Somebody's got me convinced that it's worth the time to wash my
dry suit's seals in a little warm soapy water after use (to
extend seal life by getting rid of sunscreen & body oils)

Does anybody else do this?

If so, do you take the trouble to rinse the seals after washing?
--
PeteCresswell

(PeteCresswell) wrote:
Somebody's got me convinced that it's worth the time to wash my
dry suit's seals in a little warm soapy water after use (to
extend seal life by getting rid of sunscreen & body oils)

Does anybody else do this?

If so, do you take the trouble to rinse the seals after washing?

I don't bother with the soap or the warm water, but I tend to rinse the
gear in fresh water after each use, whenever possible. My latex gaskets
last for a long time, but I think that is just as much from careful
donning of the jacket, drying and storing it out of the sun as it is
from rinsing away any sunscreen oil.

--
Wilko van den Bergh wilkoa t)dse(d o tnl
Eindhoven The Netherlands Europe
---Look at the possibilities, don't worry about the limitations.---
http://kayaker.nl/

(PeteCresswell) wrote:

(to extend seal life by getting rid of sunscreen & body oils)

Petroleum oils will weaken latex. Body oils will not. If the sunscreen
does not contain petroleum oils, it is less of a risk than one that
does. What oils are in the sunscreen might be a problem as will other
chemicals, but without knowledge of those substances, it's just a guess
as to what will happen.

I use several water-sport-oriented sunscreens, mostly Coppertone Sport
(SPF30) and have had no problems with latex seals on drysuit or tops.
Ingredients are not listed on mine, though I think the stuff sold in the
US requires ingredients listed by law.

Washing off any grunge that might absorb and hold an oil (say, from
paddling near a slick in a motor boat area) would be a good idea. I'd
limit it to a very gentle soap and not a strong soap or a detergent.

Mike

Per Wilko:
My latex gaskets
last for a long time, but I think that is just as much from careful
donning of the jacket, drying and storing it out of the sun as it is
from rinsing away any sunscreen oil.

You use sunscreen on your face - but are careful when pulling the
neck seal over your head, right?
--
PeteCresswell

(PeteCresswell) wrote:
Per Wilko:
My latex gaskets
last for a long time, but I think that is just as much from careful
donning of the jacket, drying and storing it out of the sun as it is
from rinsing away any sunscreen oil.

You use sunscreen on your face - but are careful when pulling the
neck seal over your head, right?

Actually, I almost never use sunscreen, and I also stopped buying
paddling jackets with a latex neck seal.

Only my drysuit has a latex neck gasket, but my semi-drystops all have
latex wrist gaskets, and I'm very careful with those.


--
Wilko van den Bergh wilkoa t)dse(d o tnl
Eindhoven The Netherlands Europe
---Look at the possibilities, don't worry about the limitations.---
http://kayaker.nl/