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When we tested and reported on the Whites Fusion Dry suit (articles http://blog.wetcatscuba.com/?p=399 and http://blog.wetcatscuba.com/?p=373) we discussed Whites’ claim that you could dive this suit from tropical to polar waters. But we had no real proof at the time. We can now have the personal experience verify that claim is true. While we have not dove under the ice in our Fusions, we have enjoyed some of the best diving in the world at Browning Pass (BC, Canada) in waters around 40 deg F and blinding snow. But any drysuit should be able to that. Then we headed to the Caribbean and to the other end of the temperature spectrum with our Fusions. As we spell out in article (http://www.scubagadget.com/?p=774), we experienced a dive vacation of luxurious comfort in the 79 deg F waters of Grand Caymen, while many of the wetsuit divers shivered.

We can now heartily endorse the Fusion for tropical diving. Its thin shell is compressed against your body by an outer lycra and/or superstretch neoprene layer. If you own the “bullet” or “tech” skin model, you can even swap out the Velcro attached compression outer layer with the thinner “sport” layer. The ease of use and complete flexibility you get diving the Whites’ Fusion, make it the perfect dry suit for any assortment of dive locales. And because it is at home in any temperature waters, you can save a load of money by skipping the purchase of a tropical wetsuit.

Coincidentally, the day we visited one of the local Cayman dives shop, we heard the Cayman police department had just contacted them wanting to purchase Fusions for their dive team.

1. One obvious sign that we made a wise choice was evident in the form of a lot of cold divers shivering in the wind during the first surface interval. It was a particularly windy spring in the gulf this year. Not only did we avoid the surface interval "wind chillys," we also used our undergarment layer to keep comfortable in the cooler evening breezes après-dive.
2. Even though the water was 79 degrees F (26C) the diver masters and many divers were wearing 6 mils of neoprene around their core. With our thin Fourth Element Xerotherm undergarments, were had much more flexibility than even those few in their 3 mil suits.
3. Just for comparison, we took one dive in wetsuits. It reminded us that we do not like the sticky salt water feel that lingers until your post dive fresh-water shower.  After the dive, our fellow divers all were hungry, but most made a detour back to their rooms for a quick shower before lunch. We dropped our gear and took our place at the front of the lunch line.
4. Our drysuits are lighter than our wetsuits and took a smaller bite out of our limited luggage weight allowance. In many moist tropical places it can take time to dry the water out of your wetsuit in the remaining time between your last dive and your packing time. Water is 8.6 lbs per gallon, so every ounce left in the suit is important. With a quick towel burrito and a little breeze our drysuits are often back to their dry weight in a couple of hours.
5. You can save a lot of money buy just buying one drysuit and using it for all dives. Drysuits, especially shell suits can last forever, while a wetsuit’s insulating bubbles degrade a little with every dive.
6. This last one is minor but most wetsuit divers admit hating the stretch battle you have to wage every time you get into and out of a wetsuit. Not the case with a drysuit.

How warm is too warm for diving dry?

We spoke with Allen Aboujeib, with the grand title of “Director of Happiness,” from Bluewater Divers.

Allen has 300+ dives over the last few years in the DUI 30/30 Tropical Drysuit in areas all over such as Australia, Fiji, Chuuk, Curacao, California. He says he was only too warm once while on a shallow dive in 85+ degree water. But not for long, because he just stretched open a seal and let in a bit of water. Remember that a shell drysuit’s only purpose is to keep you dry. It has no insulating value. That is why it can be used in warm waters without overheating. With only a thin wicking layer inside, even if the water is quite warm you should be able to release excess body heat to the water.

Allen pointed out this quote on the DUI website

"Repeated exposure to temperate waters can cause minor discomfort to turn into hypothermia. By staying dry even in warm waters, your comfort level increases and you can maximize the length and number of your dives. After all, you are on vacation.”

