Is Neoprene an answer to Latex Allergy?

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tangfish

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I recently got a blood test and confirmed a suspicion that I have a latex allergy. Now I am in the tricky situation of deciding what to do. Should I go for neoprene seals on a drysuit, or just forget diving dry altogether? I had a skin reaction on my last dive trip, and one doctor says it was from a possible allergy to neoprene, but my dermatologist says this is hogwash. I figure having neoprene seals will be a heck of a lot less skin area in contact with neoprene than a wearing a wetsuit, but its still a hefty sized investment to potentially be allergic to. On top of all this I'm still wondering if the neoprene seals provide adequate seals and/or if there is a significant sacrifice in performance or comfort compared to latex. Any helpful insights or experience? Do any of you out there have this same problem?
 
funkyspelunker:
I recently got a blood test and confirmed a suspicion that I have a latex allergy. Now I am in the tricky situation of deciding what to do. Should I go for neoprene seals on a drysuit, or just forget diving dry altogether? I had a skin reaction on my last dive trip, and one doctor says it was from a possible allergy to neoprene, but my dermatologist says this is hogwash. I figure having neoprene seals will be a heck of a lot less skin area in contact with neoprene than a wearing a wetsuit, but its still a hefty sized investment to potentially be allergic to. On top of all this I'm still wondering if the neoprene seals provide adequate seals and/or if there is a significant sacrifice in performance or comfort compared to latex. Any helpful insights or experience? Do any of you out there have this same problem?

how many friends do you have?!
before you shoot me - what I mean is, can you borrow a variety of suits to try out in the local pool without them freaking out on you borrowing them?
surely "suck & see" is the best solution here?
this is what I do for my random allergies (gluten, wool, grass(the green stuff, not the.....), biological washing powder, etc)
 
funkyspelunker:
I recently got a blood test and confirmed a suspicion that I have a latex allergy. Now I am in the tricky situation of deciding what to do. Should I go for neoprene seals on a drysuit, or just forget diving dry altogether? I had a skin reaction on my last dive trip, and one doctor says it was from a possible allergy to neoprene, but my dermatologist says this is hogwash. I figure having neoprene seals will be a heck of a lot less skin area in contact with neoprene than a wearing a wetsuit, but its still a hefty sized investment to potentially be allergic to. On top of all this I'm still wondering if the neoprene seals provide adequate seals and/or if there is a significant sacrifice in performance or comfort compared to latex. Any helpful insights or experience? Do any of you out there have this same problem?

Your dermatologist is right. Latex and neoprene are different. However, you may also have a neoprene allergy, which actually means you may be allergic to one of the chemicals used in neoprene. Neoprene seals do work. They don't last as long as rubber seals. But any exposure you have to neoprene, however small the skin area can cause the allergy to get worse, to a point where you may have an anaphylactic reaction to it (this is life threatening). Your best bet is to go with lycra or polartec. Try them before you buy them. In reference to the suggestion to try your friends' dry suits, you can also go to your dive shop and try their rentals in the pool. But again, if it were me, I would stay away from the neoprene completely.
 
What kind of cost difference would we be looking at between latex and neoprene seals, and of course how tough to change them out? The rest of the suit should be the same surely? I only wonder as i believe i also am allergic to latex, but this thread perked my interest.
 
Well to answer some of your questions: No, I do not have any friends :(. I'm serious. I'm just getting into diving around here (I'm a tropical diver) and I don't know all that many people who dive, and the ones I do know I probably don't know well enough to borrow their suits. Also, even if I did try the suits it might not tell me much since with latex allergy (not sure if this is also the case with neoprene) you get stronger reactions the more exposure you have, so, the first few times it might not get much reaction but if I had many repeated exposures (like if I owned my own suit) then it could cause increasingly severe reactions. No problem about the anaphalaxis, that would only occur if I ingested some latex and since I have moderate to low allergy then the only danger is a really annoying rash.

