What is the best way to reduce the amount of restriction on a dry top neck gasket. The jacket itself fits well but I have a large neck and the gasket is very tight. No NT I’m not cutting my head off!
Stretch it if you can
I use a form that I learned about from the NRS gasket repair instructions:
http://www.nrsweb.com/repair/gasket_replacement.asp
I use minicell foam and cut a circle about 10" in diameter. I keep the form in when not in use. The fit around my neck is great if I’ve used the form and feels like my head will explode if I don’t.
I suppose anything the right size will work to keep the gasket stretched.
If there are trim rings, and if you
don’t have several weeks before you use the drytop, I would suggest trimming some rings off. Trimming is the only way to get comfort when you are in a hurry.
I have never trimmed a gasket. For a really thick and stiff Stohlquist drytop neck gasket, I stretched it for over a month on a 3 liter plastic soda bottle. That bottle is just a little larger than my neck. The result is a tolerably comfortable gasket with a wider contact area than if I had used trimming.
For wrist gaskets, if you don’t trim, 20 oz plastic soda bottles may give the right amount of stretch.
do not trim the gasket
in an NRS suit it will void the warrenty—put a large coffee can in the neck when you are not using it and this will stretch it for you.
Check out the other posts
There are at least two others on this subject currently.
Stretching is a waste of time. Trim the seals and be comfortable immediately or try to stretch them and be miserable for weeks, then end up trimming anyway.
So, you’re saying I did NOT succeed
by stretching neck and wrist gaskets on two Kokatat and one Stohlquist drytop??
Kind of makes you look close-minded.
I recommend that anyone in a hurry go ahead and trim, but it does look like manufacturers (ignorant people, obviously) are starting to swing over to recommending stretching.
Time to get realistic.