Latex Seal Durability

[Akimbo]

How long can I expect my latex drysuit seals to last?...

About 20 minutes if exposed to floating gasoline. A few months when stored in the garage with your 57 Chevy. Latex is delicate and, as others mentioned, very chemically active. Use the opportunity to switch to silicon seals — but find a better place to store your suit.

…When I did my Tech Instructor upgrades with Steve Lewis at Gilboa he had a gallon bottle of veterinary lube sitting on the tailgate or table…

This trick is older than all of us, is faster, and cheaper: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/exposure-suits/409621-easy-drysuit-don-doff.html

 

[Peter_C]

So contamination would explain why our shop's entire stock of dry suits, including those that had been in storage awaiting sale and never used, lost every wrist and every neck seal over a few months? Interesting. To what would you ascribe this wholesale contamination?

So you are saying all the drysuits and extra seals were made in the same batch, or at least within roughly the same time frame and with the same manufacturing process?

 

[boulderjohn]

So you are saying all the drysuits and extra seals were made in the same batch, or at least within roughly the same time frame and with the same manufacturing process?

Beats me.

It was a mystery I was trying to solve. It was widespread--around the world, in fact. The company's explanation (contamination from handling copper pennies) was decried as ludicrous by two chemists who said that poor methodology by the maker was the most likely problem. If faulty procedures was indeed the problem, it was likely not contained to a single batch. If the proplem has gone away, then it suggest the faulty procedures might have been fixed.

But I don't really know. All I know is what I wrote. I am not convinced of any explanation right now.

 

[raftingtigger]

2 drysuits, 2 years, about 200 dives combined. I have changed ONE seal because of condition and that is one that was stamped 1991 and had been used for an unknown amount of time/dives when I got the used suit (too big for me). I put the SiTech silicon neck seal on that suit and only re-used that seal when I loaned it to my buddy. It broke on first re-use while dressing and I was able to change it while my buddy was still in the suit.

One suit has silicon all around and probably 150 dives on the seals. The other suit has the seals I bought the suit with (suit was made in 199?) but don't know how old the seals themselves are. As we speak I am installing a SiTech Quick Neck ring for WHEN I need to change the seal.

No special care except I keep them out of chlorine, rinse with fresh water (occasionally an overnight soak) at the end of the weekend, air dry and then store in my garage. However, the garage gets care fumes about 4 times a year.

I am very careful to not pull on the seals when don/doffing. That probably has a lot to do with the durability.

 

[3D diver]

My last Viking lasted 15 to 20 years & I went through several sets of latex hoods, wrist and necks seals and a couple of zippers, all due to damage as opposed to age/rot. Eventually the suit itself de-laminated in storage (why I'm not sure of its exact life time).

My current Viking is 3 years old and leaking badly...but the seals and zipper are fine. I returned it to Viking for evaluation a few days ago.

 

[Peter_C]

But I don't really know. All I know is what I wrote. I am not convinced of any explanation right now.

Could it be that they were using some sort of heater that produced a lot of ozone, being that they are in a cold climate? Since you said unused seals, I wouldn't rule out the store itself being the cause. Of they were all the same brand and made in the same time frame I might buy a design flaw, but most shops have different brands, with stuff made over years. For instance I have an OS Systems latex leg cuff seal, that has been stored for 15 years, and still looks brand new.

 

[mathauck0814]

How long can I expect my latex drysuit seals to last? My neck and wrist seals are about a year old and are cracking already. The dive shop's attitude was something like "A year? Not bad, chump."

-Grant

I'd agree that a year is a long time. I get mine replaced 2-3x/yr (100-150 dives per set) the wrists go out more frequently than the neck. I also don't always rinse my suit, I leave it in the sun on the boat a lot and generally think that of all the dive gear you can baby the suit gets the least attention (plastic zipper and valves/seals are so easy to repair/replace). If you don't dive a lot and have time to put talc on the seals after a thorough rinse each time you use (or it sits in a bag in a dark, dry closet) I can see getting a year or more out of a seal, but that feels like too much work and/or not enough diving. YMMV.

 

[rhwestfall]

..... not enough diving.

No truer words have been spoken..... regrettably

 

[scubagrant]

Wow, lots of help on this issue. Thanks. I think I'll look into the SI-Tech approach. I'm not in a position financially to send my suit in for new seals very frequently.

 

[boulderjohn]

Could it be that they were using some sort of heater that produced a lot of ozone, being that they are in a cold climate? Since you said unused seals, I wouldn't rule out the store itself being the cause. Of they were all the same brand and made in the same time frame I might buy a design flaw, but most shops have different brands, with stuff made over years. For instance I have an OS Systems latex leg cuff seal, that has been stored for 15 years, and still looks brand new.

The shop had just started carrying dry suits the year before, and they only carried one brand.