VANCOUVER ISLAND WINDTALK • Irritation from rubber seal (drysuit)
Page 1 of 1

Irritation from rubber seal (drysuit)

Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2011 7:29 am
by Teabag
I replaced the neck seal on my drysuit not too long ago, used it a couple of times and it was fine. But yesterday it started to hurt like there was no tomorrow.
Does anyone ever had that problem?
Any stuff I can put on to prevent the irritation?
Thanks for any help!

Slowly/carefully shaving on top of that hurt this morning, but it was nothing compare to applying rubbing alcohol :(

Its all around the neck, now the suicidal prevention at work going to ask me questions :(

Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2011 8:23 am
by more force 4
If they get concerned about a suicide attempt, just tell them not to worry, its fine, it was just a good bout of asphyxiophilia :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: Google it if your not familiar.

My drysuit seal tends to do that too - a close shave before heading out helps but you may just have to have shorter sessions of wearing the suit - its almost summer and the wetsuits will be toasty soon. I believe Winddoc had the same prob, had to stop using a drysuit altogether. I wonder if its less irritating with older latex? Mine doesn't bother me nearly as much as it used to when newer, and your problems started with replacements.

Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2011 8:44 am
by winddoctor
Yep, same issue for me. I'd go in to work after a weekend of sailing with a kinky-looking choke-hold wound and would get uncomfortable, shifty-eyed looks from clients. I'd have to keep saying, "No! I was WINDSURFING! Really!". I tried shaving before sessions, not shaving, using the stuff triathletes use to stop chafing (Body-Glide stick), everything. It finally reached the point that I just couldn't wear a suit with that type of seal. Funny thing was, the first season in the suit was totally fine.

Hope you solve it!

Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2011 8:54 am
by nanmoo
I won't judge what you do during your private time in the comfort of your own home.

But that looks ouch!

Neck burn solutuions????

Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2011 8:56 am
by Cindy
http://www.newt.com/wohler/diving/dry-s ... -burn.html

OK...seems good ol' hair conditioner works well...not sure how one would assess whether there is a petroleum product in the conditioner that would degrade the latex. I suspect stay away from ones that are anti-frizz, volumizing, etc. There is some general good advice with this link


Cheers
Cindy

Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2011 10:04 am
by KUS
get it regularly with equally funny looks at work, from some suits and older ones more than others, moreso in summer it seems and after longer sessions of course. yep, conditioner was the old method also of preserving the rubber....
close shaves help it seems as does skin moisturizer....don't use alcohol, it just dries the skin and makes it worse.
I figured at one time if you don't get in the water enough the salt crystallizes and acts as sand paper as does any dried sweat of course. So, try new tricks more often so u get dumped in a bit more and relocate the drysuit seal on the skin a few times, the lower the better, less neck rotation. If the seal is too tight most are designed to cut a section off all around to allow a less constricting fit.
when it gets real bad i have pulled the rashie through the seal, it causes leaking of course but at least you can stand the ouchies :idea:

Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2011 10:31 am
by blackdogvan
KUS wrote:get it regularly with equally funny looks at work, from some suits and older ones more than others, moreso in summer it seems and after longer sessions of course. yep, conditioner was the old method also of preserving the rubber....
close shaves help it seems as does skin moisturizer....don't use alcohol, it just dries the skin and makes it worse.
I figured at one time if you don't get in the water enough the salt crystallizes and acts as sand paper as does any dried sweat of course. So, try new tricks more often so u get dumped in a bit more and relocate the drysuit seal on the skin a few times, the lower the better, less neck rotation. If the seal is too tight most are designed to cut a section off all around to allow a less constricting fit.
when it gets real bad i have pulled the rashie through the seal, it causes leaking of course but at least you can stand the ouchies :idea:
Ummm... Don't you mean Klose shaves, Konditioner & no alKohol?

Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2011 7:50 pm
by Teabag
Thank you everyone for your input.
MoreForce4: I do not need to google “asphyxiophilia”to know what it means ... I am young and from Quebec...
On the other side, how come do you know much about it ??? :)

I actually like the questions from co workers/strangers asking where that wound came from. But most importantly the answer I give them while keeping a serious face; they feel so uncomfortable because they aren’t sure if I am serious or not (It works better if they don’t know me much or at all, and especially if they have a higher rank/officers)

Tks Kus for the rash guard idea, that’s what I’ll do for tomorrow eve and Thursday all day.

A guy at MEC said to try/apply the 303 product regularly (I believe this will work because I did apply it when I first changed the seal, had at least 4,5, or 6 session with the new seal BEFORE that burn came in. So that solution might have to be applied every 3-5 sessions to solve the problem.

Ill try the 303 first. Then the hair conditioner and the body glide.

I’ll let you know of the results when they come so if ever something like that happen again to someone else, well they have more stats on what worked or not.

Wind Doctor have you tried the 303? (not on your neck but on rubber seal every 3-4 sessions?)

neck rash

Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2011 10:25 pm
by dunkinguy
Try KY Jelly. Won't damage the suit and works well.

Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2011 10:30 pm
by nanmoo
also useful for other activities if any left over.

Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2011 11:18 pm
by winddoctor
Yes, I tried 303 lots. When I sold my suit, the seals were in perfect shape. My neck; not so much.