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Grader in forward hull of the Nippo
Maru Truk Lagoon
CARING FOR YOUR
DRYSUITSdirect DRYSUITS
We hope you are in for a very pleasant surprise and will be pleased with
the difference it will make to your diving.
Your suit is supplied with a two year warranty against manufacturing and
material defects.
Drysuits are very simple to use but you do need some tuition on them we recommend that you practice
drysuit diving under controlled conditions and in the presence of a
suitably qualified diving instructor before using in open water
conditions.
Warning – We
strongly recommend that you undergo training with a suitably qualified
instructor before using any drysuit
Quick Jump Links:
1 Adjusting the Neck
Seal
2 Adjusting the Wrist Seal
3 Talcum Powder
4 Before Diving
5 Getting Dressed
6 Wrist Seals
7 Neck Seals
8 Closing the Zip
9 Venting
10 Connect / Disconnect the Hose
11 Using and Maintaining Your Drysuit
12 Valves
13 Zip
14 Latex Seals
15 Storage
16 Transport
Preparing Your Drysuit
Before using your drysuit it is essential to adjust your latex neck and
wrist seals to the correct fit.
Adjusting
The Latex Neck Seal
As latex seals are thin rubber they are easily adjusted with a pair of
sharp scissors and careful attention. The seals are watertight and seal
against the skin so a comfortable but effective fit is essential. The
seals are tapered so as the edge is trimmed away the hole gets larger.
If you are experienced at trimming seals you may be at ease doing it
yourself. If you have any doubts we suggest you contact your local dive
shop or club as latex seal trimming is something many divers are
familiar with.
The first thing to do is measure your neck circumference at collar
position. This is where your neck seal will seal against your skin. For
the seal to work the latex must be slightly stretched so the hole needs
to be smaller than the circumference of your neck. If the hole is the
same size or larger then the neck seal will leak. Ideally, the neck seal
should be approximately 20 percent smaller than your collar
circumference.
Firstly, turn your neck seal inside out where you will notice some
parallel lines in the rubber. These are cutting guides to help you cut a
straight line. Remove material one ring at a time until you get a good
fit. Do not try to remove the exact amount in one go as any errors may
make the hole too big and the neck seal will not work. Also, use large
scissors and try to avoid lots of small short cuts. Longer cuts will
help produce a clean edge. You may find it easier to enlist the help of
another set of hands when trimming your neck seal.
If you are not familiar with latex seals you may feel that your neck
seal is still too tight after it has been trimmed it to the correct size
but once in the water you will probably find that the fit is a snug and
comfortable one. Test your seal adjustments in a swimming pool before
taking to open water.
IF IN DOUBT ASK! We will happily trim any
seals for you.
HMNZS Waikato sunk off the Tutukaka coast, Northland,
NZ
Adjusting The Latex Wrist Seal
Your wrist seals may only need trimming if you have large wrists. Use a
similar technique to that used for trimming the neck seal, allowing the
hole to be approximately 20 percent smaller than the diameter of your
wrist when the circumference is measured. As previously, there needs to
be some stretch for the seal to work properly so remove a little at a
time . If too much rubber is trimmed the seal is likely to leak. Again,
use large sharp scissors and make long cuts to ensure a cleaner cut.
ANY DAMAGE CAUSED TO YOUR NECK SEAL OR DRYSUIT BY
TRIMMING IS NOT COVERED BY YOUR WARRANTY.
Finally, the edge of all trimming should be as smooth as possible. Any
rough or jagged edges are prone to tearing when the suit is worn. Trim
any uneven edge slightly to leave as smooth a finish as possible.
Talcum Powder
A talc bag is to be found in the bag with every SCL drysuit. Your
drysuit wrist and neck seals should be lubricated with talcum powder
prior to putting it on. Do not use perfumed talcum powder as this may
damage the seals. Alternatively, a mild soap or shampoo may be used.
Before Diving
Ensure the drysuit zip opens and closes easily. If a lot of effort is
required the zip should be lubricated with wax (a bar of soap can be
used in an emergency). Make sure that none of the teeth are damaged - if
any damage is suspected the suit should be taken to a drysuit repair
centre for inspection and repair.
