Review Seaskin Nova drysuit

[admikar]

A few days ago a posted a question about Rolock 90 glove set-up and difficulty turning the glove side onto the cuff side. I did my first dive today and they were nearly impossible to twist to close. After my dive I could not get them to twist to get off. Someone helped me do it, but they struggled to twist them. Prior to applying the silicone grease on them, they twisted on and off readily. I think the situation is more than them needing a break-in period. What did I do wrong? They're unusable as is.

When you greased them, did you connect them or left them separated?
Only thing that comes to mind is that grease caught something that then jammed rings up.
If possible, record short video showing both rings and how you put them on.
I had problems getting them on or off as in they were hard to twist, but never had to ask for help.

 

[eweingarden]

@admikar - after greasing them I put them on to spread the grease on all surfaces. I then took them off and left them off until today when I dived. It's as if the silicone grease is acting as a glue.

 

[admikar]

Don't do that. You don't need to lock them up, but keep them connected and partially locked. That way your seal rings won't set and you will keep them out of dirt's way.
And, like I said, it will take more than one don/doff to set everything right.

 

[Jcp2]

Is the sealing o ring on the rolock system a silicone o ring? Silicone grease can cause swell in silicone o rings as the o ring material will absorb the grease because they are of similar chemical composition.

 

[eweingarden]

@Jcp2 - It's certainly acting like a swollen O ring, but I used the silicone grease that came with the Rolock kit.

 

[eweingarden]

@admikar - I removed the cuff side to clean everything; no better. Hopefully you can open the zip file and watch as I struggle with it.

 

[Marie13]

My drysuit was $1784 in 2018, just looked it up. I am almost certain I should have paid a duty, but never did. Only difference I can find between my drysuit and friends of mine who imported drysuits (excluding manufacturer) is the carrier stateside.

I never received anything telling me to pay. I am not sure if I was supposed to somehow claim it myself?

You’d get a bill from FedEx or whoever they used to ship it to you. No way of declaring it yourself.

 

[in too deep]

Ordered a 2nd Nova yesterday.
2 years ago I received my 1st one and it’s still a great suit.
The suit I just ordered does not have the allowance for thick garments, looking for a more streamlined fit with less underwear during the summer months.
Does anyone else have 2 Novas!

 

[Jcp2]

Called about my order today as original dispatch was October 14th. It turns out my trilaminate suit was in a box for the last three weeks but the entire order was on hold because they lacked neoprene material to make a separate hooded vest that I also ordered at the same time to complement my wetsuit. They are going to split the shipment and I’ll have to wait for the best.

 

[stuartv]

Ordered a 2nd Nova yesterday.
2 years ago I received my 1st one and it’s still a great suit.
The suit I just ordered does not have the allowance for thick garments, looking for a more streamlined fit with less underwear during the summer months.
Does anyone else have 2 Novas!

Rather than a 2nd Nova, I got an Ultra (their neoprene drysuit). I find it perfect for being more streamlined and a closer fit during the warmer times. I got it with a neoprene neck seal and neoprene wrist seals. It's more like wearing a super warm 5mm wetsuit than wearing a drysuit.

I wore it every day last Fri - Sun in the local lake. Underneath, I only wore the Seaskin Tech base layer, a medium weight Merino wool long sleeve shirt and leggings, and thin wool ankle socks. And then a 5mm drysuit hood and 3mm wet gloves. I was super toasty all weekend in 57F water. Those kind of temps are exactly what I bought that suit for and it has given me exactly what I wanted.

When temps are too warm to be wearing a neoprene drysuit at all - but I still want redundant buoyancy - then I will wear my Nova with nothing underneath but athletic shorts and a rash guard. Once the water puts a squeeze on it and squeezes out all the air, the drag of the extra material is not bad.