Can anything short of a dryzipper replacement help this

[eellenoff]

I was trying to track down the leak in my suit that's been leaving me with a few liters of water in my suit after each dive, and my preliminary test (haven't done a dunk test yet, I just blew the suit up and rubbed soapy water on it) shows that I've got major zipper issues. It looked to me like the zipper was leaking from underneath the teeth, but I'll happily defer to the opinion of people with more experience in such matters.

I'm not quite sure how to embed youtube videos, so a link's the best I can do:
YouTube - P1060811


Thanks for any suggestions as to what I can do!

 

[dave4868]

Unfortunately, that zipper will need replacing. Not that hard to DIY, if you're handy. Search ScubaBoard and you'll find tips on how to DIY.

Dave C

 

[Peter_C]

New zipper time! They are not hard to replace. Probably the hardest thing is going to be removing the old zipper. You can do that before purchasing a new zipper even. OS Systems also sells drysuit zippers, but you have to get them to match pricing. I think I paid around $120 for my last one.

Zippers - <title>Global Drysuit Repair : Home</title>

 

[eellenoff]

All of the zipper replacement threads I've seen have been trilams. Is it any harder/easier/different with a neoprene suit?

 

[fstbttms]

If you are in the Bay Area and would rather let a pro handle the replacement, try these two places:

Ocean Vendors
Ocean Vendors in Brentwood, California. (ca.) #7545325

Captain Aqua's
Drysuit Service and Repair

 

[Peter_C]

All of the zipper replacement threads I've seen have been trilams. Is it any harder/easier/different with a neoprene suit?

Neoprene is harder since it sticks better to the zipper, than a trilam will. I tried a heat gun, then switched to an iron. Found the iron worked much better. My CF200 was old when the zipper got replaced and it wanted to separate the material not the zipper during the zipper removal process. I took it slow and used plenty of heat. Make sure not to stretch the material during the removal process either.

Gluing the zipper back in was pretty easy.