cheaper solution
Instead of replacing latex gaskets, replace with latex booties. The difference in price is about $10.
The difference in comfort and ease is HUGE!
Personally I don’t think it’s worth the extra money to have goretex booties instead of latex installed. Latex works just as well. And your feet can’t breath in neoprene boots anyways.
Just squat
as tight as you can with legs up against your chest, pull your arms into your sides, wiggle around your shoulders, all to push out air, while holding the neck gasket open with a finger.
I have had the experience of having to push a boat off myself to get out from under it when it had too much air - it is not a comfortable feeling. I was doing safety for a demo day and went to roll before getting out, but didn’t account for how much air had built up in my suit from sitting there in the sun. Get that thing burped.
Gotcha
OK, fatal not fun - I concede it was a dumb idea.
Plus warmth
Having booties seems to do a lot more for your total body warmth than it would seem. YOu don’t realize how crummy ankle gaskets are until you get booties.
As others have said…just squat…
Once you start paddling and generate some heat, the dry suit may inflate a bit again. Just reach under the dry suit collar and relieve the pressure.
Latex socks
I called kokatat and its $105 to have latex booties installed. Were $40 to just replace the one latex ankle seal. I did put the suit on and had no trouble getting on and off by the one good latex ankle seal. Maybe because i have small feet size 7.5 mens.
But it got me thinking I could just put the suit on then get a pair of latex socks and cut them to fit right up to the top of the latex ankle seal and were the socks over the dry suite latex ankle seals. I would think a latex to latex would have a water proof seal. That’s fairly cheap as i found latex socks for about $15 on ebay.
Trying to keep cost down. Only reason I got drysuit is I got killer deal on ebay for $250 for the suit which is in great shape except for one torn ankle seal.
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If you already have latex socks gluing them in is always an option.
Or, you could glue in gore-tex socks.
Really - it’s worth it.
I installed my own latex booties. It wasn’t really hard once I figured out what to use to hold the shape while glue dried. If they’ll do it for $105 though, I’d go for it. They aren’t charging you enough for labor to make it worth doing yourself if you already paid the postage.
Not sure what you mean by “latex socks”. If you mean to use the booties without actually installing them - that won’t work. Besides - pulling latex on over latex would be a huge bother.
The booties are really worth the extra cost. $350 total cost for a decent drysuit ain’t bad.
And consider the opposite sometimes
Squat and open up the neck gasket to burp the suit on land, yes.
The opposite thing is useful if you feel chilled (and are sitting on land rather than paddling): ADD air to the suit. That’s free and easy supplemental insulation. When you are about to start paddling again, which will warm you up, then burp the suit. You don’t want to be paddling in a suit with excess air.
Best option is to have a sock!
Best option is a sock and not an ankle gasket. The ankle gaskets can be uncomfortable and too tight on the ankle which causes cold feet. Of course wet feet are cold too.
In addition - ankle gaskets are more prone to failure than wrist or neck. NOT because of the gasket but because of how people get out of them. I have a fleet of drysuits and at nearly every event an ankle gasket comes back to me torn. I have been gradually replacing them myself to gore-tex socks for that reason.
just dawning on me
the reason I “pray to Allah” instead of squatting, is because I have canoeists knees. SHOT! Man, if I squatted, I wouldn’t get up.
Bootie call
You won’t regret the booties and why waste money on a new ankle gasket. If you really need to save the money, this is the perfect time to learn how to glue in new booties yourself. Buy a pair and go for it.
Yes
I have decided to get the latex booties installed. Calling Kokatat monday. My suit arrives Tuesday at Kokatat.
Burping drysuit
Been there done that. Get a full surfing wetsuit. No issues with burping, latex seals (and repair), fabric tears, getting unnecessarily wet prior to boating. etc.
Despite what drysuit fans will tell ya, they are very warm, flexible, and do allow for layering if needed. I kayak in 45F water this time of year with no issues. Look into a good 4/3 or 5/4/3, cost is half that of a good gortex suit. Check out Patagonia, O’Neill, Xcel, etc…