Many divers are not aware of the phenomenon called “warm water hypothermia”. Many of the really active tropical divers I spoke with said they had experienced it at some level. The NOAA Diving manual states the following on the subject:

“Divers also have to be wary of hypothermia in warm environments. A phenomenon called “warm water hypothermia” can occur even in the tropics, especially during long dives and repetitive dives made without adequate re-warming between dives. In warm water hypothermia, long slow cooling can take place in water temperatures as warm as 82 degrees F – 91 degrees F. Although warm water hypothermia is not easily recognized as its cold water counterpart, it definitely warrants attention.

What kind of suit can be used for tropical diving

If you only dive warmer waters, the DUI 30/30 Tropical Drysuit is the perfect tool for the job. The “30/30” stands for 30 degrees north latitude, to 30 degrees south latitude, hinting at the locations you can find the waters that this suit was designed to dive. It is made with a durable but breathable/waterproof trilaminate material and does not have the attached boot or dry socks found on other “cold water” suits. All 30/30 divers we interviewed loved this suit.

Any other shell drysuit should also be a fine warm water drysuit. However, the Whites Fusion drysuit is particularly well suited for tropical diving. Its thin shell is compressed against your body by and outer lycra or superstretch neoprene layer. If you own the “bullet” or “tech” skin model, you can even swap out the Velcro attached compression outer layer with the thinner “sport” layer. Owning a Fusion is a great money saver, because this one suite is at home in any temperature waters, so you can skip the common practice of owning a drysuits and one or more wetsuits for vacations (See our companion article Whites Fusion Lives Up to its Claim of TROPICAL TO POLAR ).

Neoprene and crushed neoprene suits should still be an acceptable solution. But they are heavier and do provide some insulation, thus would not be as good for really warm waters.

While browsing a dive shop on Grand Cayman, we heard that the shop owner was just approached by the Cayman police interested in ordering Whites Fusion drysuits for their staff.

The Caveat

One issue may be a challenge diving dry. Many dive charters in tropical location do not have a marine head (boat toilet) and expect diver to “pee in the pool.” With a drysuit, this means you have to either hang over the side to pee, jump in the water between dives, or have a pee valve (or a she-pee for women). We did manage fine, even though my female partner was the only woman dropping her rear off the side of the boat between dives, but are considering the pee valve for  future dives.

From our experience we came home wondering why anyone would choose to dive a wetsuit and will likely only dive wet in waters that are so warm you do not need a wet suit. But, no matter how strong the case for diving dry in the tropics, scuba is a world of strongly embedded traditions and we do not expect to see a mass movement of divers willing to buck that tradition and peer pressure anytime soon. But if you do don the drysuit on your next tropical trip and your fellow divers are shivering on deck feel free to gloat a bit.

At a recent dive club event, presenter Laura James introduced the new Halcyon Infinity BC with the “revolutionary cinch system” (harness). Not in the market for a new dive BC, I put on my game face and tried it on. I was impressed with the comfort of the cinch system harness. The “revolution” is that Halcyon has developed a way to have a single strap system that is still easy on, easy off. I was really pleased with the ease in which it adjusted. With the weight held by the table (or truck bed or back of car or wall), a mere push on the straps causes it to release from the shoulders. Pull on the straps, and it tucks right up to my body. The cake topper was when Laura showed that four people of varying heights and sizes could wear the same wing and experience the same comfort and ease of use that I did. At Laura’s suggestion, I decided to take it out for a try in the sea.

A few days later, we met up at a nearby dive site to try this “bad boy” out. As is often the case with trying out new gear, there was a bit of fumbling about topside to get the harness adjusted to fit me just right. Once we got that dialed in, we plunged below the surface. The harness fit securely to my body.  It felt like it was molded to me. I have slender shoulders and have a difficult time finding a BC that does not fall off my shoulders. This harness, with no chest strap, did not fall off. The curved shoulder straps clung with elegant comfort to my shoulders. It felt incredibly secure, stable and “out of the way.” Once topside again, I found it easier to walk with all that weight on my body, since the harness was anchored so well to me.

