Latex neck seal - how high/low do you go?

[Goldmember]

Hi,

I just purchased a USIA dry suit with latex seals. I dove with it once without trimming but the neck seal was very tight and I ended up with abrasions on both sides of my neck. I have stretched the neck seal over a glass jar and then trimmed one ring off. Wrist seals seem fine. Walked around the house with it ( ) and although the neck seal was still tight, this is probably what it should be like. However, I was trying to figure out how high or low the seal should sit for it to be comfortable and have enough surface to seal. It seems most guys (I am a guy) tend to wear their latex seal below the Adam's apple, but it appears this doesn't leave a whole lot of surface for the neck seal to seal...

Can you tell me how high or low you wear the latex neck seal? Any recommendations?

Thanks!

 

[dave4868]

I'd suggest you wear your neck seal at the narrowest portion of your neck, the place it will gravitate to eventually. For me, that's on or just below my Adam's apple. YNMV. (Your Neck May Vary.)

Use a suitable lubricant so the neck seal can be positioned easily to lay flat and straight in what you think will be it's best location (narrowest area of the neck, I'd say). The lubricant will also reduce abrasions. (Disclaimer: I sell such a product.)

Don't bother trying to stretch the latex, as that won't accomplish much. Just trim a ring off and see if the fit still causes your face to turn into a big purple plum with bulging blood-shot eyes.... (That's how my buddy used to look because he was afraid to trim enough off his neck seal.)

If so, keep trimming rings off until it doesn't impede the circulation significantly.

Once you get it close to the final trimming, stop! If it's a little too tight, but tolerable, try it for a couple dives until you're sure. Then, trim more if desired.

By the way, if you're prone to seasonal swings in body weight, consider leaving it a bit tight during those "heavier" times so it will still fit when you're leaner.

HTH.

Dave C

 

[Rick Inman]

Don't bother trying to stretch the latex, as that won't accomplish much.

Hum... I always stretch my neck seal over an al80 overnight before I trim (and cups in the wrist seals). Otherwise, over time the neck seal will stretch and loosen up. Pre- stretching seems to help that issue a lot - at least that is my experience.

Dave, I have never heard otherwise. Can you give me more info on this? I'd hate to think I have been doing all this for nothing. Pre-stretching must work. I read it on the internet.

 

[dave4868]

Hum... I always stretch my neck seal over an al80 overnight before I trim (and cups in the wrist seals). Otherwise, over time the neck seal will stretch and loosen up. Pre- stretching seems to help that issue a lot - at least that is my experience.

Dave, I have never heard otherwise. Can you give me more info on this? I'd hate to think I have been doing all this for nothing. Pre-stretching must work. I read it on the internet.

Seriously, Rick, valuing your experience as I do, I'd have to say you must have seen real changes after the stretching. Perhaps I wasn't perceptive enough to notice it the one time I tried the overnight stretching technique.

You're definitely right about latex stretching over time, it's just that it seems to take two or three years for that to become noticeable (or for me to notice maybe.... )

Anyway, since my initial sizing is usually a little snug, that is, just shy of causing redness in the face, the eventual stretching with age seems to bring the seal to a perfect fit. In fact, I recently needed to trim off a couple rings from a 3-year-old neck seal to remove some early rot and cracking and the seal still fit nicely with no tendency to leak.

You and I are probably trimming to a different idea of good initial fit.

That may be giving me more leeway.

Dave C

 

[Goldmember]

Thanks guys. I stretched it a few days on a jar and then cut it with a rollercutter. Worked wonderfully...

By the way, Rick, how high/low do you go?

 

[Rick Inman]

By the way, Rick, how high/low do you go?

I bring the neck seal down pretty low. For me, if it's too high, when I turn my head around I can get a trickle. With the seal lower on my neck there is more play allowance in the neck seal for turning my head without leaking.

Oh, and BTW, last night the owner of my LDS said that it's better to wear the seal down low because there are more muscles and tendons in the lower part of the neck and you can have a tighter neck seal without passing out. Don't know if it's true, but that's what he said.