History of YKK plastic dry suit zipper problems?

[explore_DMC]

I’m not sure when my teeth started to rotate…I didn’t think too much at the time since I wasn’t having problems. Then, I kept having small leaks and could never determine the cause since it did not leak consistently or every dive. I eventually was convinced it was my neck seal and had it replaced without a test. Shortly thereafter, I surfaced from a dive with my abdomen completely soaked through. While drying for dive 2, I found the missing tooth. Duct tape was 50/50 for my next 4 dives before turning my suit in for repairs.

FWIW, Halcyon facility installed another TiZip. The pull looks slightly different so I’m guessing it’s a new generation.

 

[Zef]

My Santi E-Lite is 4 years old and has 180 dives on it. I noticed one of those rotating teeth mid-zipper. It's not leaking from there yet, but I'm concerned. I don't know what's a reasonable expectation for zipper life.

I don't know exactly what a reasonable expectation for zipper life is either, but I would hope/expect that the zipper will outlast the original neck and wrist seals on my drysuit as long as I don't subject it to neglect/abuse.

-Z

 

[lexvil]

While I can say for sure but looking at my TiZip I would have to guess that for the tooth to rotate you would have to have kinked the zipper and broken it first

I don’t baby my suit or the zipper, I only add a wipe of silicone grease to the docking area if I feel a little binding or if I happen to think of it. I always try to transport it with the zipper mostly closed, I have no idea of exactly when I had this put on the suit or how many dives it has (a lot) but it’s been perfect, so much better than the brass zipper the proceeded it. I will alway go for the plastic zip if it’s an option.

 

[laikabear]

I don't know exactly what a reasonable expectation for zipper life is either, but I would hope/expect that the zipper will outlast the original neck and wrist seals on my drysuit as long as I don't subject it to neglect/abuse.

-Z

My suit had a latex neck seal which was replaced with a Si Tech quick neck after about 2 years. The original wrist seals are Santi Smart seals and I replaced one set of latex seals. They are still intact but I use dry gloves so I don't know if they are stretched enough to leak. So by that metric my zipper has lasted.

@lexvil
I am fairly careful with the zipper. I transport it closed with the suit in the Santi bag, rolled up. I do leave it open on a hanger (one of the ones that hangs it by the boots) to dry out, sometimes that's 1 day and sometimes it's a couple of days. I then store it zipped and rolled up. I don't lube it often, just when it seems to get a little more resistant to zipping and unzipping. I usually don't unzip on the boat between dives. I noticed that tooth wiggling side to side a few dives ago. It isn't leaking there right now but I assume that's not good... I just hope it doesn't go when I'm on a trip (like my upcoming Cave class). At home I have 2 drysuits. The Santi is the one I was planning to take to Cave...

 

[lexvil]

My suit had a latex neck seal which was replaced with a Si Tech quick neck after about 2 years. The original wrist seals are Santi Smart seals and I replaced one set of latex seals. They are still intact but I use dry gloves so I don't know if they are stretched enough to leak. So by that metric my zipper has lasted.

@lexvil
I am fairly careful with the zipper. I transport it closed with the suit in the Santi bag, rolled up. I do leave it open on a hanger (one of the ones that hangs it by the boots) to dry out, sometimes that's 1 day and sometimes it's a couple of days. I then store it zipped and rolled up. I don't lube it often, just when it seems to get a little more resistant to zipping and unzipping. I usually don't unzip on the boat between dives. I noticed that tooth wiggling side to side a few dives ago. It isn't leaking there right now but I assume that's not good... I just hope it doesn't go when I'm on a trip (like my upcoming Cave class). At home I have 2 drysuits. The Santi is the one I was planning to take to Cave...

Is yours a YKK? This may be some difference in construction between YKK and TiZip?? I don’t have any personal experience with the YKK so I don’t know how they are constructed, the Ti seems to have all of the teeth as a part of a central “ribbon” of material, one piece from the look of it but I could be wrong.

 

[laikabear]

Is yours a YKK? This may be some difference in construction between YKK and TiZip?? I don’t have any personal experience with the YKK so I don’t know how they are constructed, the Ti seems to have all of the teeth as a part of a central “ribbon” of material, one piece from the look of it but I could be wrong.

Both my suits have plastic YKK zippers.

 

[lexvil]

Both my suits have plastic YKK zippers.

Ok, I’ll have to try and find one to look at to satisfy my curiosity over construction techniques.

 

[explore_DMC]

This is what mine looked like after half the tooth popped off. The opposing side came off after another two dives.

 

[Kimmeridgien]

This looks like the problem another member reported in this thread:

Plastic drysuit zipper tooth repair

 

[Kimmeridgien]

This thread is slightly off-topic, but oddly illuminating:

new YKK plastic dry suit zipper care / maintenance