Easy Drysuit Don & Doff

[Akimbo]

I showed this trick to an old friend who skippers the Monterey Express last weekend. It was a big hit so I thought I would share it. Keep a small bucket of soapy water on deck for drysuit divers to dunk their sleeve seals in before inserting or removing their hands. Advantages are:

1. Wrists slide in and out easier than through sweatshirt sleeves
2. The seals slide on straight and smooth, ready to dive — no folds, creases, or twists.
3. Seals see far less strain and risk of damage

Try it in your diving locker (or garage), you will understand instantly. You can also use a spray bottle of soapy water (like freedivers use on their wetsuits) for diving off the shore, but a bucket is much easier on a boat. It works just as well on Neoprene, Latex, or Silicon seals. A few drops of any liquid soap in a 2-3 gallon bucket is fine, salt or fresh water. Just don’t use a detergent with additives that can attack Latex like some boat cleaning solutions contain.

I first learned it in Navy deep-sea/heavy gear training 40 years ago. Those suits are made of a very heavy rubberized canvass with thick vulcanized rubber sleeve seals. They are a major struggle to get on and off without lubrication.

[fisheater]

I used their soapy water last Sunday to get into my Fourh Element 5 mm wet gloves. Still a PITA, but I hope that they'll stretch.


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[yodelhawk]

Thanks for the tip.I'll give it a shot

[SwimJim]

Use a squirt bottle. Then you get the soapy water where you want it and it won't spill all over the deck creating a dangerous situation.

[Akimbo]

Use a squirt bottle. Then you get the soapy water where you want it and it won't spill all over the deck creating a dangerous situation.

Good point. A lot of boats have a bucket for dunking masks, which are secured. Same goes for one with soapy water. The squirt bottle isn't nearly as convenient, but works. The seas have to get pretty nasty before a secured 2 to 5 gallon bucket slops over with 6-8" of water in it.