dry suit care and use

[andy j]

Ok, iv'e just got a dry suit, whats the score with maintenence etc.
Do i need to lube the seals with anything to make it easier to get on.
Obviously after iv'e used it i need to rince it out and rinse it with fresh water and dry it out at room temperature. Once dry what do i i apply to the zip and seals? I have been to beeswax and talc. Is this the same beeswax i would apply to scratched wood polish? Would johnsons baby talc do the job?
Also heard something about using shampoo?

I have searched for these answers but just can't seem to find them.

Thanks
Andy

 

[gcbryan]

Above all else take care of the zipper! Know how to fold the suit so that the zipper isn't compromised at all. I wax the zipper before every dive. I use powder (I'm not particular about the powder) before every dive so that it's easier to get through the seals and it's easier on them as well.

Some apply latex conditioner (I don't).

I just go to the dive shop for the wax (and drugstore for the powder). There is a hard wax and a softer wax. Both work but the softer wax is easier to apply.

Also learn to be smooth in the way you zip and unzip your suit. The key to all of this is to be easy on the zipper.

 

[CCTX50]

After every dive wash with a mild mixture of soup and water. I use a zipper cleaner and a soft tooth brush to clean the zipper after the dives. After doing so I wax it. Before putting the suit on I wax it again and place talc powder on the seals to ease in putting the suit on. I have a cheap bottle of dish soap I use after the dive to put around the seals to help in getting the suit off. ALL cheap supplies that you can get just about anywhere. Store the suit out of the sun, away from anything that puts out ozone like your A/C, Hotwater heaters, exhausts and so forth.

As gcbryan said, "LEARN TO BE SMOOTH IN THE WAY YOU ZIP AND UNZIP YOUR SUIT".

 

[fisheater]

Check with the manufacturer and do what they say.

 

[Jax]

Ok, iv'e just got a dry suit, whats the score with maintenence etc.
Do i need to lube the seals with anything to make it easier to get on.
Obviously after iv'e used it i need to rince it out and rinse it with fresh water and dry it out at room temperature. Once dry what do i i apply to the zip and seals? I have been to beeswax and talc. Is this the same beeswax i would apply to scratched wood polish? Would johnsons baby talc do the job?
Also heard something about using shampoo?

I have searched for these answers but just can't seem to find them.

Thanks
Andy

PADI has a drysuit course manual and video you could buy. It discusses basic drysuit maintenance, and always, always, always goes back to manufacturers' recommendations. I've done a little research, and found:

1- never use silicone on the seals.
2- use pure talc, you can get it in drug stores. Baby talc is perfumed.
3- use only paraffin wax on the drysuit zipper, or what the manufacturer recommends.
4- you only rinse the inside if it is dirty, leaked, or you've perspired heavily. Let your GF/SO sniff it.
5- must, must, must allow it to dry thoroughly before storing in a sealed plastic bag to protect against ozone.

There's a lot more; I would check the manufacturer's website for downloads / instructions.

 

[dbulmer]

Andyj

For putting on seals, get some lube from Asda. It's cheaper than KY Jelly and works well for Latex seals. It's less messy than talc and you won't clog up anything (such as your pressure valve).

For the zip, use the products below

a) Zip Tech™ Solid Zipper Lubricant - it's easy to apply. This allows easy zip movement

b) For cleaning the zip, use McNett Zip Care (follow the instructions).
Steps a and b are easier than buying beeswax BTW. If you use too much beeswax on a zip the zip will jam and it's easy to do when you are new to DS diving.


For storage, buy non perfumed talc. Some dive shops will sell it but you can also ask at the chemist. Apply the talc on the latex seals but ensure that no talc clogs up the dump valve/inflator valve.


In general terms, if you have bought a new suit, tighten the dump valve. Dump valves on new suits tend to be looser than they should be.

When rinsing your suit, make sure you pass water over the dump valve and inflator valve - this should help remove salt deposits and remove any junk in there ( talc, dust/sand etc).

Hope that helps.

 

[D_B]

That should be ... never use non water soluble silicone on the seals ... I've asked and DUI says that the other kind is fine (100% soluble in water as per the MSDS, or Food Grade)
My drysuit has old, dry and surface cracking zipseals in the arms and after using silicone (McNett) on them it has made them last and feel much more pliant .. I use it on the zipper too, much smoother/easier operation, even though it's brand new (again, DUI said it was OK, and they did not have any issues in replacing the old zipper that was in terrible shape (unmoveable) when I got my used, looks like it was a rental, suit)

another source I've heard for talc is your pool table store

 

[RJP]

McNett's "Seal Saver" applied religiously...

Seal Saver at www.DiveSeekers.com

 

[RJP]

For storage, buy non perfumed talc. Some dive shops will sell it but you can also ask at the chemist. Apply the talc on the latex seals but ensure that no talc clogs up the dump valve/inflator valve.

Just buying "non-perfumed" talc is not sufficient guidance, as most people equate "talc" with "baby powder" which comes in non-perfumed versions, but still has a bunch of other crap in it.

If you're going the powder route you need PURE talc. Devoid of not just perfume, but anything and everything else.

Though I prefer Seal Saver...

 

[Jax]

McNett's "Seal Saver" applied religiously...

Seal Saver at www.DiveSeekers.com

Now, that's interesting - 100% silicone . . . which everything I've read says one mustn't use, because it interferes with future seal changes and adhesions.

Also, in some products such as Armor All (of which silicone is a large part), once you stop using it, the rubber dries harder and cracks more than if you had never used it.

So, how many of you drysuit people use silicone, and what do the manufacturer's say?