The way to find out how much water a dry suit can hold . . .

[TSandM]

. . . is not while you are wearing it.

My patience is wearing very thin. This is the dry suit which has been back to the shop twice for a seam leak and once for a leg leak which I think happened in the shop while they were putting my knee pads on, but the shop didn't -- but my LDS made them fix it anyway.

So the suit came back this last time, and the first dive I attempted to do with it was the one where I never made it down. The second dive, I came out with a wet chest which I thought might have been due to not snugging the zipper down completely. Wasn't too worried.

Today, I tried to dive it again, and within five minutes knew I had a problem, but thought it was manageable, since the dive before I'd just come out with a wet patch. Hah. 38 minutes into the dive, I felt the water begin to run down into my feet, and knew I was in trouble. Turned the dive and headed back in, but I eventually was forced to surface from extreme dynamic instability due to having so much water in the suit. I surface swam in, and by the time I reached shore, I was able to POUR water out of my feet. The entirety of my undergarments was sodden -- say hooray for Thinsulate, or I'd probably be hospitalized for hypothermia.

I don't know yet what the problem is -- it's either zipper or neck seal, and I'll look at it in the morning (too dark and cold, and I was too disgusted to investigate tonight). But in the six months I've had this suit, it's spent as much time being repaired as it's spent diving.

When do you throw in the towel, and how do you come to terms with discarding a $900 suit?

 

[PerroneFord]

What kinda suit do you have?

 

[TSandM]

It's a Mobby's trilaminate. I got it cheap because the shop was no longer carrying Mobby's, and this suit was a very small size and hard to sell. The shop has been SUPERB about supporting what they sold, but every time it goes it for repair (which I haven't wanted to do myself, because it's been warranty work) it's gone for two weeks or more. I've gotten very good at scrounging up suits to dive in the meantime, but I think my friends are getting tired of hearing from me . . . "Hey, Lorie, this is Lynne. Guess what . . . ?"

 

[scubafool]

Buy a $1500 suit? I dunno, just agitating.

Diving wet in warmer water,

David

 

[MarcG]

Lynne,

I know I mentioned this during fundies as an option if you get tired of warranty issues:

Superior Diving Repair
http://www.drysuitrepair.com/

I've had them do alot of work to my suit in the past and have been very happy with them.

 

[Mike Nelson]

Have you tried one of those neck gaitors that Apollo sells? Supposed to help the neck seal get a better grip - you can use the same material on your wrist seals, as well.

 

[TSandM]

Marc, thanks for reminding me about that. Although in this case, it doesn't appear that the prior repair failed, but that I have a delightfully new problem.

 

[Doc Intrepid]

Hey Lynne,

At the risk of telling you crap you already know, this is pretty straightforward to deal with. All you need is one of those spray bottles like Windex comes in, a Sharpie, and some basic kitchen tupperware. Shove the tupperware (or whatever) up inside your wrist and neck seals (drinking glasses for wrist seals; pitchers, volleyballs, or paintcans work fine for neck seals). Fill the spray bottle with some dishsoap and water. Inflate the suit with it lying on the kitchen floor (or wherever). (Leave the LP hose connected unless you think you have a bad inflator.) Inflate the hell out of your drysuit, the full Michelin Man, then start spraying it with the soapy water. Take it slow, especially work along the seams, don't forget to include the zipper, and pretty soon you'll find bubbles coming up out of the material. That's the leak. Circle it with the Sharpie. Depending on what the deal is, you may have more than one leak.

Once you've found the leaks they can be patched in a number of ways, involving adhesives and patches...some will argue for this technique or that. But finding the leaks is the most important step, and that simply takes some looking.

I wouldn't trash your suit just yet. It's frustrating, but it can be dealt with. I trashed a Viking a few years back when it was the zipper that was shot. A new zipper would have been some $650, and a new suit would have been between $850 and $950. Didn't make sense to repair it at that point...but you're not anywhere near that point just yet. You might be able to patch the leak for less than $25.

But first you have to find the leak! That's the painstaking part!

Best,

Doc

 

[Rick Inman]

My first two dry suits (used) spent more time inflated in my living-room than underwater. Priscilla hated walking through the front door and being startled by "drysuitman" laid out on the floor

The good thing is, I learned how to fix my own suit - seals, leaks, etc. I learned form watching my LDS fix suits and from posts like Docs. Soda cans work great for the wrists and a liquid bleach bottle fits the neck.

Two weeks to fix a leak? It takes about two hours. The rest is shipping time and waiting in line.

I feel your pain, though. I didn't mind fixing the suit, just being wet all the time before I fixed it. IN the first 3 mos. after buying my used OS Systems suit, I replaced both wrist seals, both booties (latex) and the neck seal. The suit had been stored for two years and the seals fell apart.

My other used suit was a DUI. Both now sit in my basement useless because of (like my uncle Charlie) bad teeth.

 

[Gary D.]

Hey Lynne,
I trashed a Viking a few years back when it was the zipper that was shot. A new zipper would have been some $650, and a new suit would have been between $850 and $950. Didn't make sense to repair it at that point...but you're not anywhere near that point just yet. You might be able to patch the leak for less than $25.

But first you have to find the leak! That's the painstaking part!

Best,

Doc

Who quoted you $650 for a zipper? We have never spent more than $2-300.00 for one either back or front entry.

Did someone just not want to do it?

Gary D.