HOW TO DESTROY YOUR DRYSUIT
Want to know the fastest ways to annihilate your drysuit? We’ve racked together a list that will absolutely demolish your favorite piece of scuba gear. How do we know? Just 51 years of experience, that’s all. So unless you like buying lots of drysuits (and we don’t mind it at all if you do), we suggest you do not follow this list:
Hang Your Drysuit in the Sun
This is a great way to not only color fade the fabric but it will quickly deteriorate the latex seals. It will also cause the waterproof zipper tape to become dry and brittle because it, too, is made of rubber. Prolonged exposure to the sun or ultraviolet light will accelerate the aging process of your drysuit. It’s just like the damage sun does to your face but only on your drysuit. See our Service Bulletin for more.
Don’t Wax Your Drysuit Zipper
This is the best way to damage your zipper. It will cause brittleness in the tape especially the sealing surface and it will it be really hard to zip. Remember replacing your waterproof zipper is the most expensive repair of a drysuit. For more on drysuit zipper care visit Your Waterproof Zipper is the Heart and Soul of Your Drysuit.
Trifecta of Zipper Abuse
Want to replace your zipper long before it’s due? Here are three things you can do:
1. Muscle in and out of the drysuit – this can make the ends of the zipper split
2. Don’t unzip the zipper all the way.
3. Grab the zipper pull and yank, yank, yank.
Don’t Clean Contaminates Off Your Suit After Diving
Don’t bother cleaning contaminates like hydrocarbons, i.e. fuels off your drysuit following a dive. This will degrade the drysuit and its components.
Apply Silicone Spray to Exhaust Valve Components
It causes damage to the silicone components and can result in a leaking valve.
Don’t Rinse Your Drysuit with Freshwater After your Dive
Why bother? It only creates corrosion on the suit especially the valves and zipper. Salt water stains make your suit look cool – NOT! Plus it also causes your drysuit to smell bad which is a side effect your dive buddy will surely not appreciate.
Dive in a Chlorinated Pool Without Getting Your Drysuit Wet First
When diving in a chlorinated pool don’t bother to get it wet first with fresh water. We all know that rinsing it first with fresh water will lessen the absorption of chlorinated water from the pool. Not rinsing it first will accelerate the discoloration of the suit and deterioration of the fabric.
Careless Suit Storage
You can do a lot of damage if you take a devil-may-care approach at storage. Here are just a few:
Store your drysuit with kinks in the zipper – This will cause weakness and breakage of the zipper.
Store heavy objects on top of your drysuit – This again causes kinks and/or punctures in your drysuit. Sure to ruin your next dive.
Store your drysuit for easy rodent access – Rodents like to chew through the material making nice nesting areas.
Store your suit next to the water heater, clothes dryer, etc. – Motors generate ozone which loves to eat away at rubber like your latex seals. The same with an engine room on a dive boat. Don’t leave it in there once your suit is dry.
Of course if you love your drysuit, DON’T DO THESE THINGS! Read the DUI Owner’s Manual on the best way to care for your drysuit. It’s free and available for download on our website. With proper care your drysuit will last years.
Happy diving!