Source for heat activated tape in OZ

[Kern]

Hi guy's,

I'm in Australia, & trying to find a place locally to source the double sided heat activated dry adhesive tape used to replace the seals on my fusion. To date, every time I talk to a manufacturer of importer I get the 1000mt stare.

Doe's anybody know the name of the manufacturer of the tape. Or somewhere in Oz that it can be sourced.

I love diving this suit, but everything about the neck seal replacement, from the fact that it's sewn in & you attach the new seal to the remnants of the old seal, to, getting the product to glue it on is driving me around the twist.

 

[divedry1956]

Good Morning Kern,

Since you being one of the first divers in the land of OZ to adopt the FUSION into your diving repertoire there hasn't been much for support locally. Whites based out of Canada has a great support dealer network through out North America and of course in 32+ countries world wide. We are working on expanding this network/support so divers as yourself will get the level of service they need locally.

For the time being however I would suggest contacting the LDS you purchased your suit through to also get the repair kit you need to do the job. The beautiful thing about the system that so often people don't understand is that it is dead simple. You can change out seals in minutes and be diving within 15mins of a seal change.

I have PM'd you with some additional information.

Cheers,
-Eric-

 

[Kern]

Thanx for the response Eric. But as my seals dissolved into a black sludge & the 1/2" black tap that covers the calking used to seal the stitching that joins the original neck seal to the suit on mine, looks nothing like what is called the neck dam in the pictures you sent me, it's been anything but easy.

So I'v decided to make a phone call instead of trying to explain this in emails.

 

[Sas]

Kern, there is a drysuit repairer Damien in Melbourne who is helpful towards people needing parts and things for self repairs for drysuits. DKG Drysuit Repairs and Supplies Perhaps he might be able to help? Calling him over email is best. Or maybe he can fix it, he's a very good repairer and very cheap.

 

[BB1]

Hi Kern,

Unfortunately not in OZ but very helpful shop with great shipping times - I bought a heap of gear from them and am VERY happy with the service. If in doubt call Mike direct - I have and he is happy to answer all questions and doesn't try to hurry you off the phone!

Dive right in Scuba

The tape you need including circular for neck seals:

Drysuit heat tape

This seems like such a better way of doing it though especially for replacing neck seals in the future:

Neck Tite seal system

Hope that helps!

 

[BB1]

BTW How has the Fusion worked out for you???

Last few dives up here in QLD have been getting chilly and its not even down to winter temperatures yet!! Brrrrrrrr.............

I can either keep throwing money at insulators, hoods, thicker wetsuits etc etc

or...............

Start looking at the darkside (albeit nice and dry over there!) and have been looking at drysuits a little already.

The fusion has been recommended to me already, which skin did you go with?? How much do you need in the way of undergarments to be comfortable in our conditions??

I don't feel the cold as much as the wife does..

Drysuit would also be a help in the future as I want to explore more tech oriented training rather than the PADI/SSI route.

 

[Kern]

Thanx Sas, but they're on holiday for the next month, & I think I might get the same response I'v got with other repairers in Oz.

I phoned Whites earlier & they are going to have one of their service people call me tomorrow morning. With any luck I might get something sorted out. I hope so, because I'm at the point of removing it for the 2nd time, & removing it the 1st time was a bloody mess.

 

[Kern]

BB1, I got the suit from DRIS about 2.5 years ago. I'v recently bought 2 lots of tape from them. Not to mention the stuff in between. Yes, Mike & Co. are very easy to deal with. At US$12 a pop just to send some tape however, I was hoping to find somewhere in Oz to source it.

The suit is great to dive. I'v done 2 winters diving as far south as Sydney to depths of 80mts with temps down to 11^oC using the MK2 undies, a 4th element Xerotherm vest & cheap Slazenger thin polypro wicking layer. I hate hoods, I haven't used one to date.

I'v been using the original tech skin. Apart from the drains in the pocket (I hate those things) I think the skin will last at least another 2.5 years of squeezing through wrecks, being pounded on rocky reefs, & climbing insanely gyrating boat ladders.

This is my 1st dry suit. If I'd known the neck seal was stitched to the core; that new seals were attached to the original seal; that latex could dissolve; that it seems to be imposable to source the materials to do the job in Oz; that there is no one presently in Oz who has a clue how to do it; etc, etc ....... I'm not sure what way I may have jumped.

 

[Kern]

I spoke with Doug & Tim at Whites this morning. Rather than ramble on forever I'll just cut to the chase. As I would never have any faith in the original seals integrity, we spoke about possible alternatives. Tim suggested talking to Mike at DRIS about installing a neck tight system, as he thought Mike removed most of the old seal & the neck ring is actually glued to the suit instead of the original seal.

I called the US & spoke to Heather & Mike. Long story short, that is exactly what Mike does. The core will be winging it's way to the US to have the neck tight system installed. (I'm so over the DIY neck seal installation thing.)

Thanx to all involved for taking the time to decipher my garbled attempts to explain the problem & pointing me towards a solution.

PS. I'm getting so useless in my decrepitude that when I had them on the phone I forgot to ask about my original question. As someone else with a Fusion in Oz has contacted me asking about the tape, & I'm quite happy to do the wrist seal replacement myself, I'd still like to find out the name of the manufacturer, part number etc, of the double sided heat activated dry adhesive tape to see if I can find a source for the stuff in OZ.

 

[BB1]

Nice one!

Any chance of a review of the neck tite system once it comes back?