Testing for a leak

I have a Bare Nex Gen Suit. I was dry on top but my buttom half was wet. How do I test for a leak at home? I look forward to any help anyone can give me.

Thanks,

Sean

find your self a pool and jump in for about 3-5 min, get out and circle the wet spot on the inside of the suit with a peace of chock. then seal them with aqua-seal. if there are no wet spots soak a little longer and repeat until you find the spot. if that does not work find your self a buddy and then blow your self up like a balloon put tons of air in there way more than you would normally put in on a dive and have hem or her find the leek by looking for bubbles coming out of the suit. you can still use the chock to mark the holes or a white sharpie.

Turn the suit inside out and zip it up. Close off the wrist seals with clamps and wood, then fill it up with water on the driveway through the neck seal. Clamp off the neck seal if you need to. Either way, you'll see the leaks. Mark with chalk or talc, then repair with aquaseal or cotol.

seansrs36:

I have a Bare Nex Gen Suit. I was dry on top but my buttom half was wet. How do I test for a leak at home? I look forward to any help anyone can give me.

Thanks,

Sean

Click to expand...

1 Liter soda bottles for the wrist seals, 2 liter for the neck, blow it up and spray with soapy water.

dannobee:

Turn the suit inside out and zip it up. Close off the wrist seals with clamps and wood, then fill it up with water on the driveway through the neck seal. Clamp off the neck seal if you need to. Either way, you'll see the leaks. Mark with chalk or talc, then repair with aquaseal or cotol.

Click to expand...

as a parachute rigger for the navy, this is the method that we use (except we don't use the driveway

dano

What Dannobee said. Pressurizing with air and spraying with soapy water will not find the small annoying leaks. Filling with water will point them out every time. I find clamping the neck and filling through one of the arms is easier, but either way will work. You might have to do this twice to cover both sides of the suit - I've not had much luck turning over the suit filled with water!

You may have to try more than one of the methods suggested, as occasionally a leak won't be triggered under certain conditions.

I had a leak once that wouldn't show up on a pressured suit sprayed with soapy water, but did show up when the suit was filled with water.

The method of a quick dip while actually wearing the suit is pretty effective, as sometimes a leak won't occur unless the pressure is from the outside.

If more convenient, a substitute for that method is turning the suit inside out and filling with water.

Awhile back, I had a leak that would soak the crotch area, but I couldn't find the source. (Go ahead, make jokes....). That turned out to be a leak in the diagonal front zipper, which would only show itself during a dive, probably from the weight belt pressing a bend into the lower section. The wettest areas were always in the crotch, but that was from the water working its way along the zipper until it got to my hip.

That leak was finally found by placing a dark-colored towel along the length of the zipper and noting the area of towel that was wettest after the dive.

With a large leak like yours, I'd start with the easiest method first, namely pressurizing the suit using soda bottles for plugs on the seals and soapy water. If unsuccessful, I'd then go with filling the suit with water. Lastly, the quick dip method or turning the suit inside out and filling with water.

Good luck.

Dave C

ageddiver:

What Dannobee said. Pressurizing with air and spraying with soapy water will not find the small annoying leaks. !

Click to expand...

Change to helium vs Air-works great!