Yesterday my dry top’s latex neck gasket ripped apart. I tend to spend time underwater rolling so I’m looking to replace with another latex or similar fairly watertight alternative.
Can anyone share a good source? NRS has a kit for $40 + shipping. Gasket onlu is $30 where in the UK they seem to be going for about $10 (US).
It is a Level Six drytop if it matters (nothing on their web site that I could find regarding repair/parts).
some info
– Last Updated: Feb-03-11 2:23 PM EST –
http://community.webshots.com/user/dongoss100, look under "Neoprene Drysuit Gaskets"
Edit: typoed URL
Link
Thanks - your link did not work but I found it
http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/561069017EIvojn?start=12
(hope that works as a link).
But, will that be as waterproof as latex? I paddle in the winter and while I avoid rolling on purpose in frigid waters it does happen not that infrequently…
no
Neoprene seals have become popular in warmer climes because many people find them more comfortable but they will admit some water.
That may or may not be a problem, depending on how often you need to roll.
Looking for latex, pretty sure
I do probably more WW than flat water and there I roll quite a bit. Spring and late fall mostly, but a few winter rolls are no exception too. Don’t like extra water seeping in -
Anyway, if someone has an alternative source of latex gaskets than the $40 NRS kit, let me know. I’ll probably be getting one of these early next week if I can’t find anything more reasonably priced since the cracked gasket limits my paddling right now. The thing is, $30 + shipping for a piece of rubber that probably costs $2 seems a little too much of a mark-up but if nothing else is available I’ll go with it…
I bought mine from NRS
as have most of my friends. Kokatat I think will sell you replacement seals, but I don’t think they are any cheaper.
Kayak Academy
has gaskets, their own kit, etc. Very helpful folks. Call them. They may know what gasket fits the Level 6.
thumbs up
Kayak academy has the parts and know-how. They’ll advise you on which gasket fits your drytop, and their prices are better than most I’ve seen.
Nate
Thanks!
Looks like I’ll need to get the gasket from one of these teo places.
I’m a neck size 15-15.5". NRS has its “L” size from 15" to 18", where the Kayak Academy “M” is 13"-16.5".
Anyone with opinion on sizing? Looks like either will fit but I’d rather have a looser fit so probably the NRS “L” will be it…
Another vote for Gronseth et al
I had previously bought a Kokatat neck gasket to replace the original one on my old Stohlquist drysuit. I called GG, who provided excellent guidance on how to replace it. I bought his “field repair kit” and used that when I did the work. Turned out well.
Amigos drysuit repair…
…good job, fast turnaround, good price…if I’m not mistaken, Kokatat even recommends them.
ask Kayak Academy
Measure your neck, and call the Kayak Academy. They’ll tell you which fits your suit, and which size will fit your neck.
Check out OS Sytems
They sell neck and wrist seals in several sizes and two thicknesses. I’ve been using their products for years and they’re top notch. www.ossystems.com
2nd that for Amigos
I have used them before and their work couldn’t look any more professional.
http://www.drysuit-repair.com/wb/
Thanks!
Just found out that Level Six actually sells them - http://www.levelsix.com/store/index.php/producttype/accessories.html
But I ordered from the Kayak Academy. Looks like a Kokatat size should fit my suit. Will see soon enough if it does…
Thanks for the help.
Update
– Last Updated: Feb-12-11 9:27 AM EST –
Got it, installed it. However, the process was not as straightforward as I hoped. I attempted to follow the instructions on NRS's video but there was one problem - my drytop has an outside neck sleeve made of fabric that forms a 3" tall cone leading to the neoprene outer sleeve on the neck. The diameter of that fabric opening is much smaller than the approximately 10" I need to stretch the bottom of the gasket.
So I could not place my form from inside the suit - it could not go through. Perhaps I could have used a foam form but I was cheap and did not want to cut my minicell block so I used a cooking pot of the right diameter.
Since the pot would not go through the neck opening from the inside, I put it in from the outside. So far so good and the rest of the instructions worked well. But when it was time to take the pot out I got a problem as you can imagine -;( Luckly, I managed to rotate the pot sideways, lubricated with some liquid soap, and managed to take it out through the neck opening of the new gasket - I fully expected to rip it but it did not rip. So today I'll try my renewed suit on the water -;)
I should have checked my local store first though - turned out they had a sale: 1/2 price for the NRS gasket replacement kit - that's $20 for the gasket, glue, and cotall... Do you know if these things last while stored? Maybe I should stock-up on a set for the next time, plus my wrist gaskets also show some dry rot...
Anyway, I'm not sure why, but it seems the gaskets on my dry top are in much worse shape whan the gaskets on my dry pants. They are about the same age but my dry top gets probably 3x time the use than my dry pants. So this tells me that it's not the age but the usage that kills these things, unless the dry bottom just uses better quality gaskets... The other thing is, that I occasionally use 303 on the dry top but I almost never do that on the bottoms... makes me wonder about that...
That’s good you able make it work
You might want to rinse the soap off of the gasket so that it doesn’t start to deteriorate it. There are many different types of latex used for gaskets with varying degrees of quality. Some show signs of degrading and others look like new until they rip open at an unopertune time. Buying extra latex gaskets now might be okay but using gaskets that are as new as possible will last the longest. If you ever get tired of messing around with latex you might want to try using neoprene gaskets. You can remove the outer neck closure on the drysuit, which is usually there to help protect the latex gasket, which will make the suit more comfortable and you won’t have to worry about keeping any spare gaskets.
Neoprene gaskets can be just as
Waterproof as latex. Drysuit manufacturers are still trying different designs of neoprene gaskets with varying results but the gaskets I have been making have proven to be just as dry as latex, much more comfortable, maintenance free and with minimal care will last a lifetime. I do a lot of rolling and wouldn’t use anything of lesser quality or performance.
I already washed the soap off …
– Last Updated: Feb-12-11 9:30 PM EST –
... in the river today -;) The gasket is a little tight but works. I prefer the latex for the watertightness but when this gasket rips, if the dry top is still usable, I might go for a neoprene. Problem is that this dry top is no longer dry - the DWR layer has worn off pretty good and renewing it only lasts a few outings. I'm probably going to go with some better quality fabric and may be a full dry suit next time and keep this dry top as a "semi-dry" - just not worth pouring $$$ into it since it does not really keep me dry enough; so there I could use a neoprene gasket next time...
Anyway, hopefully I won't have to think about this for the next couple of seasons, though the wrist gaskets look like they are going to rip soon too...
Neoprene - which brand/source?
Thanks!