Is a wet open cell suit the easiest to put on & take of?

[naiad]

Anybody know how glycerol is made -- what is it? (Not something nasty -- like gelatin is it?! Calf foetus? Pigs brain? ).

I think glycerol is made from fat - it may be animal or vegetable.

Lucia

 

[samdive]

don't put oil anywhere near your suit - I use shower gel and water, or hair conditioner and water - or even moisturising lotion and water

just bear in mind that whatever you use must be really mild on your skin as its there for a long time. Johnsons baby shampoo works well and is hard to be allergic to.

 

[naiad]

I use Carex hand soap and water - but I have the opposite of sensitive skin, so I'm ok with anything.

 

[watts]

In Australia most of us use Wetstuff personal lubricant in our open cell suits. It is very slippery and doesnt make me itchy like soaps do.
It contains: glycerine, propylene glycol. water-purified, hydroxy ethyl cellulose, citric acid, polyquaterniums methyl, ethyl, propyl & butyl, hydroxybenzoates, phenoxy-ethanol, trie-ethanol amine, emulsifying wax, vitamin E at pH5.
It also says it has an edible plesant sweet taste with no sugar. :inlove :inlove :girlie

 

[Aquagenic]

It contains: glycerine, propylene glycol. water-purified, hydroxy ethyl cellulose, citric acid, polyquaterniums methyl, ethyl, propyl & butyl, hydroxybenzoates, phenoxy-ethanol, trie-ethanol amine, emulsifying wax, vitamin E at pH5.

Tell me you didn't just do that from memory?!?

~JP

 

[watts]

Off the bottle. I always keep my wet stuff close at hand. rofl

 

[Aquagenic]

Lol, I was gonna make a pun about that, but I decided that I shouldn't touch that with a ten foot pole...even if I have one.

~JP

 

[island_sands]

I think glycerol is made from fat - it may be animal or vegetable.

Lucia

Glycerol is glycerin, used a lot in skin care and cosmetics. It is a component of phospholipids (all fats and oils) and in pure form its sweet and clear, and sticky! mmmm
It has great emollient properties so will also moisturise your skin if you are using a product containing it.

 

[island_sands]

In Australia most of us use Wetstuff personal lubricant in our open cell suits. It is very slippery and doesnt make me itchy like soaps do.
It contains: glycerine, propylene glycol. water-purified, hydroxy ethyl cellulose, citric acid, polyquaterniums methyl, ethyl, propyl & butyl, hydroxybenzoates, phenoxy-ethanol, trie-ethanol amine, emulsifying wax, vitamin E at pH5.
It also says it has an edible plesant sweet taste with no sugar. :inlove :inlove :girlie

hi fat cat
are those the ingredients listed on the bottle?

those ingredients are the basis for most skin care products, whether hair shampoo, body lotion, or liquid soap. The citric acid can by drying as it strips the skin. See skin care products contain A.H.A. or "Vitamin C". they are intended to exfoliate the skin so leave it smooth almost instantly, but the long term effects can be destroying, leaving skin hypersensitive and dry, so will produce oilyness... then you'll start buying products for oily skin.. and so the marketing goes.. rofl
The glycerine will attempt to counteract any dryness caused by the citric acid effect.

hey i wasn't always a diver...

 

[watts]

The local dive shop sell it in 10L tubs. I should get one of those. :hmm :hmm

 

[island_sands]

The local dive shop sell it in 10L tubs. I should get one of those. :hmm :hmm

what... a ten foot pole or a bottle of wet stuff... or both?? :hmm
:ban

 

[Mr. X]

The local dive shop sell it in 10L tubs. I should get one of those. :hmm :hmm

Jez 10 L, how much does that cost? Probably good for wrestlingrofl ( & you could always use the tub/bottle as a spearo float afterwards!! ).

 

[Garfish]

Hey guys:

I use "pert" plus shampoo/conditioner with mixure of water in a gallon container & pour it inside my opencell suit & have no problem of sliding into it.
The samapoo itself has a clean smell to it & find that after an hour in the water i have no reaction on my skin from it....

might want to try it...

 

[Tim1]

For ease of donning an open cell suit or for additional thermal protection, has anyone experimented with base layer suits like lycra dive skins or Fourth Element's Thermocline? Their advantages are well known when worn under scuba wet or semi-dry suits...

