After a number of test dives with Ultimas and 720 I cut the seals and dove this past weekend in Lake Superior. The freedom was wonderful and not loosing some skin on my hand trying to slide thru the ring and seal was even more wonderful. Thanks to this thread for all the information on a dry glove system that works.
Ultima Dry Glove System question
- Thread starter Basking Ridge Diver
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
Deep South Divers
Contributor
Same here. If you're happy with your wrist seals, by all means, keep them.
Cutting them back is far from "irreversible," though. If you do and find it was a mistake, a new pair of seals can be purchaed very inexpensively and replaced in minutes. Sooner or later you'll have to do that anyway.
There's a good argument for keeping wrist seals sealed to your wrists involving wet gloves though... With them intact, wet gloves are still an option. With them cut back ("sealless,") wet glove diving is no longer an option. That said, I don't know why anyone would ever want to dive wet gloves again after experiencing dryglove diving in SHOWA 720s mounted on Ultima rings.
Personally, I could bever get wrist seals to seal anyway, so they became "not an option" long before I decided to cut them back. Prior to installing the Ultima Dryglove Ring System, my elbows, shoulder, and torso were always soaked after the dive - so in my opinion they were pointless anyway, either as a primary sealing method or as a backup.
I actually get less flooding in a sealless dryglove that has a hole in it than I did with wet gloves and functional wrist seals.
Cutting them back is far from "irreversible," though. If you do and find it was a mistake, a new pair of seals can be purchaed very inexpensively and replaced in minutes. Sooner or later you'll have to do that anyway.
There's a good argument for keeping wrist seals sealed to your wrists involving wet gloves though... With them intact, wet gloves are still an option. With them cut back ("sealless,") wet glove diving is no longer an option. That said, I don't know why anyone would ever want to dive wet gloves again after experiencing dryglove diving in SHOWA 720s mounted on Ultima rings.
Personally, I could bever get wrist seals to seal anyway, so they became "not an option" long before I decided to cut them back. Prior to installing the Ultima Dryglove Ring System, my elbows, shoulder, and torso were always soaked after the dive - so in my opinion they were pointless anyway, either as a primary sealing method or as a backup.
I actually get less flooding in a sealless dryglove that has a hole in it than I did with wet gloves and functional wrist seals.
laikabear
Contributor
Had a hole in one of my 720s last week (thankfully the ones on the Santi suit, my new suit that uses the Ultima rings hasn't even arrived yet... don't panic @MaxBottomtime !) I wear the wool undergloves and I noticed that my hand was wet between dives, but not cold. I was glad I still had the wrist seals and I just kept on diving the glove with the hole all day. I couldn't even see the hole at first, finally found it (in my thumb webbing area) by filling the glove with water later.
It's crazy how warm wool is even when wet. Although my hand was soaked, I didn't even notice it underwater.
It's crazy how warm wool is even when wet. Although my hand was soaked, I didn't even notice it underwater.
Deep South Divers
Contributor
Any idea what caused the hole? They're pretty tough to puncture.
How long was the dive? Any issues? Did you have tubes in? Any leakage through those?
How long was the dive? Any issues? Did you have tubes in? Any leakage through those?
Degenerate
Contributor
Degenerate
Contributor
Finally did it!
We were about to gear up for our first dive of Fundies and I just got a feeling that it was time.
Went to town on the seals with a scissor and I dont regret it for a second, amazing how much easier it was to don/doff the suit with no stupid seals in the way.
My only regret is that I didnt do it sooner...
We were about to gear up for our first dive of Fundies and I just got a feeling that it was time.
Went to town on the seals with a scissor and I dont regret it for a second, amazing how much easier it was to don/doff the suit with no stupid seals in the way.
My only regret is that I didnt do it sooner...
Deep South Divers
Contributor
NO WAIT!!
Just kidding.
Congrats, and if you change your mind you can always get another set of wrist seals and install them in minutes. DRIS sells the super nice SiTech silicone ones for about $40.
Doubt you'll want to, though. Going "sealless" is great.
Just kidding.
Congrats, and if you change your mind you can always get another set of wrist seals and install them in minutes. DRIS sells the super nice SiTech silicone ones for about $40.
Doubt you'll want to, though. Going "sealless" is great.
NO WAIT!!
Just kidding.
Congrats, and if you change your mind you can always get another set of wrist seals and install them in minutes. DRIS sells the super nice SiTech silicone ones for about $40.
Doubt you'll want to, though. Going "sealless" is great.
Ouch....just another product that is less expensive over here in Europe.
-Z
Put some superglue in your spares kit. A dab of superglue will plug small punctures very effectively for a short term (days or weeks) repair. Only takes a few minutes to dry and you can apply between dives.
Similar threads
