Noticed my old drysuit valves got way stiffer over 6 years

I pulled out my old Viking drysuit from 2018 for a job last week and the shoulder dump valve was almost impossible to turn by hand compared to the newer model I've been using. I think the old rubber just hardened up from sitting in the gear locker with all that salt and temperature swings. Has any other diver had issues with valve seals going bad after a few years of storage?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_william5d ago

its crazy how rubber just does that over time. i notice the same thing with my car's windshield wiper blades - leave them sitting in the heat and cold for a couple years and they get all stiff and cracked. even my old garden hose gets hard as a rock if i leave it in the shed all winter. guess that's just what happens to rubber compounds when they dry out, doesnt matter if its a drysuit valve or a washing machine hose.

smith.anna3d ago

idk, I've seen rubber gear last over a decade if it's cleaned and conditioned right.