Natural Wetsuit Lube?

[sross]

Just wanted to mention that I have been using SuitSlip from Sven's Speargunshop, and it does work more effectively than anything else I've used. Feels gross, and for some resaon fells colder than some of the other lubes I've used when you put your suit on in cold weather, but it really does the job of getting you in as easily as putting on a t-shirt.

I'm sure that jelly stuff that flax seeds give off when you cook them would make a good suit lube as well. The problem is, it's an organic polysacharide that bacteria love to eat, and just like some of the other organic materials like cornstarch that people use to get in their suits, you can get some pretty powerful smells going after a while.

I have to confess that in really cold weather I've used talcum powder, which doesn't chill you at all. I got some of the pure stuff that doesn't have perfumes or oils added.

 

[FREEDIVESCOT]

Any organic material like corn starch will inevitably cause bacterial growth on open cell neoprene as you cannot clean it off completely. This will then cause your suit to smell which is ok if you want the whole dive site to yourself but not if you are trying to be sociable. Same goes for people who pee in their suits to keep warm the bacterial build up is difficult to get rid of.
I have tried shampoo and conditioner but it can cause skin irritation, particularly if you have no immediate post dive access to a shower and have to wait till you get home. There is a product made by OMERSUB called wetsuit oil. (olio per mute)

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7H60dCFWZk]olio per mute web.wmv - YouTube[/ame]

It looks like clear silicone oil and is mixed with water then sloshed around the inside of your suit before you put it on. You can probably get cheaper products like ID Lube off Ebay which will perform identically. Silicone oils are ultra slippy and stay that way so you do not want to get them on baths, showers, tiled floors or boat decks as they could lead to serious injury. I suspect that silicone oil is the basic ingredient of a lot of pricey dive suit lube type products that come in small bottles with big prices.

I tried J-lube with my Elios suit and it worked ok but you need to use a lot and wet your hair first to get the hood on. The water only technique is good but not if you live in a cold country like Scotland.

 

[FREEDIVESCOT]

Further to my last post, this may afford you some amusement:

Peeing Diver Wetsuit Men's tee | Zazzle.co.uk

 

[recurve]

Fitting a 7mm suit in the water for a novice unsupervised seems like a potential panic drowning! I would not like to try it.

 

[Fondueset]

Corn starch seems like a bizarre idea to me - but I disagree with what you've said about peeing in your suit. I frequently dive in very cold water and would have to either have to shorten my dives or be dangerously dehydrated to avoid it.
A quick rinse is sufficient to avoid any bacterial problems with an open cell suit.
Nylon lined suits are another matter and its best to use some kind of enzyme spray with them regardless - they stink just from getting wet if they aren't promptly dried.

I use diluted organic hair conditioner.

 

[FREEDIVESCOT]

Corn starch seems like a bizarre idea to me - but I disagree with what you've said about peeing in your suit. I frequently dive in very cold water and would have to either have to shorten my dives or be dangerously dehydrated to avoid it.
A quick rinse is sufficient to avoid any bacterial problems with an open cell suit.
Nylon lined suits are another matter and its best to use some kind of enzyme spray with them regardless - they stink just from getting wet if they aren't promptly dried.

I guess some people maybe don't rinse enough then ! Completely agree regarding nylon suits. My latest suit has a built in pissette or as Omer puts it in their catalogue "liquid out valve" which is ok in the seas around Scotland but might be an issue in places with shark attack problems as urine seems to have a similar effect to blood in the water..

 

[sross]

Corn starch seems like a bizarre idea to me

Actually, in it's day cornstarch was the mainstream lube, according to some oldtimers I talked to back in my diving course days at my uni.

For us starving students corstarch was the only way to go, since you could get a whole box of the stuff for a buck or so. We got into smoothskin both sides suits just fine with it.

Depending on the fit of your suit, you could end up having a milky-looking liquid leak out of your suit as you took it off. It did look a bit like . . . umm, well, . . . you know . . .

I've since read that cornstarch can lead to development of allergies in some people.