Convinced that this was a “must have” item, and just the kind of product we like to bring to our ScubaGadget readers,  I made arrangements to purchase the cinch system and backplate from Tacoma Scuba, one of our favorite local dive shops, and further test its “diveability.”  Since I already have a DiveRite wing, I opted to use my existing wing. I did have to purchase a new Halcyon backplate, however, as the Halcyon cinch system was designed to work with the Halcyon back plate (why don’t these companies play nice with one another?).  Additionally, I bought their pocket system.  While I could have used my own DiveRite pockets which slide onto my waist strap, the Halcyon pockets screw right onto the backplate, keeping them securely out of the way and not affecting the cinching mechanism in any way. I also purchased the harness pads and back pad. I was still able to use the single tank adapter I bought for my DiveRite wing.

My first test dive of the new system convinced me that I had made the right decision. Instead of relying on my partner John to clip the chest harness for me and assist me into my gear while I remained slithered down in a near squat at the back of the car, I sat down and got right in, pulled the cinch secure, and stood up. I walked easily and effortlessly to the water. Once in the water, I noticed a refreshing absence of dangling hoses around my body. This system is designed to minimize drag while supporting the tank along the back, creating  a low profile. It works. The clips for the dive console, positioned further back than my previous system, kept it away from the front of my body yet easily accessible.  My flashlight was clipped high on the front strap, yet again, easy to grab. I could wave my hands in front of my body without obstruction. Back at the car, I pushed on the shoulder straps, loosened it, and rolled right out. This is a well designed, efficient piece of equipment.

The cinch can be used for single tanks or doubles. A real plus for dive shops offering rental gear, this one system will fit all, wide and tall to slender and small. Advanced divers will appreciate the extreme low profile that this system offers. Even beginning divers will find it easy to use as long as they are comfortable in water with a back inflate system. Products like this are helping to break the myth that backplates and wings are only for tech or advanced divers.

The price for the overall system is a bit on the high side – to purchase the whole kit, with backplate, pockets, crotch strap, cinch system and wing, retail cost runs around $820. If you already own a Halcyon system, you can upgrade to the cinch system for $99. Adding the harness and back pads will run you another $99. With the incredible comfort and ease of use which you’ll experience, I guarantee you this will be a well-made purchase.

For this early review we give it the full 5 stars. I will revisit the Cinch with another review after I and my dive buddies have had more dives with the system. We are also working on an article about Halcyon’s expansion into the recreational and non-DIR world.

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Thanks to Laura James and Tacoma Scuba for their help with this review.

Why a focus light?

All digital cameras and many film cameras use auto focus. Before you take the photo, the sensors in these camera need to clearly be able to “see” and register the object you want in focus, then adjust your settings. It is very common underwater that you will not have enough ambient light for the camera to get an accurate fix on the exact spot you want to feature in your image. A separate focus light can illuminate the image and vastly improve your chances of getting a sharp image. You could use any small dive light, but there are significant downsides over using a dedicated light built for this purpose. A true focus light will have different features that make if perfect for focusing (but not so good as a regular dive light). The first is Auto Flash Off.

Why you need AFO (Auto Flash Off)?

You want a nice bright light to make sure your camera can focus, but you do not want that extra light over-exposing, or blowing out, your photo or creating a hot spot in the image. AFO lights, like the BigBlue focus lights have a sensor that will pickup the flash from your strobe and instantly turn off the light during the exposure (for 3 seconds in this case). Another advantage of AFO lights is that they can reduce back scatter. If the light stayed on during the exposure it would also illuminate any particles in the water and create backscatter. This would at least partially waste all that money you spent on brackets and arms to make sure your flash does not create the back scatter.

Another feature of the BigBlue dedicated focus light is a wide beam. The 1×5 has a 60 degrees wide angel beam the blankets a wide portion of your image. It also has 6500K white light that reflects true colors.

Live Test

We found this light to be nearly perfect for the job. It is extremely well designed. It lights your scene during composition and allows the automatic focus and other settings sufficient light to do their job. We tested it in the emerald green waters of the Pacific Nortwest at many levels of vis and in the tropical clear waters of the Cayman Islands. It proved its worth through out the whole range of environments. The size and brightness (170 lumnes) seemed just perfect. Some of the smaller and cheaper lights from other companies did not have enough power for the full range of shooting conditions.

