Ultima Dry Glove System question

[Deep South Divers]

All of mine "click" slightly. It's more of a sensation than an audible click.

I haven't had anything leak, ever... With the exception of when I've holed a glove. Oh wait... Once I had a slight leak in a glove but found that I'd installed the wrist seal wrong with a slight wrinkle in it. I disassembled the system off the suit and reinstalled, this time taking better care to seat the seal better. No more leaks.

I've never had an orange o-ring leak... And I dive my Ultimas basically ever day from October until April.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

It's probably because I wear a 10mm hood. By the time I put my gloves on last, I can't hear a slight click.

 

[laikabear]

Do you guys put any type of lube or silicone grease on the Ultimas? My Santi gloves need either water soluble lube or silicone grease on the glove side of the ring about every 3-4 dives to keep them going on smoothly. If I don't lube them up, they become progressively more difficult to get locked into place (until I end up needing help and/or they leak).

When I've lubed them up, the gloves go on much easier, and they have an audible click and you can feel the click. If they are getting to the point where they need to be re-lubed, then the click is much softer or nonexistent. Lube or no lube I've never had a problem getting them disconnected, that's always really easy.

Just wondering if the Ultimas are the same way or could benefit from that for anyone struggling with them. I usually just keep some water soluble lube and/or silicone grease with my scuba stuff and lube the gloves once each AM before a dive day. I used to also use the water soluble lube instead of talc to help get my hands and head through my drysuit seals, but as the seals have stretched out a bit over time, I no longer need that.

Unfortunately I need to replace my (latex, glued-in) neck seal in my Santi suit soon. It's getting stretched out and a bit gummy. It's over 2 years old so I guess I can't complain! I am hoping it will last til my Seaskin suit arrives in late September...

 

[Deep South Divers]

Do you guys put any type of lube or silicone grease on the Ultimas?

Only when I replace gloves, which is every 30-50 dives or so. I don't bother to relube between glove changes.

Unfortunately I need to replace my (latex, glued-in) neck seal in my Santi suit soon. It's getting stretched out and a bit gummy. It's over 2 years old so I guess I can't complain! I am hoping it will last til my Seaskin suit arrives in late September...

...The main advantage to silicone seals, in my opinion... They last longer and don't get gummy or turn brown. Of course, silicone seals can't be glued in, so they'll require you to have a SiTech Quick Neck ring or equivalent... Which brings the additional advantage of being able to change a neck seal yourself in minutes should you damage one.

Have DRIS install one for you, then pick up a spare. No more gummy, tacky, cracking, yellow latex seals.

 

[laikabear]

Have DRIS install one for you, then pick up a spare. No more gummy, tacky, cracking, yellow latex seals.

I'm thinking about it! I was hoping my new suit, which has the Si Tech neck ring, would arrive first, so I could see how I like it compared to the latex, glued in seal. I am a bit worried I won't like that ring.

If I get the new suit and like the neck ring I'll send the Santi to get one installed too, probably.

I have a local buddy who has replaced her own latex, glued-in neck seal and was happy with how it turned out. So I may have her help me just replace the neck seal if I can't limp it along til the new suit arrives. I already have a spare latex neck seal to use...

 

[Deep South Divers]

The system kinda got a bad rap with divers when it first came out as a hard ring (called the "Neck Tite" system), but the second, much softer version ("Quick Neck") was much better - and has actually undergone a revamp - which is a version 3, but still called a "Quick Neck." That's the one I have on my suits and I love it.

At first I was able to notice it - it wasn't uncomfortable, but I could tell it was there, and I wasn't sure if I'd like it after a 10 or 12 hour dive.

Today I couldn't tell if it was there or not unless I reached up and felt for it.

Conversely, silicone neck seals are GREAT. They're even more comfortable and stretchy than latex, and donning and doffing is actually easier because you can stretch them more to put them on. The seal itself sits wider and flatter agaknst your skin, and never causes a rash. Trimming the seal is a lot less of an exact science, as the seal is so stretchy - but of course it's just as sensitive to trimming smoothly with no nicks in your trim, so be careful.

...Of course, if you're not, you can just pop in a new seal - so that takes some pressure off the trimming process.

I like to pop my seal off, trim it, and then reinstall it. I find it easier and I get better results if the suit's not attached to the seal while I'm cutting. Can't do THAT with latex.

 

[Zef]

The system kinda got a bad rap with divers when it first came out as a hard ring (called the "Neck Tite" system), but the second, much softer version ("Quick Neck") was much better - and has actually undergone a revamp - which is a version 3, but still called a "Quick Neck." That's the one I have on my suits and I love it.

I thought the third version of the si-tech neck ring system was called the Orust....did they make a 2nd version of the Quick Neck?

-Z

 

[Deep South Divers]

They made a second version of the Quick Neck. The Orust is technically a fourth version.

 

[Zef]

They made a second version of the Quick Neck. The Orust is technically a fourth version.

Cool, didn't know that....I bet my wife's new suit has the newer version of the quick neck....will compare it to the quick neck in the suit we purchased from Marie13 and see if there is a diff, both are hanging side by side in the garage.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

I keep my gloves inside my boat where the O-rings get a little dry. I have four dehumidifiers in the boat. I forget to lube the O-rings and only do so when they get a bit difficult to pop off the gloves, usually after a dozen dives or so. Because of the heavy plankton bloom we've had this year I've only made a dozen dives at home in the past two months.

I've never felt the neck ring in my Waterproof suits, even with a backplate and steel 130 tank on. I've had to change Merry's seals a couple of times and it takes less than a minute.