Ti-Zip Dry Zipper Question & Drysuit Leak

[Ouvea]

Hello All:

I bought a DUI TLS350 about two years ago with a TiZip plastic zipper. My suit is leaking around my abdominal area. It's a small leak as I cannot immediately detect it but I know it has leaked when I'm chivering during deco. My LDS looked at the suit and cannot find a leak anywhere in the front or crotch area. Shop said the zipper was fine.

I'm thiking that the zipper is probably failing at some point and allowing water to seep in. Before I send the suit for a zipper replacement, any recommendation on what I should reinspect (material & zipper)?

Thank you,
O.

 

[lexvil]

Hello All:

I bought a DUI TLS350 about two years ago with a TiZip plastic zipper. My suit is leaking around my abdominal area. It's a small leak as I cannot immediately detect it but I know it has leaked when I'm chivering during deco. My LDS looked at the suit and cannot find a leak anywhere in the front or crotch area. Shop said the zipper was fine.

I'm thiking that the zipper is probably failing at some point and allowing water to seep in. Before I send the suit for a zipper replacement, any recommendation on what I should reinspect (material & zipper)?

Thank you,
O.

A ca seal leak will often present itself as a mysterious wet spot in the front.

 

[runsongas]

does your zipper close down ward from the shoulder towards the hip? if so, stick a bunch of zipper wax on the end

 

[MaxBottomtime]

Send the suit to a repair shop like Superior Dive Repair. They will perform a leak test to find the culprit.

 

[JBFG]

It could be your valve as well.

 

[Addison Snyder]

Stick cups and stuff into the seals, seal it up and throw it in the pool and inflate the crap outta it. Or out of water with soapy water sprayed on it. Either way, add positive pressure to find the leak.

 

[MrVegas]

Sorry, what does "ca seal" refer to?

 

[Ouvea]

I read CA as Catheter Attachment. Wish it were that easy but I did not install a P-Valve into this suit. After 2.5 hours in the water, I literally run to the bathroom.

So, I have plugged the suit, fully inflated the suit and used soapy water to try a find a leak. Sprayed along the zipper teeth, the seams and even at the inflation valve. Checked a the crotch seam as well, as my baselayer is wet from my adomen to my crotch. StilI cannot find any leaks. Seen videos recommending inverting the suit inside out, which I did not do. Is this the proper procedure to leak test a drysuit?

Ironically, my now seven year old Santi E. Motion, which has a dozen patches and a brand new YKK plastic zipper, does not leak. Bought the TLS350 so I wouldn't have to worry about patching for several years.

 

[emoreira]

you could do an inflation test and search for leaks with soapy water. you need to inflate your drysuit fully.

 

[divezonescuba]

Inverting the suit and filling it with water may identify weeping areas that cannot be identified by a pressure test.

Check to see if your tizip is the new version or the old version. The binding material that holds the teeth would easily rot after a couple of years. The plastic coating on the fabric would crack and flake off in small sections. A thorough search will yield more information on this. We have several drysuits where this happened. They are suppose to have fixed this with the new version.

if you replace the zip, the ykk plastic zip is a better choice. Mine is still going strong after 4 years.