My drysuit zipper went from smooth to brutal in one Gulf season

Worked the rigs off Venice back in March and the zipper was buttery, but after 6 months of saltwater and sand it takes two guys to get it closed. Anyone else notice their seals and zippers just give up faster in the Gulf vs the Pacific, or is it just me?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_alice1mo ago

Same thing happened to my old suit after one season in the Gulf. That water down there is like a different beast, it eats through everything. My zipper got so gritty I started carrying a squirt bottle of fresh water just to rinse it before every dive. The seals on my neck and wrists also got stiff way faster than they ever did on the West Coast. Pacific salt seems milder somehow, or maybe it's just the sand and silt in the Gulf that grinds everything down. You're not alone on this one, it's totally a real thing.

the_thea1mo ago

The squirt bottle trick is genius, @the_alice, I'm stealing that one for sure! Honestly, that Gulf water is just mean to gear. Everything breaks down faster, no matter how well you take care of it. Pacific salt is definitely gentler, that's not just in your head. The grit gets into every little seam and just grinds away at the material. It's a whole different maintenance game down there, for real.