This aluminum bullet housing is extremely sturdy. It is unlike other lights with failure prone mechanical switches that pierce the container or those with twist on heads that are easy to twist off enough to leak. We have seen a lot of failures from those other type of lights. The BigBlue’s simple assembly seals tight and we will be surprised if anyone can flood it without trying really hard. It also uses rotary magnetic switch with a wide ring and lock system that is simple to use even if you are wearing polar diving mittens. It is the easiest and most reliable switch system we have seen. The light comes with a detachable ball that mounts it to most camera rigs (see photo). It also included an optional handle that gave the impression that you could use it as a dive light. Sure, in an emergency or in very specific case it could be handy, but the same features that make it a nearly perfect focus light make it a only a minimally useful dive light. The bright wide beam does however work nicely around the house or the walk on the surface at a night dive. Since it is designed to be cooled by the water it has a safety off feature that will protect the electronics from damage if it gets too hot while being used on the surface. We never had this kick in during our land tests.

A Few Minor Issues

BigBlue, as a very innovative company is constantly pushing the design edge and evolving their product to make them better. The one downside to all leading edge companies is that you have to be careful to understand and watch for the features and parts new concepts and “almost” ready for primetime. For example the BigBlue lights that are newer than the one we have, now come with a sleeve around the battery holder to prevent them from dislodging while assembling the light. Not a big problem but BigBlue has already fixed it. However, there is another important issue where an in store inspection can save you a return trip. Because the light was originally designed to have user serviceable parts in the head, the AFO sensor is not permanently fixed in place. Before you pay for the light, make sure to inspect this sensor. As long as it is mostly level and flush with the front plate it will work fine. But if the sensors appears to be set back from the front plate the light will not be reliable in turning off when the strobe flashes. If you run a dive shop selling this light, we recommend you open the boxes and pre-inspect the light to save your customers the trouble. The BigBlue US distributor is happy to replace lights that got past QC with sunken sensors.

We see no reason to let these issues discourage you from purchasing this great light. We are just trying educate divers to be educated consumers. You as the purchaser or dive shop owner should be vigilant when purchasing equipment and check it over before paying. All innovative companies tend to have similar growing pains. Additionally, as we have pointed in other articles, there is a growing problem of “quality fade”, especially with products from China (see http://blog.wetcatscuba.com/?p=782). With any product, your pickiness will send a message to all manufactures that we divers expect good quality control.

The Bottom Line

Despite a few minor issue to watch for, we still give the Big Blue FF 1x5W AFO Focus Light a full 5 stars because it is sturdy, easy to use and performs perfectly as a focus light. Pricing is a around $150. We also are watching this innovative company for more great lights to come. We are especially looking forward to testing the new CF-250, a 250 lumen pocket light that is focusable and as bright as many primary lights. It may be the killer app of the dive light world.

The Specs from Big Blue for the FF 1x5W AFO Focus Light.

more info at: http://www.bigblue.com.hk/ff15ww-flash.html or http://bosskusa.com/ – Tim Ratcliffe 727-734-8948.

The test light was purchased from http://opticaloceansales.com/ in Seattle.

We thank Tim Ratcliffe of BosskUSA/Big Blue for his assistance and quick response to our questions for this article.

