Drysuit Zipper Wear

[biggpa]

My drysuit zipper is starting to fray and show signs of wear - no big deal, that is part of diving dry. However, all the wear is concentrated in the top left shoulder where my harness rubs against it. My drysuit has the outer normal zipper

Anyone have any solutions to stopping/slowing the wear in that one area?

 

[rabe]

picture?

maybe try to adjust your harness or try to use some protective layer between the harness and the drysuit

 

[al248005]

I had the same problem with my mine. I just sent it into DRIS for a replacement before the season gets in full swing. I got 8 years out of the zipper.

 

[broncobowsher]

Front zip or rear zip?
Does it have a cover?

 

[al248005]

DUI front zip and yes outer zipper cover....just main metal zipper was the only thing showing issues tho

 

[biggpa]

picture?

maybe try to adjust your harness or try to use some protective layer between the harness and the drysuit

Not sure it is really worth taking a pic of - it really is just normal wear, but only in one area by the top left shoulder. Also, I just trimmed and flamed it (since there is no diving right now), so nothing to really see.

I can try to loosen the shoulder strap, not sure how much that will do when walking around with the full rig on

 

[biggpa]

Front zip or rear zip?
Does it have a cover?

Front Zip. Has a outer zipper cover. My suit is a DUI TLS350

 

[al248005]

Front Zip. Has a outer zipper cover. My suit is a DUI TLS350

Same suit as mine. I as well tried trimming and burning the frays but everytime I used it it seemed to get worse every time.

 

[lexvil]

It’s the nature of brass zippers, plastic zippers lay flat and the brass pinches up to squeeze the sealing surface together.

 

[W W Meixner]

My drysuit zipper is starting to fray and show signs of wear - no big deal, that is part of diving dry. However, all the wear is concentrated in the top left shoulder where my harness rubs against it. My drysuit has the outer normal zipper

Anyone have any solutions to stopping/slowing the wear in that one area?

B...

You may want to consider padding your shoulder webbing with tubular neoprene webbing covering...DGX...$20. a pair...

Further...make sure your zipper is regularly cleaned/lubricated...I use Zip Tech on the brass teeth...''thick formula'' Armour-All on the fabric portion of the zipper...both sides...I spray a small amount into a cup...and apply it to the zipper with a small nylon bristle artists paint brush...

Works like magic...keeps the zipper in ''like new'' condition with no top edge fraying...indefinitely...

When ever I travel with the suit...my zipper maintenance kit comes along with everything else...

Regular zipper maintenance and the neoprene pads...will add years to your zipper...and are a hell of a lot less expensive than a zipper replacement...

W.M...