Review Seaskin Nova drysuit

[laikabear]

3rd dive on my seaskin today and I ripped a wrist seal when I took it off. I thought silicon was going to be better than my previous latex.

Silicone seals are purported to be more comfortable than latex but they are easier to tear. Personally, I don't find them more comfortable.

I had a glued-in latex neck seal on my Santi which lasted for 3 years before it got gummy and needed to be replaced. I got the Si-tech Quick Neck installed because I didn't like being without the suit while the seal was replaced, but I don't think the silicone neck seal is more comfortable. In fact, I think it is a little more prone to chafe my neck (although I'm pretty resistant to that compared to others). But it is nice to know that if I tear the neck seal I can field-replace it. I have the same neck ring in my Seaskin Nova. But in reality, I had a lot of warning before the neck seal on the Santi needed to be replaced.

I have latex seals in my Santi wrist rings and started out with silicone in the Seaskin. But I tore one of the Seaskin wrist seals and replaced it with latex... because they are cheaper and I don't think the silicone seals are any more comfortable.

I think going forward I'm going to go back to latex. They do get gummy and stretched over time, but they are cheaper and less prone to tear. Just my 2c.

Ps, try using water based lube to lube up the seals both putting them on and taking them off. It will make them less easy to tear. I take a travel shampoo bottle of lube in my dive kit. It is less messy than talc and you can use it when you are taking the suit off, whereas talc doesn't work well when you are wet. I just use generic KY from Amazon, it is pretty cheap. And watch your fingernails.

 

[JBFG]

Thanx @laikabear i think I will add some latex seals again back in my wrist. I never had issues with them on my old suit.

 

[Prisca Lim]

I have latex seals in my Santi wrist rings and started out with silicone in the Seaskin. But I tore one of the Seaskin wrist seals and replaced it with latex... because they are cheaper and I don't think the silicone seals are any more comfortable.

I think going forward I'm going to go back to latex. They do get gummy and stretched over time, but they are cheaper and less prone to tear. Just my 2c.

How do you store spare latex seals? I prefer the durability of them but my fear is having to change a seal and finding them all degraded

 

[lexvil]

How do you store spare latex seals? I prefer the durability of them but my fear is having to change a seal and finding them all degraded

Coat them with talc and put them in a plastic bag, keep them away from light.

 

[Prisca Lim]

Coat them with talc and put them in a plastic bag, keep them away from light.

Thanks, how long do they last that way?

 

[lexvil]

Thanks, how long do they last that way?

Don’t know for sure, likely a few years, UV and Ozone being the main culprits in deterioration, I use silicone which last pretty much forever.

 

[stuartv]

I’ve had my Nova for coming up on 3 years, in September. I think I’m still on the original silicone wrist seals. I’ve gone back and forth between the original silicone neck seal and a neoprene neck seal. I’ve been back to the silicone for a few months now and it is also still fine.

 

[SaltyFrog]

Spent a week reading 100 pages of comments!
So many choices! I'm getting these:

1. full telescope
2. zip cover
3. Trigon
4. Quick Neck
5. warm neck
6. Kubi
7. Kubi cover
8. DIR dump
9. Sitech valves
10. Socks
11. Kevlar and plenty of PU pads since I'm a worried man
12. 40mm braces
13. Name badge!
14. Expedition on left and zipped on right - Personally like zipped but a larger expedition pocket on my less used left side sounds like a very good idea.
15. computer strap on left
16. trilobite on right

the suit comes down to 909 pound.
Also getting the 150, tech base and some spares.

can't wait to get this!
they told me the current shipping date is around late August.

 

[Brett Hatch]

Spent a week reading 100 pages of comments!
So many choices! I'm getting these:

1. full telescope
2. zip cover
3. Trigon
4. Quick Neck
5. warm neck
6. Kubi
7. Kubi cover
8. DIR dump
9. Sitech valves
10. Socks
11. Kevlar and plenty of PU pads since I'm a worried man
12. 40mm braces
13. Name badge!
14. Expedition on left and zipped on right - Personally like zipped but a larger expedition pocket on my less used left side sounds like a very good idea.
15. computer strap on left
16. trilobite on right

the suit comes down to 909 pound.
Also getting the 150, tech base and some spares.

can't wait to get this!
they told me the current shipping date is around late August.

Congrats! Looks like a solid suit, mine has a few differences, but it's the in-the-weeds type stuff. You definitely got all of the must-have stuff (telescoping torso, p-valve, DIR dump, and a dryglove system), I think you'll be pretty happy with it. Interesting choice on the pockets, it's not too often that I see mis-matched ones, but that's kinda the beauty of a custom suit. After you dive it for awhile, I'd be curious to know if you'd do it the same way next time.

I like my zippered pockets a lot, but I do wish that the little D-ring inside were made of metal instead of plastic. Because when I clip a boltsnap onto the plastic one, the only way to tell whether it is on there good is to give it a tug. Whereas clipping off a boltsnap to a metal D-ring gives a satisfying little *clink* sound, so I know that I've made good contact. That little clinking also makes it easier to diagnose a weirdly-positioned D-ring. I intend to swap mine out, and have purchased stainless ones, but have not found time for a sewing project. Some day soon. You might want to shoot them a message and see if they'll do metal D-rings in the pocket instead of plastic ones.

 

[Bierstadt]

@boboqa This has indeed become a valuable thread. I continue to be delighted with my suit and you put together a solid selection. The spares are great to buy from Seaskin; retail prices in the US are rather more. I have no idea about the pockets, as I have never tried mismatched ones. Interesting choice.