After a strenous rocking and rolling day of salt water paddling with a drysuit, I end up being a “red-neck” for days. I am not allergic to latex. It is likely the abrasion of salt water and movement of the neck under the seal. Is there anyway (product) to prevent this with something that will not hurt the latex and keep the water out?
I am sure it is not just me…
2 suggestions
Silicone lube - can be purchased at dive shops or online. Just lube up your neck.
I also use a Buff Headgear when my neck gasket is bothering my neck. Put half inside the gasket and the other half over top. This keeps the gasket from irritating your skin. You will get some wicking if you are upside down in the water but if right side up, not much.
If you don’t know what a Buff is, google search it. It is just a tube of microfiber. The winter ones are great to wear kayaking - you can put the thin bit inside your neck gasket and the fleecy bit outside or pull up and you have a neck gaiter.
Suz
It’s not just you
The silicone lube works. You can get it from dive shops.
Don’t buy the tiny containers of it. Go for the next larger size. In my case, I used up the tiny tin quickly. When I bought another larger tin from a different shop, it cost almost the same as the tiny one did.
Tell them it’s for use on latex drysuit gaskets (food-grade silicone lube), because there may be two kinds of silicone lube.
Rubbernecking - rash relief?
Talc on the inside…Works diving (drysuit)as well…
Is this the stuff?
Pikabike?
http://www.divers-supply.com/SILICONE-GREASE-1-1-2OZ-p/mcn24028.htm
My google search found this when I added SCUBA… otherwise I found of bunch of products for use behind closed doors…if ya know what I mean.
The one I have is McNett, yes
And it is 100% pure silicone. I’m under the impression there may be stuff for sealing o-rings that’s not the same as for lubing latex gaskets. But I’m not sure. If they have an 800 number, call and ask. It may all be the same stuff chemically.
As for the “other stuff,” those are probably meant to be really slippery and are water-based. Not what I’d consider to be grease.
another good product…
I use HeadHunter ‘Rash Guard’. It’s sold in most surf shops and is made for exactly this purpose.
Works great. It’s a small tube but a little goes a long way.
http://www.headhuntersurf.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=HS&Product_Code=RGF&Category_Code=P
Move south. No drysuit needed.
Go to a hardware store
– Last Updated: Mar-04-08 8:11 AM EST –
They sell food-grade silicone grease in large tubes for a LOT less money that the McNett stuff (it's usually in the plumbing department). For that matter, silicone dielectric grease (in the electrical department) is the pretty much the same thing, just not "food grade". That's the problem with McNett products in general, they just repackage other companies' products and sell them for ridiculously high prices.
DO NOT use dielectric grease
…for drysuit gaskets. I use it on my trailer electrical plug, and the tube label says to avoid skin contact. It may be a carcinogen.
cheap silicone
There is a silicone lubricant available in big bottles in the electrical section at Home Depot. It is not dialectic grease, but a lubricant for pulling cable through conduit. It’s cheap. I’ve used it for rash prevention… it works, but found it to be a little thin. The Head Hunter ‘Rash Guard’ (and the scuba stuff)is thicker and has more staying power. It’s certainly more expensive, but a little goes a long way.
Shaving is a no no
I find that if I shave right before putting on my drysuit that my neck gets quite irritated and red. If I don’t shave, everything is fine and very comfortable.
Perhaps it’s just me, but I certainly find that a little stubble keeps the redness away.
Dan
http://www.westcoastpaddler.com
Brace yourself
Talk powder (baby powder uncented) or KY Jelly.
Not vasaline.
KY Jelly (The personal lubricant) works with condoms and is reliable easy to get and cheap. Condoms are latex, doctors gloves used to be latex. This product works.
Talkum powder does well too if you don’t have issues with talk.
I know of a guy that uses corn starch but I don’t so it may be an option but not one I know much about.
I kind of like the idea of moving south: It’s cold here.
Alex