Solving Neck Trickle

[scubagrant]

Does anyone have a way to eliminate neck trickle? I have a very sinewy neck and maintaining a good seal is somewhat chancy. It's time to replace my current latex seals, so I'm in a position to move to a different material if it would help.

 

[tye1138]

There may not be enough material there to allow for proper neck movement. So when you move your neck, your opening up a small gap. It also could simply be cut too large to begin with. Getting the proper fit can be time consuming and if you go to large on the hole, it can lead to leaking.

 

[Dsix36]

I had the same issue when I first started drysuit diving. I found that neoprene seals were even worse than the latex. My solution is so simple that it will amaze you.

1 - New latex neck seal
2 - DO NOT trim the seal
3 - Stretch the seal over an Aluminum 80 overnight
4 - Enjoy the dry dive
5 - If too tight repeat step 3

It might be tight on the surface, but unless your face is turning purple do not make changes until you have a chance to dive it.

 

[TN-Steve]

I seem to remember somebody posting a kind of 'gel wrap' that you could wear around your neck, that sort of smoothed out the area, and made for a very positive surface for the neck seal to work against.

 

[Kevrumbo]

Make sure the leading edge of your neck seal is absolutely flat & flush against your skin, with no rolls or flips. (Same thing for the wrist seals) Also when you finally d'on your hood, ensure that you don't inadvertently roll/flip that leading edge of the neck seal.

 

[TSandM]

First off, make sure the latex seal is trimmed to the right diameter. Properly sized latex seals are not very comfortable. If you don't notice the seal on land, it's likely to leak underwater.

Second, review your weighting and your trim. If you are overweighted and having to carry too much air in the suit, and especially if you then dive in a head-up position, you will burp air out the seal, and that results in leaking.

Silicone seals can be tight enough to seal without being as uncomfortable, because they are softer, but they still have to be tight. Neoprene seals are quite likely to leak if you turn your head a lot, no matter how they are sized.

 

[Buoy_A]

I seem to remember somebody posting a kind of 'gel wrap' that you could wear around your neck, that sort of smoothed out the area, and made for a very positive surface for the neck seal to work against.

You're probably talking about an Apollo Bioseal, which is made out of a gel-like silicone, and also helps prevent latex from irritating your skin:



It does help make a better neck seal.

 

[TSandM]

However, the Bio-seal results in much more rapid degradation of the latex. It was designed for neoprene seals.

 

[buddhasummer]

Deleted, didn't read whole thread before posting.

 

[scubagrant]

Does the bioseal interact chemically with silicone like it does with latex?