Any other suggestions?!
 
what did you wear in the tropics?
a rash suit? skin suit?
I used to, but now feel the cold more and wear a 3mm wetsuit even in the tropics.

I wonder..... could you wear one under a wet-suit?
You wouldnt be "dry" but you would at least be warm, and minimising contact with neoprene?
 
In the tropics I wear a 3mm wetsuit, and until this last dive trip had no problem. This past trip to Sipadan, I came back with a rash over my whole torso and the doctors still can't tell me what it was. One doctor says it was from an allergy to neoprene and the other one says it was eczema. Since then I've started using a rash suit underneath the wetsuit, and have had no problems. Of course I'm not doing 6 dives a day like I was in Sipadan, so that might be a factor too.
 
ah *lightbulb* pings!

you wore a wettie in Sipadan? (just come back there myself - great isnt it? didnt see a hammerhead, but did see bumphead parrot fish & manta rays & barrucudas!)

anyway, was it your wettie or someone elses?
how was it washed?
did you wash it after every dive, or just irregularly?
how was it washed? in a communal shared bucket or under a fresh water shower?

I ask because I am allergic to certain cleaning products that give me eczema - perhaps you have this as well?

Another thing to consider is stinging hydroids. I got really painfully munched around my hands & wrists one day. Did you go snorkelling?

lis

ps 6 dives a day? not for more than a few days I hope?!

Edit the other thing is - it may just be a sweat rash - do you remember how your DMs often wore very thin black sleeveless shirts underneath their wettie? it's because if you sweat a lot, and dont rinse out your wettie well, and are carrying heavy kit, all the sweat & bacteria & rubbing & wear on your skin gives you a rash. my husband got a rash over his torso on the 4th day for pretty much similar reasons.
 
divaholics:
Neoprene seals do work. They don't last as long as rubber seals.

Gotta disagree here, i dive dry and teach dry all year round. I have a cordura suit with latex seals for about 2 years now and an 8ml compressed neoprene suit, i've changed the rubber seals 2wice already- neoprene are going strong 4 years later!

But in answaer to ur question, neoprene seals do work, i find them slightly more comfortable too, but that's a matter of opinion. Check put ur LDS and see if they'll let you rent a neoprene suit and try it out in a pool first and see if you like it.

SF
 
Hmmmmm.... those are all interesting points you bring up. I was using my own suit, but washing it in the communal bath of who knows what. I was also rinsing with the hose but the water in general on the island is questionable. I was doing 5 or 6 dives a day for a week, but still within my limits on my computer. I didn't get stung by the hydroids (didn't even see any there), but it could indeed be from just so much diving and heat/sweat, etc. Plus I had an upper respiratory infection at the time (yes I know, sick and diving like a madman) so it could have been that my immune system was compromised. It also could have been bedbugs of some sort. I guess I won't know until I get into the water again with that suit and do some dives. Thanks for the insights!

lostinspace:
ah *lightbulb* pings!

you wore a wettie in Sipadan? (just come back there myself - great isnt it? didnt see a hammerhead, but did see bumphead parrot fish & manta rays & barrucudas!)

anyway, was it your wettie or someone elses?
how was it washed?
did you wash it after every dive, or just irregularly?
how was it washed? in a communal shared bucket or under a fresh water shower?

I ask because I am allergic to certain cleaning products that give me eczema - perhaps you have this as well?

Another thing to consider is stinging hydroids. I got really painfully munched around my hands & wrists one day. Did you go snorkelling?

lis

ps 6 dives a day? not for more than a few days I hope?!

Edit the other thing is - it may just be a sweat rash - do you remember how your DMs often wore very thin black sleeveless shirts underneath their wettie? it's because if you sweat a lot, and dont rinse out your wettie well, and are carrying heavy kit, all the sweat & bacteria & rubbing & wear on your skin gives you a rash. my husband got a rash over his torso on the 4th day for pretty much similar reasons.
 
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