Hi,
My neck seal on the Pyro has gone bad on the edge. Only the edge of the neck seal is affected, leg and arm seals are like new, so I guess some sort of suncreme damaged the latex.
I would like to buy the pre-glued replacement neck seal from Ocean Rodeo in Europe. Where could I get it?
Greetings,
Jaros

Be carefull with any kind of sunblocks, oils or any chemicals arround your latex seals. I found that out the hard way!

YES - at no time should you ever expose your seals to any oil / petroleum products. If you do, we recommend a light solvent immediately to clean them off. In fact, storing your suit, it should be hung in a cool dark place with good air flow on a hanger in such a way as to also prevent the seals from pressing up against themselves as this too will rot the seal!

You can trim your neck seal back to below where it has started to rot however and this will stop the progress of this erosion. If you still need to replace the seal, please email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) to order a new neck seal, they are quite simple to put on yourself.

John Z

what is the OR line on using french chalk or silicone/water based gels on the seals JZ?

In the military we always used french chalk on the seals as it acted as a preservative, stopped the seals sticking to themselves and also acted as a form of lubricant when donning the suit. Our seals would last for years of daily use so I’m pretty convinced by it, but just thought I’d ask your opinion.

I’ve heard a few guys at our local spot (not using OR suits) that are using either KY or a silicone gel for seals, though mainly just to aid in putting them one. I don’t like the idea as I’d be concerned at the mess when storing them, not to mention the funny looks when going to the chemist for an industrial tub of KY!

Phil.

Ha! Yes, the French Chalk should be fine, some people use talk powder too.

In so far as lubricants are concerned, any silicone based lube is fine, such as KY, Seal Saver or Body Glide. The only major concern you should have is oil based products (of any kind, including sun block!) - Obviously other industrial solvents, deet, etc is a bad idea as well but in terms of compounds commonly encountered be sure to avoid oily products.

I’ll jump in here as the dry suit guy at OR.
Talc does work well to preserve latex seals in storage. The powder absorbs oils, contaminates etc. Make sure your seals are dry before application. Talc is quite common in the dive industry.
Food grade water soluble silicone spay can also be used on the seals to keep them supple.

My favorite solution is Seal Saver from McNett. I highly recommend this silicone treatment as it keeps the seals supply and easy to slip on. Also works well for storage.
Seal Saver is available at most dive shops.
http://www.mcnett.com/Seal-Saver-Dry-Suit-Seal-Conditioner-P252.aspx

303 Aerospace Protectant also has a good reputation for protecting latex seals by blocking UV. (UV is the main cause of latex seal break down.)

Please note: When using the silicone sprays/303 etc. try to keep it off the inside suit fabric. If you ever need to fix a hole, the residual silicone film will make bonding repair patches difficult.

I hope this helps!