Need Drysuit Leak Test Advice

[JustinLoos1985]

I need advance on running a leak test on my DUI drysuit. I’ve place my suit inside out. My rigid Waterproof Ultima dry gloves won’t enable me to place them inside out. How would you go about sealing the arms for the leak test?

 

[Marie13]

20 oz or 1 liter plastic soft drink or water bottles work well.

 

[formernuke]

I used 12 oz soda cans when I did mine

 

[Paul M]

Hi, I am assuming that you are turning the suit inside out for future repairing but I dont think you need it inside out to perform a leak test.

 

[JustinLoos1985]

From my research most recommend turning the suit inside out because you can really pinpoint a leak.

 

[Andy in Gap]

Roll the sleeve and clamp it shut with some scrap wood or something. Do 1 sleeve and the neck, fill with water through the other sleeve.

 

[JustinLoos1985]

Roll the sleeve and clamp it shut with some scrap wood or something. Do 1 sleeve and the neck, fill with water through the other sleeve.

thanks I’ll try this

 

[Andy_Mason]

thanks I’ll try this

Hey Justin. Did you do this? If so how did it work to fill it with water inside out?

 

[Rollin]

Inside out is not really necessery for finding a leak. Only problem could be to locate the leak inside when marked outside. But in almost all cases, it just shows as a small rupture.

If you have an approximate location of the leak, try with a strong strobe first. Close the zipper of your drysuit, look for a very dark environment, put a strong strobe inside the suit via the neck seal. Even small leaks will show up this way. Scan the inside with the light. Only when that doesn't work, I will use water. But I almost always find it with a strobe.

Oh, and if you use transparant glue like Aquasure, your leak will pop up every time you use the strobe technique. The knees of my suit looked like the Milky Way. I'm a videographer in murky oysterland.

 

[JustinLoos1985]

I’ve done the strobe technique. It works well for finding a leak when you know the general leak location. For a full head to toe leak evaluation I think the inside out method and filling the suit with air works the best.