A couple weeks ago I had to wait for a while in the sun before going diving. I applied sunscreen liberally to my face and neck. Yesterday I pulled out my suit to go diving and noticed that the top 1/2 inch of the latex seal is all sticky and obviously degraded. My cuffs are pristine just as my neck seal was a couple weeks ago. I'm sure the sunscreen is the cause as it was not around my wrists, and it was the only change in my dive routine.
@
sschlesi:
I use Neutrogena Sensitive Skin SPF60+ sunblock. It's waterproof, sweatproof, hypoallergenic, and won't clog pores. It's non-greasy and doesn't smell nasty. I only use it on my face. Generally, I'll apply it just before driving to the dive site. It can be kinda pricey, but I like it...and I don't think it degrades my latex seals.
Sun exposure on dive days can be a big issue here in Southern California. Sun protection begins even before I get to the dive site. Generally we plan to do our weekend dives early in the morning. We'll avoid the middle of the day since it can be intolerably hot at that time.
On a hot day, I take the sun into consideration in selecting an area for gearing up. Either we'll find the shade of a few trees...or a very thoughtful dive buddy will bring his sunshade. It is a good idea to time your gearing up with the rest of the people in your dive group. If you're a divemaster, it would be prudent to wait until the rest of the students get geared up before crawling into your gear...since you'll likely be a called upon to help a student with one thing or another. You really don't want to be the guy who's sweating like a pig in his drysuit while futzing about with a leaky o-ring. Assemble gear first, then get into your drysuit. As a side note, be aware of the symptoms of heat exhaustion and heatstroke and stay well hydrated.
I always keep a wide-brimmed hat packed in my dive bag. The brim of the hat is enough to keep the sun off of my face and neck. Mine lacks metal buttons since I find myself wearing it on/around saltwater, which causes metal buttons to corrode in no time. I won't take off my hat until I don the rest of my assembled gear. Yeah, I know it looks funny...but I don't care.
Fortunately the water is cold enough (50 - 60 degree F) to wear a drysuit hood and gloves -- that takes care of everything but my face on the surface kick out on a shore dive. The superduper sunscreen takes care of that. After the dive, I break my gear down and get out of the sun as quickly as possible.
In the middle of summer when temps get up in the 80s and the water heats up a little, I'll pull out the old 7mm and give my drysuit a rest.
This is just a thought but is it possible that you left the drysuit out in the sun post-dive? How/where did you store your drysuit in-between dives? Ozone and/or extreme heat can degrade the seals. After doffing my drysuit, I store it out of direct sunlight. Once I get home, I rinse the seals with fresh water and every few dives a little bit of mild soap. I live in an apartment so I have to dry the drysuit over the shower bar in the bathroom. With this kind of maintenance, my standard thickness neck seal usually lasts about 1.5 years and my heavy-duty, bottle-type latex wrist seals last 3 years. I don't use any "seal saver" type products.
Hope this info helps...
