Just hit 500 hours on my new drysuit and the wrist seals are still perfect

I mean, I was fully expecting to replace them after maybe 300 hours, especially with all the steel work we've been doing. I've been logging every dive in a book since I got it, and when I added it up yesterday I was shocked. The key seems to be the talc and careful rolling technique my old dive partner showed me in Seattle. I do it the exact same way every single time I suit up. Has anyone else gotten way more life out of a seal than they thought possible?

2 comments

2 Comments

lucasgarcia5d agoTop Commenter

That talc trick is a lifesaver. I used it on my old suit and got maybe 400 hours. But 500 with steel work is next level. I found the real killer for me was forgetting to rinse the inside of the seals after a saltwater dive. The salt crystals would make tiny cuts when I rolled them. Do you do a full fresh water soak of the whole suit?

avery3665d ago

Oh man, @lucasgarcia, that bit about the salt crystals cutting the seals is so true. I learned that the hard way on my first good wetsuit. I always do a full fresh water soak now, inside and out, in a big trash can for like twenty minutes. Just hosing it down doesn't get all the salt out of the lining. That soak is the difference between a suit that lasts a season and one that goes for years.