Dry Suit Storage

[Darran J]

Hi I have a couple of questions about storing my Dry Suit.

In between dives what is the best way to store my dry suit? should it be hung up or is it OK to keep rolled up in the carry bag provided?

Also how often should I apply the wax to the zip? after every dive or routine after evey few dives?

Is there anything that I should be doing to the latex seals to preseve their lifespan?

Advice welcome.
Darran

[purple vonny]

Hi I have a couple of questions about storing my Dry Suit.

In between dives what is the best way to store my dry suit? should it be hung up or is it OK to keep rolled up in the carry bag provided?

Also how often should I apply the wax to the zip? after every dive or routine after evey few dives?

Is there anything that I should be doing to the latex seals to preseve their lifespan?

Advice welcome.
Darran

Apply wax or zip lube after every dive, and make sure you wash salt off it.

Dry the suit hanging it by the legs or on a good drysuit hanger.

You can store it with the legs and boots rolled up, the zip open and the arms folded in. I tend to leave mine loosly lying on top of my gear rather than cramming it in the bag. Make sure the zip isn't stressed or bent in storage.

Let the latex seals dry and use talc on them.

This is for a membrane suit - neoprene seems to take a bit longer to dry and some people use "Dampire" to stop the suit going manky.

Maybe I'm doing something wrong but my suit is in good nick after 3 years.

[PeteM]

Let the latex seals dry and use talc on them.

But make sure it is scent free talc as the scented talc (especially baby talc) contains lanolin which trashes the rubber.

[Valley Boy]

But make sure it is scent free talc as the scented talc (especially baby talc) contains lanolin which trashes the rubber.

Hi
I am using Johnsons Baby Powder!, should i stop using this?

[PeteM]

Hi
I am using Johnsons Baby Powder!, should i stop using this?

It is not ideal and will reduce the life of the seals. Personally I use either specialist seal powder or "Simple" talc

[Woz]

Even Simple talc has more than just talc in it.

For looking after seals, get some French Chalk powder from Comwell tools (www.cromwell.co.uk). We use it to store natural rubber seals here at work in the same way you use it for drysuit seals. It's cheap (£3.50 for 500g) and just the job.

Wax, IMHO, is next to useless as a zip lube. I use Beaver zip lube and it works a treat- lots of people in the club now use it and they all have silky-smooth zips. You need to apply it after about every 10-15 dives.

For drying, hanging up by the boots with newspaper in the feet is good. Then I roll it up from the feet upwards and fold the arms in last. finally I store it in a Beaver drysuit bag which keeps the zip straight and doesn't stress it at all. Another good Beaver product (they are quite rare).

Also if you out for a day's diving on a hardboat, if you set your kit up onto your cylinder(s) the Beaver drysuit bag is big enough to take the rest of your kit- mask, fins, hood, gloves, toolpouch, camera, computer so you don't end up with clutter everywhere.

[Darran J]

Thanks for the great advice.
I have been using the wax and "simple" talc, but will look for Woz's recommendations.

Thnaks again,
Darran

[Chris aka divingchef]

[QUOTE=Wiz]Even Simple talc has more than just talc in it.

For looking after seals, get some French Chalk powder from Comwell tools (www.cromwell.co.uk). We use it to store natural rubber seals here at work in the same way you use it for drysuit seals. It's cheap (£3.50 for 500g) and just the job.

QUOTE]

How much !!:eek:
Is that what it really costs in the UK ?:(
I 'm paying .85euro for 500 grams :D
They use it around here to make a soap.

Your right about bees wax, and I've got a constant supply IE bees ! Lube is best

Chris

[c0nners]

I found a cool article here giving some drysuit tips @ Divernet if you'd like a read. http://www.divernet.com/cgi-bin/articles.pl?id=4241&section=1057&action=display&show=

I'm only just getting to grips with my drysuit myself at the mo.

[Gnasher]

Taking this a little further and with a view to saving storage space what do you think about hanging neoprene dry suit in a loft space? My concerns are: -

1. Heat as we all know on a summers day it can get well over 90* plus in the loft. :eek:
2. Dust.
3. Insects. :(

The plus points are: -

1. Save space. :)
2. Good drying. :)
3. Good Ventilation. :)
4. Suit kept in shape. :)

Cheers

[derek Perry]

Hi

Just one extra tip which is far quicker than hanging the suit upside down or putting newspaper in the boots.
Go to your local DIY shop and purchase a length of sink waste pipe. The bigger bore size is better, one and half inches.
You need two lengths, one for each leg.
You need it long enought to reach from the boot to the area of the zip.
cut the bottom at an angle but then cut off the sharp piece so as you don't damage the boot when you put it in.
Then hang it up normaly. The pipe keeps the legs open and it dries in no time. I find hanging it up by the feet causes moisture to be trapped in the boots and take quite a long time to dry fully.
If you have actualy washed the inside of the suit out or have had a flood then you do need to hang it by the feet for a few hours/overnight to get most of the water to fall out by gravity. The final drying I find quicker by the pipe method.
I also have a piece to go accross the arms when it hangs up and have added some holes, just to add to drying.
I also store the suit hanging, with the pipes in.

Hope this helps

Derek

[Ed Howarth]

I've tried putting my suit on with newspaper still in the boots. Do you think I'm stupid enough to try it with waste pipes?

Good tip, not seen it before.

Green deserved.

Ed

[Ben Panter]

If you want to really dry a drysuit fast, you need to build yourself one of these:

http://gallery.bsacforum.co.uk/data/536/B_18.jpg

Basically it's your drainpipe arrangement, with warm air forced down to the feet via a vacuum cleaner pump stuck into a BDH. Worked well until it took off....