Name of Product: Buoyancy Compensators used for Scuba Diving
Units: About 20,000
Manufacturer: Ocean Management Systems Inc., of Middletown, N.Y.
Hazard: The buoyancy compensator seal ring could crack, posing a drowning hazard to divers.
Incidents/Injuries: None reported.
Description: This recall involves buoyancy compensators with the following model numbers. Buoyancy compensators provide buoyancy control for scuba divers by allowing them to inflate or deflate the devices. The compensators were sold in black or red. “OMS” is printed on the front inside of the compensators. Item and serial numbers are printed on the warning label located in the non-inflation area of the buoyancy compensator. A list of serial numbers included in this recall is available from the firm.
Item Number/Description

• BC-TCPS- B TACOPS® BC ; Black
• BC-TCPS-R TACOPS® BC ; Red
• BC116-32B16 B Non retraction single tank BC 32 lb. lift / Black
• BC116-32R Non retraction single tank BC 32 lb. lift / Red
• BC-LGS45 Larry Green Signature Series 45 lb. lift BC
• BC-LGS70 Larry Green Signature Series 70 lb. lift BC
• BC118 – K Dual Bladder BC [inflated] 94 lb. lift Black or Red
• BC115 – KB Dual Bladder BC, 60 lb. lift in Black
• BC115 – KR Dual Bladder BC, 60 lb. lift in Red
• BC118 – K Dual Bladder BC [deflated] 94 lb. lift Black or Red
• BC117 – K45 Single Bladder BC 45 lb. lift / Black
• BC117CR – K45 Chemically Resistant 45 lb. lift / Black
• BC117 – K60 Single Bladder BC, 60 lb. lift / Black
• BC117 – KB Single Bladder BC, 94 lb. lift / Black
• BC117 – KR Single Bladder BC, 94 lb. lift / Red
• BC116-45B Non-retraction Single Bladder BC 45 lb. lift/ Black
• BC116-60B Non-retraction Single Bladder BC 60 lb. lift/ Black
• BC116-60R Non-retraction Single Bladder BC 60 lb. lift/ Red
• BC116-60C Chemically Resistant 60 lb. lift / Black

Sold at: Dive stores nationwide from May 2006 through August 2008 for about $400.

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the diving equipment and contact Ocean Management Systems to receive a free repair.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Ocean Management Systems toll-free at (877) 791-0315 between 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, visit the firm’s website at www.omsdive.com, or email the firm at recall@omsdive.com

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CPSC is still interested in receiving incident or injury reports that are either directly related to this product recall or involve a different hazard with the same product. Please tell us about it by visiting https://www.cpsc.gov/cgibin/incident.aspx

Name of Product: Mares Nemo Air Dive Computers

Units: About 600 in the United States, 140 in Canada and 15 in Puerto Rico

Distributor: Mares USA, of Boca Raton, Fla.

Hazard: An O-ring in the high pressure air connector can fail and leak air, causing a continuous but slow loss of breathing gas, which could require a diver to surface quickly, posing a drowning hazard to divers.

Incidents/Injuries: None reported.

Description: This recall involves the Mares Nemo Air Dive Computer, Nemo Air Dive Computer with Compass, Mares High Pressure Hose with Quick Connector for Nemo Air, and Quick Connector Assembly for Nemo Air. These computers have a digital screen which allows scuba divers to measure the time and depth of a dive and process other information to help divers determine safe dive times and ascent rates.

Sold by: Specialty dive shops nationwide from July 2008 through July 2009 for between $800 and $900 (U.S.) and between $880 and $990 (Canadian).

Manufactured in: Italy

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled dive computer and connectors, and return the products to their authorized Mares dive shop for a free replacement O-ring connector assembly. The O-rings in some units may already have been replaced, but this recall requires replacing the metal quick connector fitting at the end of the high pressure air hose that holds the O-ring. Replacement connector assemblies have a groove machined around the middle of the fitting, but recalled units do not. All consumers should take their Nemo Air dive computers to a Mares dive shop to confirm whether this connector fitting has been replaced.

Consumer Contact: For additional questions, contact Mares at (800) 874-3236 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET, visit the firm’s web site at www.mares.com (this is a pdf file that can be downloaded) or e-mail the firm at kflood@us.mares.com

Note: Health Canada’s press release is available at http://cpsr-rspc.hc-sc.gc.ca/PR-RP/recall-retrait-eng.jsp?re_id=1023

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CPSC Date: 4/13/2010

Name of Product: TUSA RS-670 Regulators

Units: About 250

Importer: Tabata USA Inc. (TUSA), of Long Beach, Calif.