 

[dave]

but putting a fabric layer under a cell suit would completely defeat the object of having a cell interior in the first place!
cheers
dave
www.spearo.co.uk

 

[Mr. X]

For ease of donning an open cell suit or for additional thermal protection, has anyone experimented with base layer suits like lycra dive skins or Fourth Element's Thermocline? Their advantages are well known when worn under scuba wet or semi-dry suits...

I tried wearing a Smelly Hensen top under a nylon lined & covered shortie. I didn't notice any benefit &, if anything, it made me feel colder when I got out (evaporation from the exposed, wet sleeves?). As somebody else mentioned, I think the idea of open cell is to get it to stick to your skin.

 

[Tim1]

but putting a fabric layer under a cell suit would completely defeat the object of having a cell interior in the first place!
cheers
dave
www.spearo.co.uk

Nuff said Dave. Thanks...

 

[Mr. X]

I have heard baby oil recommended several more times, which caused me to look into this a bit more.

e.g. this discussion has come up before:
http://forums.deeperblue.net/showthread.php?t=62543&page=1&pp=15 [Note that adhesives rather than the neoprene seem to be suffering].

Elios and numerous wetsuit makers suggest baby oil -- just try a search using Google -- I found 10 or more of them (popular with triathletes too). Wetsuit makers would obviously have a vested interest in wetsuits not lasting forever -- however, I don't think they would recommend something that was very harmful.

A bit more research suggests that neoprene is in fact quite oil resistant. Although not immune to degradation by oil, it seems to be valued for its resistence to oil attack. For example, neoprene is used widely to make oil resistant soles for shoes. Here is a snippet from an engineering site http://www.sealingspecialties.com/materials.htm#neoprene :

"Neoprene (CR, Chloroprene)

Neoprene was the earliest of the volume American synthetic elastomers. Neoprene compounds exhibit fair oil resistance, good ozone and weather resistance. Neoprenes are used in refrigeration systems due to their resistance to refrigerants such as Freon. Due to its relatively low cost and broad temperature range, Neoprene is popular in many general service applications. The temperature range for Neoprene is -65°F to +250/300°F..."


e.g. soles:
http://www.standardstyle.com/Search...rch&Menu1:ddlCategories=0&Menu1:ddlBrand=1542


$198.00 87350-GAUCHO

Harness Boot
The Harness boot by Frye Boots has a 12 inch shaft, medium width, Neoprene Oil Resistant Sole, 2 inch heel, goodyear welt, and cushioned poron insole Made in the USA

e.g.
http://www.grtco.com/esr/esr-neooil.htm

Neoprene Oil- and
Ozone-Resistant Sheet
This blended neoprene sheet is used where good oil, petroleum, ozone and weathering-resistance is needed. It is very popular due to the broad range of applications in which it may be used.
Frye Boots

CONCLUSION?
While it is probably ok to use baby oil on neoprene, you might want to wash it off afterwards, to reduce any opportunity for reaction. However, even though Baby Oil might not attack the neoprene of your wetsuit -- it appears that it can attack the adhesive [ref. to thread mentioned above] (there are adhesives made of neoprene -- perhaps these would be more resistant to oil degradation?).

RECOMMENDATION?
I plan to use plain water. It that does not work then I might add a little some cheapo Lidl's hair conditioner (or expensive Waitrose organic conditioner, if that causes a problem!) or soap (plain old tallow based soap, Dove, liquid soap or possibly anti-bacterial ... but that might react).

However, I think the best way forward on this would be a cheap Glycerin & water based product, which would be rubber safe, sweet tasting and good for your skin. (Sounds like the Ozzies already have something along similar lines). Any takers if I start production in the UK?!

The Gaucho, with oil resistant neoprene soles...

 

[Fondueset]

I find a huge difference between just water and the organic hair conditioner I use. It is simply much easier to get the suit on with the HC. Mine is a 5mil elios custom and the point where the difference is really critical is bringing in the second arm - see elios instructions. Here leverage is not in your favor and a good lube saves the day.
It would be very cool if we start to see inexpensive and safe products for just this purpose hit the market.

I'd be disinclined to use oil because it is not water soluble.