Buying a Used Drysuit: Seals, Zipper and Leak Testing
A drysuit is the most expensive thing a cold-water diver owns and the piece most often sold on. Here is how to buy one used without buying a leak.
Seals
Neck and wrist seals are consumables. Latex seals go tacky, then chalky, then split; silicone seals last longer but tear. Stretch each seal gently and look for surface crazing. Budget for replacement on anything more than a couple of years old and treat a suit with fresh seals as worth the premium. Ring systems make replacement a home job; glued seals are a shop job.
Zipper
The zipper is the most expensive part of the suit to replace. Run it slowly end to end. It should move smoothly with no catches. Look at the sealing surfaces on the inside for cracks, missing teeth or a flattened seal, and check the ends where the zipper meets the suit fabric for separation. A zipper that has been forced or stored bent is a suit you should walk away from unless the price accounts for a new one.
Leak test
Seal the neck and wrists, close the zipper, inflate the suit through the valve and submerge it, or leave it inflated and look for wrinkles that appear as it deflates. Bubbles or a soft spot at a seam mean the tape is lifting; on a neoprene suit that can be repaired, on a trilaminate suit a large area of failed tape is expensive. Pinhole leaks in the fabric are normal repairs.
Valves and boots
Inflator and dump valves are serviceable parts; check that the dump vents cleanly and that the inflator does not leak when connected. Attached boots wear at the sole and the ankle seam; rock boots are cheaper to replace than an integrated boot repair.
Fit
A drysuit is bought for the cold-water undersuit you will wear beneath it. Try it on over that undersuit and check you can reach your valves, squat and cross your arms. Every certified used drysuit on DescendAgain has been leak-tested and had its seals, zipper and valves inspected and replaced where they were near the end, and the listing says what was done. Compare that to a private sale using the used dive gear buying guide.
See all used dive gear in stock, or the service intervals and bench specs we work to.
