Seaskin, fantastic customer service

[PeeBee]

My Suit Saga

largely based on recommendations on YD I ordered a suit from Richard and co which they made very well last June, sice then I have had intermittent problems with leaks occuring on some dives and not others (always in the same area around the chest), it was bugger to track down what was causing it but appeared to be the inflator valve which was sucking in water and spraying my chest. But there didn't seem to be any reason why I might have 4 dry dives and then 2 wet ones. 1st attempt Richard sent me a new valve and hose, I swapped them and it seemed to work, then back to leaks again. I then posted it back to them they pressure tested it, swapped the valve again and sent it back... exactly the same thing happened again so this time I drove up and talked it over with Richard, we stuck it back in the tank and tested it again with me watching. No leaks at all we discussed how I dive because by now I was convinced that somehow it was user error but Richard made no attempt to blame me, in fact he even offered to make me a new suit. We agreed not to apply this "final solution" yet so I left it with him for further testing, including changing from Apeks to Sitek valves and either Richard or one of his guys actually diving the suit to see if they could replicate the problem. I got it back on Thursday and took it to wraysbury today to see if there was any difference.

I'm happy to tell you that the suit was absolutely dry, that doesn't mean athat at this stage I'm convinced but I did add a couple more kilos so that I was diving with more air in the suit which I think is the key, I think by diving without enough air somehow the suit was sucking in water (if that makes any sense) . When I was kitting up I'd found a pair of seaskin badged "boot dryers" in the suit, so this afternoon I phoned Richard to tell him that it was dry and that he'd left some of his kit inside it. He explained that he'd added them to say sorry for all the trouble I'd had and said again that the offer of a new suit was still open if I had another leak.

Frankly the quality of the service I've had from these guys is superb, not once has Richard implied that maybe I'm a muppet and whilst I may not be out of the woods yet I'm sticking with Seaskin.

[GLOC]

Excellent service.

However, I am not convinced about diving with more air in the suit preventing water from coming in. The air will migrate to your back and you won't have any at the front.

I also can't see how the valve would suck water in if the hose is connected properly. The only time I have had water come through is if I have disconnected the DS feed (to inflate a bag) and pressed the DS inflate button by accident (because I have been a tw@t!!)

Not that the above helps to solve the leaky suit...

[yazzyfooty]

Originally Posted by GLOC

The only time I have had water come through is if I have disconnected the DS feed (to inflate a bag) and pressed the DS inflate button by accident (because I have been a tw@t!!)

Ahhhh thats probably why my buddy had a wet dive last weekend.

[String]

I had my first "wet" dive in seaskin suit 2 weeks ago.

100% user error. Descended down line, got to about 8m, hit button to put air in suit - nothing happened. So pressed it again, still nothing. So pressed and held it - nothing happened except i felt water coming in.

Looked down to realise my DS hose had come off (possibly when i jumped in) so all my button pressing was doing was injecting water.

Got a feeling i can't blame the suit for user-stupidity though

[Reikimaster]

my guess would be that the hose is too long / short and is pulling on the valve exposing a fault on on edge that is not apparent when the suit is just inflated for pressure test, then again i would have thought that changing the valve would expose or resolve this.

but what the f do i know, hope its still dry this time next year.

[PeeBee]

I've changed valves, hoses and hose lengths, the suit has been pressure tested 3 or 4 times, and in 80 dives I've had maybe 15 wet dives, I've been over weighted and underweighted and sometimes I've even got my weight right

In december I was diving in spain, did 6 dives 1st 4 were dry last 2 were wet, same kit, same weights. I'm baffled as to what is causing it, even wondered if it was something to do with the way I was prodding my chest, eg... maybe only half pressing it so as the valve stem was depressed the 2nd O ring didn't seat completely thus allowing water to be syphoned in at the same time as the air... I'm open to suggestions

I'm hoping that whatever it is has been solved by going to Sitek instead of Apeks.

[Mal Bridgeman]

I am glad things are getting sorted and I hope they can do the same for BB.

[PeeBee]

Originally Posted by Mal Bridgeman

I am glad things are getting sorted and I hope they can do the same for BB.

Is BB having issues too? From all the reports I've read I've only heard of one other person who had any issues. with a seaskin suit, and frankly Richard is trying so hard to solve mine I'd rather stick with him because I know I wouldn't get the same effort elsewhere.

[mochynhapus]

I bought my first dry suit recently, Otter Cordura membrane, and was getting a bad leak during my pool check outs. Otter changed the Apeks shoulder dump valve and it seems to have done the trick. Common denominator = Apeks valves?

[David]

Originally Posted by mochynhapus

I bought my first dry suit recently, Otter Cordura membrane, and was getting a bad leak during my pool check outs. Otter changed the Apeks shoulder dump valve and it seems to have done the trick. Common denominator = Apeks valves?

the valve thing is a bit of a fad :-) si teck vs Apex I think just by changing valve they seat better and that solves more than half the leaking valves but as you say some do leak :-)

PeeBee how wet is wet ? my suit is dry when I lead and wet when swim with a buddy who swims alot fast than me ...er is it sweat..


David