Hazard: The first stage balance chamber plug can loosen from the scuba regulator causing a high-pressure leak and creating unstable pressure. This poses a drowning hazard to divers.

Incidents/Injuries: None reported.

Description: This recall involves R-600 first stage scuba regulators with the following serial numbers: UR600022 through UR600029, UR600031 through UR600103, UR6000637 through UR6000676, UR600708 through UR600716, UR600737 through UR600776. The serial number and TUSA logo are printed on the regulators.

Sold by: Authorized TUSA distributors and diving and equipment stores nationwide from May 2009 through September 2009 for about $450.

Manufactured in: Japan

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the scuba regulators and return the product to TUSA or an authorized dealer for a free inspection and replacement.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Tabata USA at (800) 482-2282 between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.tusa.com

A GENTLE HUG

Our live tests were done on wrist seals on Whites Fusion Tech drysuits with Si Tech rings and revealed that the reality was even better than the promise. When you slip on a silicon seal, first your have to you get over how easy it was to get on, then you notice the gentle hug of comfort on your wrists and neck. It feels like you are wearing a soft sweatband to do a workout instead of a constricting seal. After a minute or two I had to look at my wrist to remind myself that the seal was still there. The silicon seals were so comfortable we were both almost afraid to dive them; fearing that they would surely leak. They did not. The silicon itself has a soft and almost sensuous feel to the touch. You can throw away the bag of talcum powder – these are simple to don.

All of our tests, with both cone and tube style seals were done with them untrimmed. Unlike latex seals, there was just no reason to trim the silicon seals. They felt un-constricting right out of the box. With latex seals, I have always been ambivalent about trimming them. Besides running the risk of a nick in the cut that may later tear, trimming my latex seals has always shorted the life. I was resigned to stretching them and using new latex seals a bit extra tight until they wore in. For me this meant a day or so of “numb thumb” or carpal tunnel like symptoms after each dive. So I am can be literal in giving silicon seals two happy thumbs up.

Besides the extreme comfort of the silicon seals, it is expected that silicon seals will not degrade and deteriorate from many chemicals (encountered during normal recreational dives) or ozone and should have a much longer life than latex seals. They have an greatly increased tear resistance than latex. The video we took at DEMA shows a woman stretching a silicon seal while digging her long and sharp nails into it with no damage.

Now do you want the bad news. But do not worry, the bad news over the long run can actually become good news too.  Here it is. You cannot glue the silicon to the suit. You can only have them with a ring system. Getting the ring systems on your drysuit gives you a great advantage even if you do not use the silicon seals. It means that you never again have to worry about aborting a dive on the inevitable day that your seal blows while donning for a dive. You also do not have to change seals well before they are ready in order to save you from blowing the seal on a diving day. When you do rip a seal attached with a ring system, you just swap it out on the spot in minutes. No more saying, “I cannot dive for two weeks because my suit is in the shop for seal replacements.” And no labor charges for replacing seals, you just swap them yourself. The silicon seal is also made with a lipped edges so that easily fits and stays in the wring system.

WaterProof designed the silicon seals in partnership with Si Tech for their current wrist ring systems. They will also work with other ring mount systems. The wrist seals are not that much of a problem as many drysuit manufactures offer ring systems as an option. The wrist ring systems can be easily added to most suits.

The neck ring is another story that may slow the adoption of the silicon neck seals. Currently Si Tech “Nek Tite” Drysuit Neck Seal System is the only one available that will allow you to use the silicon neck seal. DUI, which currently has a different type of the ring systems, their patented ZipSeal system, told us that they should have a silicon ZipSeals available before the next DEMA show in November 2010.

On our first inspection of the Si Tech Nek Tite system looked like it was thin and flexible enough. There are many variables in drysuit designs and we cannot yet tell how the comfort of a particular suit will be affected by installing this system. This is especially important for the Whites Fusion which is the most flexible suit on the market today. And sadly one of our testers has reported that the current version of the Nek Tite system was in fact “extremely uncomfortable when installed in a Whites Fusion. The edges of the ring dig into your shoulders if you try to move your arms as well. It really took away from the whole idea and feeling of the Fusion.”  We hope that Si Tech can improve the comfort to open the door for divers to have the same comfort on their neck seals.

