My dry suit inflator valve seized up during a 30 foot dive in Puget Sound

Was doing a hull inspection off a pier in Tacoma last Tuesday. Water temp was around 48 degrees, so I was already dealing with the cold. Mid-dive I noticed air was leaking out of my suit at the shoulder. Tried to hit the inflator button to add more air and it just stuck closed. Took me a solid 3 minutes to realize the valve had salt crystals built up inside. Had to abort the dive and come up way earlier than planned. I rinse my gear after every job, but I guess I never actually took that valve apart. Has anyone else had this happen with a specific brand of dry suit valve? I'm curious if I just got unlucky or if there's a known weak point I should watch for.

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beth5598d ago

Man, I used to be in the camp of "just rinse it and you're fine" and I was dead wrong about that. I ran my old DUI valve for like two years without ever cracking it open, and it finally locked up on me at depth too, same deal with the salt crust hiding in the threads. Now I pull the valve apart every few months, soak the parts in warm water, and hit the o-rings with a little silicone grease, and I have not had a single stuck button since. So it is not you getting unlucky, it is just a spot that rinsing alone will not reach.

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