If your suit has been in storage for more than a few weeks it should be
inspected some days prior to leaving to go diving to allow sufficient
time for any repairs to be carried out.
Before each dive, the inflator and exhaust valve should be checked by
connecting the regulator to an air tank and connecting the inflator hose
to the inflator valve. Press the suit inflator valve to test. To check
the exhaust valve, the neck and wrist seals must be plugged to create an
airtight seal. Various items (eg, a bottle) can be used. Inflate the
suit until the exhaust valve begins to vent (you will hear the air
escaping). Press the exhaust valve to check it is functioning correctly
(the suit should begin to deflate).
Getting Dressed
All SCL drysuits are rear/shoulder entry. It is important to remove
jewellery and watches before putting on your drysuit. These items can
easily damage wrist and neck seals.
Open the drysuit zip fully. Fold the torso of the suit inside out down
to the waist. For ease of dressing, sit down and put your feet into the
legs of the suit (ensure the braces are on the outside of your legs as
you insert your feet).
Stand up, pulling the suit up to your waist. Slide your braces to a good
but not too tight fit.
TAKE CARE WITH FINGERNAILS AND NECK & WRIST SEALS
Wrist
Seals
Some under suits, have thumb loops which
assist in preventing the undersuit rucking up when inserting your hands
through wrist seals.
Insert one arm into the suit sleeve. A couple of fingers from your other
hand can help the seal pass over your hand. Take care as long
fingernails can damage the seal. Keep your fingers together as you push
your hand through the seal.
The wrist seal should be flat against your wrist. Ensure there is no
material from your undersuit trapped beneath the seal as this may cause
a leak. If you have any channels caused by tendons when you move your
hand, pull the wrist seal as far as you can up your forearm. The
procedure should be repeated for the other arm.
Neck Seals
Put both hands through the top opening of your neck seal. Grip the edge
of the seal (fingers inside the opening, thumbs on the outside) and
spread the seal, taking care to avoid damage to the seal from your
fingernails. Turn your head slightly to one side and pull the neck seal
over your head, keeping the seal spread with your fingers. Pull the neck
seal down as you push up with your head.
Divers with long hair will find it easier to fit the seal if wearing a
nylon stocking over their hair. Latex will slide easily over the
stocking.
Ensure the seal is even around your neck with no hair or undersuit
trapped underneath it as this may cause the suit to leak.
ENSURE NOTHING IS TRAPPED UNDER
NECK & WRIST SEALS
Pink Mau Mau Poor Knights Northland NZ
Closing The Zip
Do not attempt to close the zip yourself, enlist the help of your diving
buddy.
Your arms should be held at shoulder level in front of you. The zip
should be pulled with a steady even action ensuring that there is no
hair or clothing caught in the zip. A good technique is to place your
middle finger inside the zip area while you are zipping it up while
holding onto the zip strap with your thumb and forefinger. This will
create a gap avoiding any undersuits being caught up in the zip. The zip should be hard against the
stop when fully closed. It is essential that the zip is fully docked
with the rubber stop to avoid leaks.
Venting
Now you are fully enclosed in your drysuit you will be sharing it with
trapped air. This air should be vented from your suit - crouch down and
cross your arms across your chest. Press the exhaust valve and you
should hear the trapped air escaping. You may wish to repeat the
procedure if any trapped air remains in the suit.
Air may also be expelled from the suit by pulling the neck seal away
from the neck when crouching down.
You are now ready to put your diving rig on. You may find this easier if
you sit down and enlist the help of your diving buddy again.
Connecting /
Disconnecting
Your Inflation Hose
The inflator hose from your regulator first stage should be fed beneath
your arm. To connect it to the inflator valve on your drysuit hold the
hose just behind the fitting and pull the collar back. This collar is
spring loaded and will slide back when you let go of it. Holding the
collar back, push the end of the hose onto the inflator valve fitting.
Push the collar forward to lock it in position. Ensure the hose is
attached properly and push the inflator button to check that it is
functioning properly.
