[Pierre Farrugia]

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Hello,
How exactly do you rinse (with a pipe, in a water basin)your drysuits after a saltwater dive? How do you hang it to dry out? Any ideas , pics or links are wellcome.

 

[Dominic]

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Outside, in the garden, with a hose.

Hang it up to dry a bit, then take it indoors to finish off.

If I've washed out the inside as well, then I'll use my low-tech DIY Dampire - cat litter in a pair of tights - to ensure that the boots don't stay wet and get smelly.

 

[189]

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As Dom says, good rinse with the hose is the way.
As for hangers, I made one from copper piping, two pieces for the arms (each about as long as half the arm length measured from the middle of the neck hole) joined in the middle with a tee piece with another pipe going vertically up from the tee.

Drill a hole in the vertical bit and put a rope loop in it to hang it on. Cover the arm parts with pipe insulation foam for protection and cap the ends of the arm bits to stop any catching on the suit. All joins soldered up.

Works for me, sorry if preaching to the coverted. Saves a bunch on buying a ready made one though

Cheers
Paul

 

[Seadart Bob]

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Paul
Not preaching to the converted, that’s for sure.
Brill idea about the suit hanger could kick myself for not thinking of it.
Got 15 and 22 mm pipe and connections all over the workshop, pipe insulation by the bundle. Sod the work, first job in the morning make a decent hanger for my suit
Thanks a bundle.
Good way for testing for leaks on the cheap.
Nick a few of those cones that you see around cafeterias when they cone off a section after the floors have been cleaned and they don’t want you to walk all over it. Cut them down to size to fit the cuffs and neck opening, fill the cones with expander foam to make them air tight. Fit the cones then inflate the suit, lay it in the back garden, get a bucket of warm soapy water [not to much of the washing up liquid] with a soft broom brush it all over the suit and check for the leaks. I think this is how old plumbers use to check for gas leaks, perhaps they still do. Hose off with fresh water. Hang to dry using your new tubular suit hanger.
Not so cheap if you have to sell your one bed flat and buy a three-bed semi with a back garden and a garage that you use as a workshop.

Bob
P.S.  Perhaps I’m preaching to the converted.

 

[Phil Ennis]

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Another way Bob, rather than the brush, is to have a solution of soapy water in a plant spray and work your way round the suit.

 

[189]

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Nice one Bob, I'm off to nick some cones, I've got some foam filler lying around that I've been wondering what to spray it on !!

YD DIY Forum please Jay ?? :thumb:
Sure we could get on Discovery Home & Leisure with combined input !!

Cheers
Paul

 

[Lawrence Debono]

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Ok - my DIY way of testing for leaks (Don't laugh). -- Put two coca cola cans in the cuff seals and place a small plastic bucket or ball that fits the neck seal. It does work.
One point - if you are hanging the suit inside don't forget to tell the wife. I heard a few screams and the odd swear word, because she taught that there was some one hanging in the basement.

Lawrence

 

[Seadart Bob]

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sounds a much better idea Phil
I'm learning a lot to night
Bob

 

[Pierre Farrugia]

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Hello,
I like the idea of the hanger I will do one soon. About the drysuit hanging in the basement I have same problem with dog that does not stop barking after an encounter with the drysuit.Is the hanger stright or did you bend the arms are down?

 

[189]

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Forgot to add that bit - bend the arms down so it doesnt strain the fabric - mine bend about halfway between the shoulder and elbow I guess

Cheers
Paul

 

[Dominic]

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Quote[/b] ]YD DIY Forum please Jay ?? :thumb:
Sure we could get on Discovery Home & Leisure with combined input !!

<span =''>
What, you mean you aren't subscribed to Scuba DIY yet!?
:dropmouth:

 

[Hobby]

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Testing for leaks.
The inflate and cover with soap solution usually works,indeed ND may charge you for the priveledge and say it's been pressure tested.In some cases however,particularly on neoprene suits it can fail to show a leak,the internal pressure can actually act to press the edges of the leak together.Anybody ever taken a suit back to a mnftr.that continuse to leak,despite assurances that "It's been tested and is OK".
Here's how to find the elusive leak.
It may,no will,take two of you!
Turn the suit inside out,or as much as possible,seal the cuffs as described.Get muscle bound assistant to support the suit at the shoulders then fill it with water.The combined pressure and weight of the water will seep and push open any leaks.It may take a few minutes so ignore the whines of despair from the assistant(it gets bloody heavy after a while!)Mark the position and take it from there(reapair inside and out after drying thouroughly).
It can be a ballache but I've never known it fail,esp.when there is no apparent leak but you're wet and convinced there is!
Hope it helps,Hobby.

 

[Dr Stevil]

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Great idea Hobby, but given the need for a strapping assistant which could be difficult to locate, would it not also work if you had a cone in the neck or arm with a hole for the hosepipe, you could then lie the suit on the ground?
Q: what about the boots? you can only turn them partly inside out.

Re Scuba DIY, does this recognise other Yahoo SmartGroups? it seemed to recognise my PC and had my details already (unless I joined and forgot that I had done - Al Zeimer strikes again...)

 

[Hobby]

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Yep,the boots are usually a bit difficult and the feet may well resemble some adolescent Chinese girl's feet when folded inside out,the suit that is not the girl.It does'nt really make any difference,again to the suit(it does to the girls,seen their eyes...all screwed up with the pain!)
Anyway,it may well work as descrided but I've always done it this way as you can see right around the suit,be a bugger to turn over full of water.Also if the cuffs are sealed properly the only leaks you should get are those you're looking for.I reckon there's more chance of a spillage if it's lay on the ground(the suit you fool not an Chinese girl!)
Still,whatever works well for you!
Hobby.

(Edited by Hobby at 12:02 pm on Feb. 25, 2003)

 

[Pierre Farrugia]

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Hello ,
Today I asked the dealer from where I bought the suit, he recommended that I hand it with a good padded hanger, but leave the boots touching to the floor, so to take weight of boots from suit, also not to stretch too much the material between membrane material and boots(or boots neoprene), what you think?

 

[Seadart Bob]

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Sounds good advice Pierre especially the bit about supporting the boots, mines a neoprene suit so quite heavy I always make sure the feet are well supported.
Made my tubular suit hanger this morn and it works a treat, plenty of padding with the pipe insulation. I expect the rest of the team will want one now. Think I’ll keep it a bit quiet. [Not much chance of that now I’ve posted it]
Bob

 

[189]

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Good to see that Bob, perhaps we should start a cottage industry. Make cheap ones from plastic pipe and then sell on the proper metal ones when they break, (which they will, I tried it first!)

The thing about this this type of hanger is that you can always make sure the boots touch the floor no matter where you hang it -- just lenghten the rope a tad

Paul