Leaking Drysuit Valves?

[Cave Diver]

I know someone that has a neoprene drysuit, I think it's an O'Neil.

The suit tends to leak, but they have been unable to determine the cause. I used it for a dive today and when I took it off, the front of my shirt was soaked. Based on the pattern, my guess is that it leaked around the inflator on the chest.

There appeared to be moisture around this valve, and also around the shoulder valve as well. The moisture appeared to be more around the seal, rather than leaking through the valve itself.

Could something like that be fixed using aquaseal or a similar product, or would it necessitate professional repair?

 

[Hallmac]

I have used Aquaseal to make a sealing ring several times for this exact problem.

It is easy to do just unscrew the valve and remove it from the suit. Clean the sealing ring of both sides of the suit and the valve.
Put an 1/8 inch bead on the valve between the sealing groves and reassemble. Immediately clean the excess with cotol 240.

I have found that beads larger 1/8 inch tend to glob up inside the valve and need to be cleaned out.

Hallmac

 

[Cave Diver]

Hallmac once bubbled...
Hi O-ring

Ruh Roh, are people starting to get us confused now? Or maybe too many people posting responses when they are tired like I did in the "Rig a small boat for diving" thread?

Seriously tho, thanks for the information. I was thinking about trying something like that, but wanted to be sure before doing it.

Also, is this something that will have to be done on a regular basis to neoprene suits? Do shell suits have similar problems?

 

[chickdiver]

Withe heavy use (or time) the seals around the vavles can go bad in a suit. It's easy to pull the valves and clean and reinstall them. i would be careful using aquaseal on a neoprene suit, though. It's used on shell suits, and peels right of, but I have a friend who used it on a neoprene and had a really bad time with it. I think there is another adhesive typically used on neoprene, but I dont know what it is (my experience with neoprene suits is very limited).

 

[Silverback]

Hello....

One area that no one has talked about yet (so let me be the first) is, were the valves tighted before the dive. In many cases where I've seen leaks on neoprean suits is that the tighting ring for the valve can be turned anywhere from a full turn to half a turn. In one case I was able to turn the ring two turns

I agree with who ever mentioned not to use aqua-seal on a valve. Instead, try this... I've use both and its worked quite well for the divers that I've helped.

I usually have some bicycle tube with me and using the valve, you can make a new rubber ring. that gets compressed between the suit and the valve. Another way is to visit the local hardware store and pick up an o-ring that is roughly the size of the middle of the valve ( I believe that on some of the valves there is a small grove there.) and this o-ring will sit right there.

A good practice before every dive is to make sure the tighting ring is snug, espcially if the suit is fairly new. It does take some time for the seat of valves to set itself.

Another area that may make it look like the valve is leaking is condinsation from the cool air coming in and hitting the divers warm body. A way to help this is to put a flap between the valve and your body.

Anyway, hope this all helps.

SB

 

[Hallmac]

Cave Diver once bubbled...


Ruh Roh, are people starting to get us confused now? Or maybe too many people posting responses when they are tired like I did in the "Rig a small boat for diving" thread?

I posted that just before landing in the land of nod. I will also agree that aquaseal and neoprene are not the best combo but most of the newer suits have a plastic sealing ring around the hole punched for the valve.

If present you have a plastice to plastic surface to use the aquaseal on. If it is not present Bostic 2402 will work better because of the rough surface.

Once again sorry about the wrong greeting

Hall