CAUTION – A
BUOYANCY COMPENSATOR (STAB JACKET, ABLJ, BC, etc.) IS ESSENTIAL FOR
DRYSUIT DIVING AND YOU SHOULD NOT DEPEND ON YOUR DRYSUIT AS YOUR ONLY
SOURCE OF BUOYANCY
To remove the hose, hold the end of the hose just behind the fitting and
push it towards the inflator valve. Hold the hose in this position and
pull back on the spring loaded collar. This should disconnect the hose
from the inflator valve.
The inflator hose should connect and disconnect from the inflator valve
regardless of whether your air tank is turned on or off.
Using and Maintaining Your Drysuit
With the correct maintenance, your Outer Edge drysuit will give you
many years of enjoyable diving.
Having finished your day’s diving, rinse the outside of the suit
thoroughly with fresh clean water to remove any dirt, sand or salt. Any
stubborn stains can be removed by rubbing the area gently with soapy
water. After you have rinsed out the suit, hang it over a drying rack or
line in a shady spot.
NEVER LEAVE YOUR SUIT IN THE SUN - IT MAY CAUSE
FADING.
Valves
After diving, always rinse the inlet and outlet valves with cold running
fresh water. To flush the inlet valve, simply connect the valve to an
air supply and operate whilst flushing the push button area with water.
This will help prevent sand and debris entering the valve seals
WARNING – VALVES
MUST BE PROPERLY CLEANED AFTER EVERY DIVE. VALVES MAY STICK OWING TO A
BUILD UP OF SALT, DIRT, HAIR, etc.
Zip
The drysuit zip seals on the inside teeth and rubber surface. The zip
needs special maintenance and attention.
Before Diving
Close the zip and lubricate it with the libricant which has been
provided with your new suit.
After Diving
The zip must be fully opened before attempting to remove your drysuit.
Failure to open completely may result in the zip being damaged. Clean
the zip by rinsing with fresh water. If the zip is particularly dirty
with sand or dirt after diving it can be cleaned by using an old
toothbrush and fresh water (mild soapy water can be used for heavy
soiling).
Lubricate the zip with the supplied lubricant or wax by rubbing the
teeth and stringers before each new dive and after cleaning. It is
important to do this - if not regularly lubricated the zip may seize up
and fail.
DO NOT USE SILICON SPRAY TO LUBRICATE YOUR DRYSUIT
ZIP
Latex
Seals
Clean the Latex seals using cold fresh water. Latex seals will perish
quickly if any kind of moisturising cream, body oils or oil is applied
to them. After dives clean the seals using mild soapy water to remove
dirt and body oils.
Storage Of
Your DrySuit
Once the drysuit valves are thoroughly clean and dry and the zip
lubricated, you should store your drysuit in a cool dry place away from
devices that produce ozone such as motors and heaters. Ideally, the suit
should be stored hung up upside down normally by the boots hooked in a
drysuit hanger avoiding compressing areas of the neoprene. This will
cause long term damage to the suit. Store the suit with with the zip
OPEN. This also helps in airing your suit. If the inside is damp from
small amounts of water getting into the suit through wrist seals then
turn the suit inside out to dry completly.
1 – Follow all instructions. Improper use of a
drysuit can cause loss of buoyancy control including uncontrolled
descents and ascents with a risk of serious injury or death.
2 – Improper use or misuse of a drysuit can
result in exposure to thermal hazards and rapid body overheating or
cooling which could result in stroke, seizure, hypothermia and death.
3 – This information is NOT a substitute for
proper qualified drysuit instruction and is not supplied as such. This
information is supplied as a guideline for drysuit maintenance only.
4 – Diving in conditions that contain
chemical, biological or nuclear contaminants is extremely hazardous and
should not be attempted without being specially trained and equipped.
The suit you have purchased has not been adapted for use in polluted or
abnormal conditions and is therefore not covered under warranty.
Transport
It is highly recommended that you dont leave your
suit folded up for long periods of time but if you fold your suit up the
night before that is fine. Always transport your suit with your zip
CLOSED. This will reduce any damage to the zip. To fold it, start from
the boots end. Fold both boots up the leg at the same time intil you
reach the top of the suit. Then fold the arms over the folded body and
tuck them into the folded area. REMEMBER not to pack heavy gear on top
of your suit while transporting.
The late 'BORRIS' local resident of the President
Coolidge, Saanto Vanuatu
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