 

[Aber]

I have used Johnson's Baby Oil mixed with warm water for many years. I works fine to get into an open cell suit and it's good for your hair and skin. I seriously doubt that it does any damage to the suits. I cannot detect any bad effects from it on my Elios Suits. My oldest I bought back in 2006. I dive mostly in cold water (Norway) and I don't think that it has damaged the suit's ability to insulate either.

 

[blinkin]

I boil linseed for 10-15min and use the substance it produces (it isn't linseed oil) to lubricate my open cell wetsuit. I've recommended it before.

I've been using it for last two years.

Don't see any problems with the wetsuit, it doesn't smell though I pee into it sometimes.
It's harmless and very cheap. Give it a try.

P.S. Separate seeds and eat with porridge or salad, they're good for you

 

[dahlia1925]

I have used Johnson's Baby Oil mixed with warm water for many years. I works fine to get into an open cell suit and it's good for your hair and skin. I seriously doubt that it does any damage to the suits. I cannot detect any bad effects from it on my Elios Suits. My oldest I bought back in 2006. I dive mostly in cold water (Norway) and I don't think that it has damaged the suit's ability to insulate either.

Hello Aber, i have seen you have used baby oil from Johnson, can you give the ratio of your mixture (1/10, 5/10?) i have tried 1/10 with good results (yamamoto 45 open cell silverskin 7mm) live in Belgium with a cold north sea, the first time i have tested my wetsuit with baby oil (allways baby shampoo before) i prefer baby oil for the comfort but it's difficult to remove the oil in the wetsuit after a dive trip only with water, i'am affraid that oil penetrate in all the neoprene? or must i use shower gel to wash the suit after? or just rinse the suit with the rest of oil inside with water and dry after, what do you do? mine is a new one (december 2014)
thanks very mutch for the response
Thierry

 

[SleepingApnoist]

Do any of you know of a natural/biodegradable replacement for conditioner that many people use for sliding their wetsuits on? Seems like that we only need the slippery part of the hair conditioner and not all the other stuff for wetsuits. Also when diving in a pool or very clean lake I feel bad about putting the conditioner in their. Maybe someone knows a chemist or someone in the cosmetics industry that could recommend a bulk chemical or compound that is what we need?
Thanks and Cheers Wes

Hi,
the basic ingredient of conditioner is
hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose. it is biodegradable....

 

[Brochman]

Use Kelp. Take a small mesh bag and fill it with Kelp. Place the bag in a bucket (no water) and put the lid on and let it sit for a few days ( you can have two or three buckets going through the different stages of this cycle). The kelp will break down and get slimey because of the natural oils in the Kelp. Push the bag full of Kelp through the arms and legs and wiping it on the larger areas will work as a Lube. Natural & Biodegradable and at no long term cost to you or the environment.

 

[SubSub]

Just water?

I’ve never used anything else, how is it it doesn’t work for all?

 

[Brochman]

Only things I can think of is the interior of the suit and wether you have body hair or not. I have tried several times with just water and I get the 6.5 mm jacket on so far but then it just sticks to my skin like glue and I have to use that much force to get it off I feel like I am going to tear the bloody thing

 

[marco15499]

50%-50% body lotion water works very well for me.

 

[Ammc]

I found the best lube ever .
I use personal sex gel lube .
I mix with water about 10 grams to half liter water.
It's cheap and safe.

 

[oriator]

I got a lot of that info from a site I would never have thought about going to (even 5 min. ago), but I was introduced to J-Lube this lambing season on the farm I live at. Great stuff, works almost too well and could barely hold onto the lambs that needed to be pulled out.

 

[7BDiver]

I tried to use just water the other day and it froze, ice is nice and slick but yeesh! On the other hand I have been using a seaweed based conditioner that works quite well and can be diluted to be very thin and still work to get over my winter coat.

 

[J Campbell]

I tried to use just water the other day and it froze, ice is nice and slick but yeesh! On the other hand I have been using a seaweed based conditioner that works quite well and can be diluted to be very thin and still work to get over my winter coat.

What is the brand of seaweed conditioner?

 

[7BDiver]

What is the brand of seaweed conditioner?

The Seaweed Bath Co, I can generally find it in the local grocery stores.