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If you have a Leak
Almost everyone who dives actively in a drysuit sooner or later experiences a leak.
Most of these are minor and result only in slight dampness, however, if you notice
water entering your suit during a dive, end the dive and surface to determine
the cause.
A serious leak could cause serious loss of buoyancy. An uncontrolled
ascent may occur. Abort your dive.
The most likely causes are easy to x and you can use the suit again after it dries.
Major leaks or seal failures are extremely rare.
The most common causes of leaks in drysuits are:
• Failure to get a good seal before entering the water. Hair or undergarments might be
trapped under the seals or the seal might be folded in such a way as to make an entry
point for water.
• Failure to completely close the zipper before entering the water.
• Valve leaks can be caused by a loose connection of valves and inator hose.
Foreign material could have become lodged in the valves. In this case it can often
be corrected by ushing the valve.
Even if you take great care, something may have punctured the suit.
Sea urchin spines, hooks, or sharp metal on boats are common
oenders. It is recommended that you have the repairs done by a
Waterproof authorized dealer who is familiar with drysuit servicing.
Care Instructions
Care of the Valves
The inlet and exhaust valves require little maintenance besides keeping them
clean. They should be periodically checked by a qualied service facility. DO NOT
attempt to disassemble the valves yourself.
Seals
Rinse seals with fresh water and let them dry before storage. Always dust dry latex
seals with unscented talc (available from your Waterproof dealer) before storage.
This ensures that the sleeves do not stick together.
Scented varieties of talcum contain oils that will damage the seals.
Zipper
The Dry zipper is the heart of your drysuit and its most expensive component.
With the right care the zipper can last for the life of the suit. All zippers are
examined and pressure tested before leaving the factory. The drysuit zippers
can only be damaged by mishandling. Please treat with care. We cannot take
responsibility for zippers damaged by misuse.
When opening and closing the zipper be sure the teeth are in
alignment and that the supporting tape is not kinked. This will
normally require two hands. Take great care not to zip
undergarment material into the dry zipper, as this is the most
common way the zipper gets broken.
Metal Zipper
• Clean zipper with fresh water after diving being sure to remove any debris from
between zipper teeth. Dry the zipper before storage.
• Lubricate the zipper with paran wax or beeswax.
• Lubricate on the outside of the teeth only. A very small amount of wax is sucient.
• Make sure your zipper is always waxed.
• Avoid sticky waxes, as they tend to attract sand and grit.
DO NOT use silicone, silicone spray or petroleum based lubricants.
These products can damage your zipper and suit. Check your zipper
before each dive and make sure it runs smoothly.
Storage metal zipper
Store and transport the drysuit with metal zipper open. When the zipper is open,
it is very exible. When closed, it can easily break during transport.
Plastic-molded zipper
• Keep the zipper clean to avoid particles getting caught in the seal and
keeping it open.
• Avoid side stress on the zipper stringers when closing the slider.
• Move the slider in straight direction of the zipper.
• Do not use force to overcome a blocking or if the slider hooks up on the
reinforcing strap (if installed).Pull back, remove the cause of the blocking,
close carefully keeping the stringers parallel.
• Do not overstress the stringers of the open zipper at the ends in
sideway direction.
• When not in use keep the zipper dry and out of the sun.
