When To Replace Dry Suit Gaskets
Criteria for inspecting dry suit gaskets before they rip
In general, if you were going to use your dry suit or dry top on a month long trip like paddling the Grand Canyon then with three year old gaskets I’d say it might be good idea to replace them pre-emptively even if they look okay. But if you are just using it on day trips I’d wait to replace the gaskets until they showed their age.
- If the gaskets feel loose like they are stretched out, then they may leak. Also being stretched they will be thinner which makes them weak and more likely to rip.
- If a gasket feels gummy or it sticks to itself so badly that it is hard to pull it apart, it is degraded and weak - time to replace. However, sometimes this guminess only affects the end of the gasket in which case you may be able to trim the bad part off with scissors and get another year of use out of it (assuming that trimming the gasket doesn’t make it too loose). Or if the gasket is only slightly sticky then cleaning it with soap and water and applying 303 Protectant may let you get another year out of it.
- Pull sideways on the gasket so as to stretch the opening about 20% - 50% bigger and look for cracks (check both the inside and outside of the gasket). Like the sides of an old bicycle tire, old gaskets will crack. If the cracks go more than half way through the thickness of the rubber the gasket is weak and could rip the next time you wear it (especially if there are cracks along the edge of the gasket). However, sometimes these cracks are only on the end of the gasket in which case you may be able to trim the bad part off with scissors and get another year out of the gasket (assuming that trimming the gasket doesn’t make it too loose).
If none of the above aging issues are evident, then what ever you've been doing to maintain your your drysuit is working, so continue using it. If you are going on an extended expedition, bring replacement gaskets, Aquaseal adhesive, alcohol wipes, sand paper, and tools to do a field repair - just in case.
Note: When trimming gaskets, avoid leaving jagged nicks between snips. Like cracks, nicks can cause a gasket to rip when stretching it to put it on or take it off. Use sharp scissors (sewing quality scissors are best), and if needed, trim a little more off to smooth out any nicks.
Comments
No comments. Please feel free to be the first.