The way to find out how much water a dry suit can hold . . .

[TSandM]

Well, we now know what the dry suit problem is. The neck seal is shot. My LDS is telling me it's due to my not having washed the neck seal with detergent after each use. That was the first I heard of needing to do this . . . the DUI manual only recommends doing that after every tenth dive or so. I figure I have about 40 dives on this suit (due to it having been in the shop so much -- a lot of my dives have been in borrowed stuff) which seems like a very short life even for a totally uncared-for seal. Grrr.

 

[Web Monkey]

I've seen that before.

It's not specifically from not washing the neck seal, it's from something that's getting on the neck seal. Might be something on you (petrolium-based skin cream, etc.), something on your hands (eating something oily before diving, then handing your seal) or something in the environment where the suit is stored.

My buddy went through a set of seals in less than a year. It turned out to be because he stored the suit in his garage and gasoline fumes were eating the seals.

Terry

Well, we now know what the dry suit problem is. The neck seal is shot. My LDS is telling me it's due to my not having washed the neck seal with detergent after each use. That was the first I heard of needing to do this . . . the DUI manual only recommends doing that after every tenth dive or so. I figure I have about 40 dives on this suit (due to it having been in the shop so much -- a lot of my dives have been in borrowed stuff) which seems like a very short life even for a totally uncared-for seal. Grrr.

 

[gcbryan]

Well, we now know what the dry suit problem is. The neck seal is shot. My LDS is telling me it's due to my not having washed the neck seal with detergent after each use. That was the first I heard of needing to do this . . . the DUI manual only recommends doing that after every tenth dive or so. I figure I have about 40 dives on this suit (due to it having been in the shop so much -- a lot of my dives have been in borrowed stuff) which seems like a very short life even for a totally uncared-for seal. Grrr.

For what it's worth I've noticed a sticky neck seal after diving at Cove 2. It doesn't happen every time but it's only been at Cove 2 for me. It's happened to several of my buddies there as well. I don't know if it's oil on the water or what. When I notice it in time I wash it as soon as I get home with dish detergent and then sprinkle it with drysuit powder. So far it's working.

 

[Doc Intrepid]

Well, we now know what the dry suit problem is. The neck seal is shot. My LDS is telling me it's due to my not having washed the neck seal with detergent after each use. That was the first I heard of needing to do this . . . the DUI manual only recommends doing that after every tenth dive or so. I figure I have about 40 dives on this suit (due to it having been in the shop so much -- a lot of my dives have been in borrowed stuff) which seems like a very short life even for a totally uncared-for seal. Grrr.

I've been diving my seals since mid-2003. They're due for replacement, true, but they're still going strong (knock on wood). I've never once washed them with detergent, however, I do rinse them carefully and then powder them after they dry. I also use personal lube to don them, which appears to reduce stress on them when donning and doesn't seem to have harmed them at all. I think Web Monkey may have something, but I also think that this comment of yours may be important:

..." It's a Mobby's trilaminate. I got it cheap because the shop was no longer carrying Mobby's, and this suit was a very small size and hard to sell."

I don't know how many months of sitting in the store "hard to sell" translates to, but the suit may have sat there for a year or more before you bought it if it was that hard to move. May as well put on a new neck seal and give it a try, being careful to arrange the neck seals before the next few dives. But if the thing continues to frustrate you - well...how much is your time and frustration worth? Is it worth the trouble to keep trying to dick with a Mobbys? Ebay the stupid thing and get a DUI. The DUI upfront cost can be truly impressive, I realize. OTOH, I've owned my DUI 450 since 2002 and haven't had a single problem with it since the day I bought it. The thing just freakin' works. How much is that worth?

[Doc looks around and bangs frantically on anything wooden in the immediate vicinity...]

A new neck seal ought to go for longer than 40 dives, if you take even a modicum of care during post-dive maintenance. Sounds like they saw you coming...

Best with that,

Doc