deniska wrote: ↑Mon Dec 23, 2019 4:51 pm
matth wrote: ↑Mon Dec 23, 2019 2:11 pm
All drysuits will get a little water in them, but with 100% fleece and sports fabric underwear you will never feel a thing...
I don't agree with the first part..
I think if your suit does not leak then you will remain perfectly dry (maybe a bit sweaty of you over dress).
So you get some water, I would look for the causes.
Most suits start to slowly leak at the seams with time. (and some cheap ones right away
)
you need to find and patch those leaks (dry it up completely, turn inside out, seal the leg/arm gaskets with water bottles, fill it with water and see where it becomes moist)
Other thing is to cover all your gaskets, while riding: gloves, booties, hood. If everything is tight and covered, you will come out dry even after scary wipeouts..
Many older suits from only 8 or 10 years back were slightly leaky, some more so as fabrics were not always watertight, as manufacturers were developing breathable drysuits some of these suits were not great for impact sports, fine for dinghy sailing, but for users who impacted hard with the water when crashing got a bit too damp with maybe a few cupfulls of water collecting around the ankles after a few hours use, and the fleece ended up wicking the wet stuff up the legs,
to find the leaky bits back then I found lying in a nice warm bath with normal T shirt and pants on underneath gave a clear picture of any weak points.
back then I did get a few free replacement suits that failed to keep me dry.
but todays suits all seem to work fine as long as you -----
avoid soft neoprene cuffs- ankle or neck seals, best to stick to latex only and avoid trimming if possible as they do feel more comfortable after a little use
never use any form of seal lubricant apart from maybe baby talc,
plastic zips are by far the best, apply the zip lube at least once each season, before and after the seasons use, (more so if the zip is outside a jacket top)
wash the suit in fresh warm water after each use (not the day after) and hang to dry in a warm dark place, (not in sunlight).traces of invisible marine oil and sunlight will destroy latex seals,
only buy the best suit you can afford that is breathable with cuffs that cover all the seals and shield from sunlight
if buying second hand, then check all seals for sticky latex seal areas, as these indicate that the seal is near the end of its life, just like when you find a old rubber band, and sticky point it were it will snap
lightweight suits are much better than the ones more suited to lifeboat crews that have loads of pockets, storm hoods and reinforcements. the ones with thin sewn in jacket style tops are great to wear, find a well fitting suit that's not too baggy but definitely not figure hugging as you do need complete flexibility.
get the right suit and it will feel so much less restrictive than any winter wetsuit and far more warmer and able to keep you from chilling down when wet and standing around in freezing winds.
a good suit well looked after will last 5-8 years,
consider getting 2 suits and you will have the best solution to suit rotation when sailing many days in a row like I do.
har! pauline has just reminded me I did damage my drysuit once, it was a brand new suit only worn a few times, brand name of the suit is irrelevant.
I was horrified when the suit tore open.
it revealed my broken tib and fib which had completely fractured and sliced through my tendons, skin, undersuit and drysuit, lying on the pre operation table at hospital i asked the surgeons if they could at least save my suit, somehow they managed to save the suit apart from the left leg which they had to cut off, the suit leg, not mine