YO-HANCHA UKDIVING
Mildly moist , not our choice
Yo-Han Cha is facing a choice every drysuit owner must consider at some point … patch it up , or jog it on
I f , like me , you have to hang up your undersuit after a day ’ s diving in the hope that it ’ ll be vaguely dry in time for the next day ’ s diving , you may look back fondly on the days when your drysuit actually kept you dry .
Mine used to , when it was new . But years of use have taken a toll ; these days it ’ s usually a little bit damp after a dive . Identifying a leak can be tricky , though . If I ’ m diving on a hot summer ’ s day , which can happen in the UK , there ’ s no doubt that there ’ s some sweat contributing to the dampness .
If you ’ ve ever had the pleasure of traipsing back to your car in Swanage ’ s distant long stay car park on a gorgeous summer ’ s day , you will naturally generate lot of sweat . So , I normally convince myself that the moisture is self-generated and I should really be grateful for the fine weather .
But as the socks grow damper and I look increasingly as if I have wet myself , I have to admit that I have a leak . If I don ’ t have the time to send it in for repair , I ’ ll try to identify where the leak is myself . So … a plastic football in the neck seal ; two cans of Irn Bru in the wrist seals , pump up the suit and some washing up liquid splashed around to help pinpoint those incriminating bubbles .
That ’ s how my housemates once found me when then walked into our living room . “ It ’ s not what you think !” was my immediate response to their alarmed faces ( they ’ re not divers ). Whatever they were thinking ( I didn ’ t ask ), it wasn ’ t that !
I ’ ve found that finding a leak involves detective work and a sharp eye . Some are better at it than others . As the smallest breach can cause the wettest dive , I ’ ve sometimes had to ask for help finding the leak , especially as they ’ re not always in the places I first suspect .
Wet feet , for instance , would indicate a leak in the feet , but the effect of gravity over the course of two dives can mean that the sea has seeped in from above . So , you line up your suspects : the shoulder ; the zip , the zip mount … all have been found guilty at some point . Sometimes it is exactly where you expect … my crotch has been re-seamed on multiple occasions ! It ’ s not
Yo-Han ’ s buddy Roisin Maddison ’ s drysuit may be due some TLC
the lack of bladder control , it ’ s my crotch seams , honest !
After my most recent repair , I think I ’ ve accepted that I ’ ll just have to get my drysuit pressure-tested regularly . At the end of the day , it has seen many dives over the years and is now showing its age . If some of you are thinking “ they don ’ t make them like they used to ” as you have a drysuit that ’ s been used for 20 years without any problems , perhaps there ’ s a case for that , but it doesn ’ t really help me right now .
I might just be tempted to buy a new
“ Findingaleakinvolves detectivework ”
drysuit . We shall see . In the meantime , I ’ m onto my second suit-drying gadget , after seeing the latest model in action , as various friends ’ drysuits sprung leaks over the course of a week-long trip to west Cornwall . And I should buy some Febreze for my undersuit . The mix of my ‘ natural musk ’ and sea water would be banned under the Geneva Convention . �
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