How easy is it to puncture your drysuit?

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I've had my TLS for almost 10 years. Used almost exclusively for cave diving. I've ripped a wrist seal before, but no holes in the suit itself.


You are very lucky John. I can name many who cant share that.
 
You are very lucky John. I can name many who cant share that.

I'll take luck over looks any day! :D

Both me and my buddy have had zero problems with the material itself. I've had to replace seals and zippers, but no other patching. My biggest issue with leaks is I have a real bad case of "tendon tunnel" and if I do a lot of reel work, I get wrist seal leaks.
 
I'll take luck over looks any day! :D

Both me and my buddy have had zero problems with the material itself. I've had to replace seals and zippers, but no other patching. My biggest issue with leaks is I have a real bad case of "tendon tunnel" and if I do a lot of reel work, I get wrist seal leaks.

I have the same, after getting the bottle seals that has almost stopped that leaking.
 
There seems to be some variation within the DUI TLS material over the years.

One of my suits (made in 2007ish) developed small leaks from time to time, why another TLS (2005ish) doesn't leak at all. This might be a function of how I treat the suit (I'm more careful with it now), or it might not. I'm not sure, really.

From talking to people that own thicker, more "bulletproof" suits is that they still leak from time to time, yet are way heavier and less mobile. For traveling, comfort, ease of repair, etc, I would go with a trilam suit.
 
There seems to be some variation within the DUI TLS material over the years.

Possibly. Both mine and my buddy's suits were bought around the same time, sometime early in 2002 if memory serves me. His is back entry, standard torso and mine is front entry telescoping torso, but both have held up well.
 
My biggest issue with leaks is I have a real bad case of "tendon tunnel" and if I do a lot of reel work, I get wrist seal leaks.

I solved that with dry gloves. Now I like my tendons, as I don't need any tubing or other seal breaker between glove and arm - squeeze fist, and glove is equalized!
 
I solved that with dry gloves. Now I like my tendons, as I don't need any tubing or other seal breaker between glove and arm - squeeze fist, and glove is equalized!

Thats a big NONO in cave diving.
 
Yeah, if anybody has a solution for "tendon tunnel" (other than putting the wrist seal further up the arm, which I have already tried) I'd love to hear it. I came out of all the recent FL dives wet to the elbow, which isn't normally bad at all in 68 degree water, but is when the air temperatures are in the low 40's with 20 mph winds :)
 
Yeah, if anybody has a solution for "tendon tunnel" (other than putting the wrist seal further up the arm, which I have already tried) I'd love to hear it. I came out of all the recent FL dives wet to the elbow, which isn't normally bad at all in 68 degree water, but is when the air temperatures are in the low 40's with 20 mph winds :)

The bottle type seals helped me with that, i have stayed dry unless on a scooter.
 
Yeah, if anybody has a solution for "tendon tunnel" (other than putting the wrist seal further up the arm, which I have already tried) I'd love to hear it. I came out of all the recent FL dives wet to the elbow, which isn't normally bad at all in 68 degree water, but is when the air temperatures are in the low 40's with 20 mph winds :)

I've heard of people making "sleeves" or bracelets out of innertube. Basically they cut a piece that's about 6" long and put it over their wrists, then the drysuit seal goes on top of that. The sleeve is long enough that is seals past the tendon area on most people and the rubber surface keeps the wrist seal from leaking.

I *think* there are some versions of this commercially available as well, I seem to recall seeing them a couple of years back. I want to say these were made out of silicone rather than rubber.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

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