Dry suit zipper care

[String]

Beeswax works nicely for me too

 

[simbrooks]

My instruction booklet for my new Zeagle DS said not to use liquid style waxes, only the solid one. For now i have a block which will go eventually. I have found i need to wax at least once per day of diving, but unless i am doing 3+ dives with removal between that is enough. If i am taking off the DS more than once in a day i like to wax it back up. Still looking around for a good hanger at the moment, nowhere around here seems to sell them and i would hate to pay shipping (~same as actual item price)on such a simple item from an online store. At the moment i do my best and lie my DS along an inclined bunch of other (smooth sided) gear at my house, the feet are at the high end, but i think a hanger would be better. The little bag of talc they gave me doesnt seem quite as nice as a regular cheap non-scented talc from the grocery store, so i will head that way too after this little bag of white stuff is used up.

 

[Bob3]

With proper care & feeding your zipper should outlast the suit.
Going right to the zipper manufacturer eliminates some of the confusion; they (YKK) recommend both the liquid and hard wax.
The use of silicone was originally recommended, then it fell out of favor after some of the different laminated materials had trouble getting a decent glue job during repairs.
I use the food grade silicone in aqueous suspension in the pump spray, though McNett has "recently" come out with some great stuff, "Zip Care" & "Zip Tech". The Zip Care is the liquid, & the Zip Tech is the parafin wax that a guy can substitute a plain unscented candle for.
One of the big things to remember is to keep the zipper as clean as possible, & that may include rinsing the zipper off after the dive before unzipping.
Keep an old toothbrush handy to give things a proper cleaning, too. Typewriter cleaning brushes are also a handy item, though they are going the way of the mimieograph machine.

 

[Hoosier]

I verified the zipper care method from DUI tech yesterday. That's exactly what I was told. Only lubricate the outside of teech on the inner zipper that is only a waterproof zipper on DUI suit.

Interesting. . . My (DUI) dry suit Owner’s Manual says “Never lubricate the inside teeth as wax and dirt buildup can occur, attracting dirt particles that will prevent a proper seal and cause leaking.” Maybe not all zippers are created equal.

 

[doos]

Along similar lines, what advice do people have for maintaining drysuit seals?

 

[Hoosier]

That's what I am working on.



Based on my search,



many members are using a baby shampoo and rinse it completely.

Dry out in the shadow area away from the heater or laundry room.

And put some UV spray and talc on it.



But, DUI tech advised me, "Don't put any spray on the seal and suit."



And, you can get some sights from other threads.

Along similar lines, what advice do people have for maintaining drysuit seals?

 

[limeyx]

I recently read the DUI manual and was perplexed by the suggestion as well. I have been waxing the heck out of both sides and storing it with the zipper open. That's what I learned to do in my dry suit class. I don't know who to believe. For now though, I will go with the DUI manual. Perhaps it would be better to wax it while the zipper is CLOSED and then OPEN the zipper before storing it?

That's what i have been doing (TLS350) -- wax it closed and then leave open

 

[ScubaDadMiami]

I actually met with a YKK representative at DEMA, a dive industry trade show. He showed me exactly how to wax the zipper.

Basically, you put a small amount on the outside teeth only. Apply by taking your stick, pulling it across the teeth like a sawing motion while also moving it up or down the zipper as you saw.

For seals, I like McNett UVTech. http://www.mcnett.com/page.cfm?pageID=521.

 

[hardhat]

Interesting. . . My (DUI) dry suit Owner’s Manual says “Never lubricate the inside teeth as wax and dirt buildup can occur, attracting dirt particles that will prevent a proper seal and cause leaking.” Maybe not all zippers are created equal.

Has it occured to any one that a suit manufacturer (or zipper manufacturer) may not want you to care for an expencive componant of your drysuit properly. Replacing your zipper means money to these people, so why tell you how to get any extra life out of it? Also if you are cleaning the zipper correctly you won't get a build up of wax and dirt on the inside teeth, thus causing leaks. I've seen people,over the years get, as little as a hundred dive out of a zipper, not cleaning and lubricating their zippers inside and out. I've also seen people get five hundred dive out of a zipper by cleaning and lubricating the inside and outside of their zippers. For what it's worth.

 

[Hoosier]

I can see your point though. It is so sad to think in that way.

Has it occured to any one that a suit manufacturer (or zipper manufacturer) may not want you to care for an expencive componant of your drysuit properly. Replacing your zipper means money to these people, so why tell you how to get any extra life out of it? Also if you are cleaning the zipper correctly you won't get a build up of wax and dirt on the inside teeth, thus causing leaks. I've seen people,over the years get, as little as a hundred dive out of a zipper, not cleaning and lubricating their zippers inside and out. I've also seen people get five hundred dive out of a zipper by cleaning and lubricating the inside and outside of their zippers. For what it's worth.