wrist seal in place.
3. a set of silicone wrist seals - I believe there are two product numbers for the kit, one is for the kit with standard size silicone wrist seals, the other is for the kit with the small size wrist seals.
If you are leaning towards the system I would recommend stopping by a dive shop that carries the extra seals and just slip one over your wrist to see which one fits you better, you may find that with a silicone seal you don't need the small...or you may find that you do.
I have a semi-dry suit that I purchased barely used from a Scuba Board member. It fit well except the neoprene neck and wrist seals were to large for me....I had a local shop reduce their diameter and it worked well, but I am concerned that if I was to gain weight that I would then need to have the seals replaced. I don't use the semi-dry often, it is more for the transition season between my 5mm wetsuit and my drysuit when the air temp is cool but the water temp is still too warm to warrant the drysuit and undergarments. If my semi-dry had a seal failure it would not be a catastrophe as, although I am fairly dry diving with it, I expect ot get wet using it. If I had an issue with a seal on my drysuit, I hope it happens before splashing, as I can easily change the seal....I personally would not buy a drysuit without a user-replaceable wrist and neck seal system.
The dryglove systems that I listed are an add-on that are designed to readily integrate with the si-tech oval wrist system. One can dive without the drygloves if desired, as the wrist seal remains unaffected when the glove half is removed.
If you are just concerned about your current wrist seals leaking and are not planning on diving in water temps that require drygloves, then you should weigh the cost of having your neoprene wrist seals altered or replaced compared to purchasing and installing the si-tech wrist seal system. Neoprene seals are fairly rugged so the likely hood of seal catastrophe is much more remote than with latex and silicone seals....the major advantage of silicone seals is they are very stretchy without being excessively tight, so they provide a lot of comfort, and they are hypoallergenic (some folks have a reaction to latex seals).
Latex seals are also an option with or without the si-tech wrist system...the pros are that they air fairly durable, provide a good seal, and can last a long time if well cared for. The cons for latex seals are that the material breaks down in time especially with exposure to ozone and UV. When latex breaks down it starts to get gummy and can make a mess. They don't stretch as much as silicone so they fit tighter for similar size seal which may mean they need to be trimmed back for proper fit...if the trim job is done well it can cause a stress riser where the seal will split when stretched (this is an issue with silicone seals as well but because they stretch more it is less likely they need to be trimmed).
-Z
