Zipper replacement.

[Skookumchuck]

My catalyst has begun to take on water. Its managable now but getting worse. I think the zipper needs to be replaced and was wondering if anyone could give me a timeframe on sending a suit to Whites for repair? Don't want to keep my head above water for to long.
Andrew.

 

[kidsdream]

Dry Suit Plus does good work (as does Superior Drysuit Repair) and can get you a quick turnaround.

Dry Suits Plus, Drysuit Repairs, New Sales, Tech Equipment.

They have done work for me with great results.

 

[PinkPADIgal]

White's turnaround on repairs is quite quick. You are in Hope, BC, so it should only be 1-2 days for shipping to Vancouver Island. However, Whites is getting ready to shut down for Christmas, so it could be after the new year before you get your suit back. Check with Tyler (DiveJedi) this week and he will be able to give you a more exact answer.

 

[Bob3]

I think the zipper needs to be replaced ...

Do you have any missing or misaligned teeth, or other obvious signs of damage?
The first thing would be to give your zipper a thorough cleaning; the mischief likes to start at the very end where a small buildup of wax or other material may keep the zipper from sealing 100%.
Warm water with a mild detergent (such as Simple Green - avoid dish & laundry detergents) and a soft kid's toothbrush can be used to remove the gunk. Rinse thoroughly afterward but still try to avoid getting the soap on the latex as much as possible.
Quite a few folks have discovered a good cleaning followed by attentive maintenance, including pre and post dive cleaning & lube will have their zipper back to playing nice again.

 

[Skookumchuck]

Bob, I followed your advice and gave the zipper a more thorough inspection and discovered that at the closeing end there is a piece that receives the zipper. One side of this piece had become detached from the main part. I've reattached it using plumbers goop. Going diving today so I'll see if it works. Thanks again.

 

[Bob3]

... I've reattached it using plumbers goop. ...

Keep yer fingers crossed, it may turn out to be a cheap fix!
Doing an industrial grade surface prep can increase the likely hood of a successful glue job, so if it lets go any time soon, all is still not lost.

 

[Skookumchuck]

The goop didn't adhere properly. I think because of the silicone o-ring grease I had tried previously. Now I have aquaseal and enough time to do a better prep job. Yesterdays dive featured an "attack" by a ling cod guarding its eggs. Laughing underwater sounds funny...

 

[DiveJedi]

Wow this is great - so many responses, I don't need to do anything!!

Sorry for the delay in response - I have been out of town for the last few days.

As far as Whites is concerned, this has all been good advice. The aquaseal may very well work - but it is more than likely a patch for the time being. This is a high use area, so at some time in the future you may want to try to work a new zipper into the budget (or you may get a couple hundred more dives out of it!).

Normally when you send in a suit you are looking at 2 weeks in house + shipping here and back - as mentioned you are close, so it should be fast, butas she also mentioned with xmas arou nd the corner that will muck things up - hopefully your quick fix "sealed" the deal to get you through to the new year, and many more dives to come!

Good luck,

Until the next dive,
Tyler

 

[Bob3]

It's time for some serious surface prep & degreasing.
We're talking about toluene / toluol for a degreasing solvent followed by sandpaper, followed by another degreasing & maybe repeat a couple more times. Use a CLEAN rag for each degreasing phase; no sense re-contaminating it with a dirty rag every time.
A reinforcement patch may help; can you take a closeup pic of the offending area?

Mixing different types of glue can be a real messy proposition; some may not play well with others.
I *think* that the Goop *might* be compatible with Aqua Seal / Aqua Sure but it's best to do a test patch on some scrap material before adding more glue to a repair job.
Best of luck to ya~~~

 

[Skookumchuck]

Tyler, on another matter, I talked to a Whites rep in Langley Diving a few weeks ago and he said you guys would be holding a tryout day at Porteau in the spring. Any dates yet? I'd really like to try the new Fusion.