Ben

[Nigel Hewitt]

If you want to really dry a drysuit fast, you need to build yourself one of these:OK...
Is it time to ask the question why?

My drysuit may get a bit damp but by the time I've got out of it I've pretty much wiped it out with my booties. It will dry quickly in a heap on the front room floor or draped over the sofa if the back balcony is occupied.

It doesn't take long and if it isn't quite squeeky dry do I care? I'm a diver for crying out loud! Getting wet is part of the deal.

You should never store dry suits. The object of having a dry suit is so that you can go diving. Very often. (Brixham next week.)

[Ben Panter]

OK...
Is it time to ask the question why?
If you must...

It was a piece of imaginative competitiveness spurred on by various conversations in cars on the way to and from dive sites on the West coast. Living in a shared flat means that you want something reasonably fast. We started with fans from an old DEC station and moved on from there. Quote from an email at the time...

So here's how it happened. Came back from diving last night thinking how smelly my drysuit was, and how much it needed an internal rinse. Was rather perturbed by the facial expression of my housemate when informed that I was going to wash my suit

"That's another bloody week then! When is your kit going to pay rent for the bath???"

As I was attempting to escape her incessant wrath, my eyes settled on our fleet of semi-working vacuum cleaners. "Hmmm", I thought to myself. "What sucks must blow" [incuring a nearly forgotten conservation law]. So my other [non
winging] housemate and I took apart said vacuum cleaner, and found the centrifugal pump inside. Ah hah. Here comes the fun....

We mounted the pump (which is about 6" across) into the lid of a BDH barrel (the same size and shape as Rich's Boat Toolkit) and then fixed a vacuum hose elbow onto the side. the power cable (240V) comes out the other side, though an improvised cable gromit.

So, onto testing...

The power of the megablow is quite intimidating. The rotational inertia on ignition is enough to wind the power cable around the BDH barrel if not held down, and the output is enough to seriously perturb a lampshade
approx 9' away, or a housemate approx 6' away. When the hose is inserted into the body of the drysuit, full inflation occurs in a matter of seconds.

By the time construction had finished it was possibly too late to fully test the drying potential of the unit, although initial results indicate "Saharan".

More testing this evening. I also want to buy some drain pipes to put down the legs to force the reverse air flow to concentrate on the walls.

I'll let you know how it goes


Now I have my own flat, with a spare room, and it has been relegated to the loft...

Ben

[William van Niekerk]

"Hmmm", I thought to myself. "What sucks must blow"

Ben

My goodness! This forum should have an age restriction!!! :D

...But jokes aside, this is brilliantly innovative Ben! It reminds me of a contraption (called a "Bair Hugger" (sic)) which we use during long operations to keep patients warm. It consists of a warm air blower attached to an inflatable blanket by means of a corrugated tube in a setup not dissimilar to your own. (It can be annoying when they switch it on after you start operating, and you are lifted away from the operating field as if on a hovercraft!)

I assume your version costs less though (but beware of those "men in black" from Arizant Healthcare - they may be knocking on you door for infringement of copyright! Pharmaceutical and medical equipment companies are notoriously militant in their approach. :) ).

...perhaps I'll see if I can sneak past the anaesthetist with a Bair Hugger under my arm...

[NickBCotswold]

hi gnasher

i'm a new OD with brand new dry suit - and looking to store the dry suit either on a drysuit hanger or rolled up in the bag (looslely, with open zip face up) as advised be many many people......

regarding the use of the loft I wouldnt store ANYTHING up there that wasnt junk, not critical, expensive, vac-packed etc etc.....

certainly the amount of money I've spent on scuba gear in the last 4 months my kit has a designated bedroom all to its self! I even hate leaving my cyliner in the garage!!!!!!!! I certainly wouldnt consider leaving any of my dive gear int he loft for reason 1 to 3 as you mention, plus i tend to go training at the club each week so pain in the nads to get it each time!

nick b

[Matt-75]

Every computer part i buy has silica gel pouches with it, which i have saved up over the years. I microwave it once in a while for a short time to remove the water.

To dry my suit i put a bag containing all the pouches inside the suit (at the neck seal point), and leave for a couple of days. It does the job.

As for lubing the zip, that gets done after every dive. I talc the latex seals after every dive.

Beyond that it is hung off a wardrobe with a custom coat hanger that keeps the zip straight.

As long as you keep the zip lubed and straight, the rest isnt really a problem. But dry is better, and smells less.

[Gnasher]

Hi Nick I feel the same way but space is not on my side plus my loft is clean and tidy, but was thinking more about the heat issue.

[dazdiver]

Hi,
Once your suit is dry after washing with fresh water, put it face down and roll it up starting at the boots with the zip open fold the arms in so as not to bend the zip back on its self. Only wax the zip as required as to much clogs the teeth and streeses the zip. Any loose strands should be removed by singeing. I would not recomend using any sort of talc on the seals as it gets in the valves and clogs them up, instead use a product called SEAL SAVER, a couple of drops on the seals about every 10 dives keeps the latex nurished it also leaves a film on the seals which aids donning the suit.
Store the suit in its bag away from any direct sunlight or heat source.
Hope this helps.
Safe Diving.
Darren

[Alan Taylor]

It is not ideal and will reduce the life of the seals. Personally I use either specialist seal powder or "Simple" talc


Bet the seals on inner Farne just love that!:D

[Alan Taylor]

I'm only just getting to grips with my dry-suit myself at the mo.[/QUOTE]


Careful they can be quite vicious when roused!! especially after a night in the Ship:D

[Alan Taylor]

Hi
I am using Johnsons Baby Powder!, should i stop using this?

Only if the sheep struggle:D

[Valley Boy]

Stick thier back legs down your wellies!----that stops them !---:rolleyes: ;)