Maximize drysuit zipper life, especially the rubber?

[tmassey]

So, possibly against the course of wisdom, I just spent $700 fixing up my dry suit, which includes a new zipper. This is the second time I’ve replaced the zipper on the suit. The last one was probably 5 years and 100 dives ago. Both times, what has done the zipper in was fraying: threads coming out of the rubber lips outside of the metal teeth, allowing the rubber to degrade until there isn’t enough rubber to seal properly.

What can be done to minimize or prevent this?

I think it’s odd: we are all told to wax the zipper. Which I do: every two or three times I zip it up or so? My understanding is the idea is to wax the “shoulders“ of the metal teeth: the part where the slide will rub. Some people even worry about the little metal tabs on the inside. That’s great and all, but I’ve never had a zipper fail because of anything related to anything metal. It’s always those rubber lips that fray and eventually fail. And we don’t wax those…. (Maybe if I didn’t wax the zipper periodically they would wear out. But I kind of doubt that they would wear out fast enough to cause problems before the rubber does.)

Thoughts? What can be done to extend the life of the rubber lips on my drysuit zipper? Thank you for any suggestions you might have!

 

[grantctobin]

Where do you store your suit? How much strain is there on your zipper when your suit is zipped? Which zipper brand and type?

 

[tmassey]

Where do you store your suit? How much strain is there on your zipper when your suit is zipped? Which zipper brand and type?

In my garage, where there are no electric motors or hydrocarbon fuels.

I leave the zipper and zipper cover open. I’m not extreme about it, but I fold/roll the suit so the zipper is smooth, no sharp folds. I do hang the suit from its feet with the zipper open. I have *not* had any issues with the ends of the zipper (as in pulled apart too much).

ETA: You asked about stress while it’s zipped. How do I know? It has a zipper cover. I dive backmount doubles, so my back plate harness is quite heavy. but given where the fraying is, randomly in the middle, and given where my straps are, way up near one end, I don’t think the straps are related. If there’s some other information that I can provide, you might need to be more specific to help me understand.

YKK metal. Which exact model I have no idea: I *think* it’s they normal one, not the heavy duty. It’s a DUI CLX450 front entry, so the zipper curves some, and I believe the HD zipper is not recommended for them. (It’s whatever Superior Drysuit puts in there... )

 

[jborg]

I got some info material with my Waterproof suit which has probably the same kind of zipper. That said to trim the frayed threads with a razor, or a lighter, or a soldering iron. I haven’t tried that yet, but on my last dive trip there was a dude that laid out his suit on the ground and inspected the zipper extremely closely, burning off each tiny tendency to fray with a lighter. Perhaps it works.

 

[tmassey]

I got some info material with my Waterproof suit which has probably the same kind of zipper. That said to trim the frayed threads with a razor, or a lighter, or a soldering iron. I haven’t tried that yet, but on my last dive trip there was a dude that laid out his suit on the ground and inspected the zipper extremely closely, burning off each tiny tendency to fray with a lighter. Perhaps it works.

I have heard the same. I tend to do it when it gets bad, because I don’t like doing it, and it feels like it makes it worse. But thinking about that a little more, you might be right: if you aggressively stop the threads from being able to unravel, they might not unravel as fast. . Hmmmm.... maybe I should be more aggressive about it.

I just hate attacking small, fragile sealing surfaces with razor blades and lighters.

 

[elan]

This is what I do.
Close the zip cover, but keep the dry zipper open.
For storage I roll it starting with the legs and placing the zipper outside. Basically the idea is to make sure the zipper is not bent sharply.
When I notice it starts fraying I immediately burn the fibers with the lighter. It locks the edges as it melts. I burn it with the side of the flame holding the zipper parallel to the ground and approaching it with the side of the flame slowly until its hot enough to melt.
I never now use hard waxes on the zipper. Only use those chopstick style softer lubricants. Hard waxes crumble and catch on the fraying fibers and kill it quicker.

Hope it helps.

 

[lexvil]

My experience is there is nothing you can do for the issue you describe, waxing makes operation smoother, nothing more as far as I know. What I did the last time I had a brass zip fail was to replace it with a TiZip,it’s been at least 4 years and still going strong, only lube is at the docking area at the very end.

 

[Tracy]

I lube mine with a bar of hotel soap after every day of diving, I hang it to dry and lube it when I unzip to take it off the hangar. I do both sides of the zipper and the rubber edge that you speak of.
I'm not saying it is the perfect way to do it, but I do mine and my wifes the same and I have never not had a zipper last less than 300 dives. Most of mine have been over 500 dives plus the zipping it on and off the hang air dryer.

 

[girlwithbigtanks]

The “new” rubber zippers in the last 10 years are crap. The zipper on my suit hanging in the garage circa 2001 lasted way longer. I had a new zip put on a back up suit back in 2017 when i replaced it. It has less than 50 dives and looks like crap. My dui feom 2017
Is on 4th zipper. It was replaced last January and i haven’t used it yet. I should take photo of the new zipper to record the decay. I ordered 12 sticks of zipper wax when i had it replaced. Lol. I’m sporting a bare suit with plastic zipper atm. Waiting for teeth to start popping.