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After avoiding DrySuits for years - finally thought technology had moved on to what I liked and bought a Whites Fusion with Tech Skin.
After diving, I am rinsing to get salt off, and leaving to dry ..... what is the advice over how to store between dives ?
I am putting Seal Saver on the Latex seals, and waxing the zip.
Firstly - is there anything else I should be doing ?
Secondly - how should I store it .... on a hanger, rolled, folded ?
I find it is best to hang the dry suits with a dry suit hanger until they are dry. I usually leave them hanging if I am going to use them again soon. If I am going to store them for a while, I put them in the storage bag.
Be sure to keep them in a cool dry place away from anything that burns fuel (heater, hot water heater, etc). I was told that the vapors the burn gives off can mess up the latex seals. I don't know how true that is, but it can't hurt.
CONGRATS by the way, dry suit diving is amazing!
I can personally attest that ozone will REALLY ruin your drysuit. Never leave it anywhere near a refrigerator, etc, as electric motors gives off ozone. Same goes for the rest of your dive gear containing rubber.
After the outside is thoroughly dried, for long term storage, dry it first inside out.
If you really wanted to be detail oriented, buy one of those plastic wedding dress preserving hanging bags and hang it within there then hang that in a cool closet. Like Ace mentioned, loosely rolling it into a closed bag probably would be ok too.
Yes, congrats on the drysuit.....for temperate or cold waters, going from a wetsuit to a drysuit is the same epiphany of going from a windoze based PC to a Mac-you will wonder what you were ever thinking and you will never go back.
Of course, you can always use the excuse of not having a drysuit to book that tropical dive trip.....
I assume you hang it 'right side out' on a hanger ?
When you fold it and put in bag, anything special, or whatever gets it in the bag, been told to leave zip open, when in storage.
Another 2 dives racked up today ... so getting feel for this now.
Yes, hang it right side out on the hanger.
Actually what I do after diving and rinsing off my suit is to hang it upside down by the feet as opened as I can get it. I have a little portable fan I use to blow some air up inside it. When it is completely dry I hang it right side up and leave it that way if I am going to use it again anytime soon. If I am not, I will clean and lube the zipper, talc the seals and put it in the bag. As far as putting it in the bag, just drop it in feet first. I try to place the seals in a safe place far away from the zipper or inflator.
As far as zipper open, or closed, I have heard people tell me both ways. I think I leave my dry suit (front zip) unzipped, and I leave my wife's (rear across back zip) zipped. My zipper seems much more flexable than hers does.
Way back in the beginning I was told if you store it zipped it can wreck the zipper because the seal is in a constant state of being squished ... but who knows? :)
Argonaut, I'm curious to know what you think of the Fusion suit? How do you find it for comfort, mobility, etc.? Does it seem durable to you? It looks like a very interesting concept and design, although I have not seen one in person.
And Publisher, you're still using a Mac?? Gawd! :rolleyes: :p
Well ... I can't relate it to other dry suit experience as not owned one, just loads of wet suits.
First few times ... strange to put on, but quickly got the hang of it ... and now don very easily.
It is very comfortable ... the elasticated feeling seems to make air migration to the legs a lot more unlikely ... in training they had a hard time getting air into my feet when they inverted me :-)
Although I managed it Sunday when buzzing around on a scooter ... doing somersaults with scooter was fun ... even if not conventional way of getting air back to shoulder.
I bought it with Whites thermal 'Glacier Mk 2 base' and jacket ... and used the base only so far, and seems to work fine.
Very flexible, and absolutely no restriction to movement .. bending or arm reaching etc. ....
not sure how you get to look like this guy in the picture
http://www.whitesdiving.com/fusion/
Somebody asked me if I had some old newspapers stuffed down the front of mine giving it the crumpled look :-)