Bob Stinton, DUI’s VP of engineering is one of the most thorough persons we know when if comes to new products. He take a more cautious approach to pinning the revolutionary medal on silicon seals. As mentioned, DUI is working to put the new silicon seals on their ZipSeal system. Bob was generally agreeable about the comfort, tear resistance and the resistance to ozone. He said his tests indicate that the seal will still tear when nicked like latex. While he agrees that the storage life will be much longer than latex, he is not sure how this will translate to working life (number of dives).

Whether or not the silicon has a memory will affect this and DUI is working on testing this. Stinton pointed out that those with mild latex allergies should not have problem diving seals made from latex because the allergenic protein is removed from all latex dive seals and they are considered hypo-allergenic. However our internet searches revealed at least one medical report of diver going in to anaphylactic shock while diving from a reaction to a latex seal. 

Bob also said the latex seals when trimmed to fit are very comfortable. He chuckled, though, when he said that this is easy to say for people, like himself that have pay for their own seals. He can afford to trim his to the perfect size and shorten the life. We found the silicon seals seem as comfortable as trimmed latex without trimming the silicon and easier to don and doff.

THE GOOD:

• comfort – comfort – comfort
• No latex allergy.
• 40% more stretch than latex
• chemical and ozone resistance
• superior tear resistance even when nicked (see video)
• easy to get on and off
• replace on the spot and save the dive
• come in colors besides black

THE BAD:

• You cannot glue them to the suit. You must use the Si Tech (or other ring mount system).

 Even if the long term usage does not prove the claim of a greatly extended life for the silicon seals, there is no denying they are joy to put on, take off and wear during the dive. Even if you have to change them at the same time you would a latex seal you will have had a much nicer year of diving silicon seals.  We give seals 5 out of 5 stars for innovation and changing the drysuit experience. However, we will have to add a cautious, wait and see if Si Tech can improve the comfort of the Nek Tite system and how it fairs as in in other drysuit models.

Although most drysuit divers have heard of Si Tech, most have not heard of WaterProof before this. These two Swedish companies are very innovative and should be on your radar screen. WaterProof has unique form fitting wetsuits and new drysuit with an amazing 3 dimensional mesh liner that requires no undergarment for cold water.

We thank WaterProof, Si Tech, and Whites for supplying the demo seals for this article.

(INSERTED PARAGRAPH) When we asked, “how did it happen,” both companies communicated a vague suspicion that “some employee at the manufacturer inadvertently loaded the spring machine with the wrong grade of stainless steel.” This sounded plausible to my US-centric mind; until read about the disturbing and common practice of “quality fade”. Paul Midler, in his eye opening book, Made Poorly In China, describes “quality fade” as the secretive strategy a manufacturer uses to widen their profits by slow reducing the quality of materials used in the product over time until they get caught. Midler says this practice is pervasive in China and there is no downside for the manufacturer. When, or if they get caught, they just blame in on an employee that was fired or some other plausible culprit. Given the numbers of springs involved here it, quality fade seems much more likely than one bad roll spring stock.

I am still trying to track down the actual manufacturer of the springs used by Dive Rite and Halcyon. I want to see if this information will help us learn if other companies have products using the defective spring. We have filed a freedom of information request with the CPSC.

Additionally, during a recent conversation with a CPSC investigator, she mentioned that it is illegal if a company does not notify CPSC immediately if the learn about a dangerous defect with there product. Recent news stories predict that Toyota may incur one of the largest fines ever holding of on notification. After I mentioned that all three staff we interviewed at Dive Rite admitted that they saw the spring problem well over a year before the recall, the CPSC investigator asked me to email her a copy of the article.

We used ZipSeals when we owned DUI drysuits and found them to be reliable, comfortable and very practical.