Congratulations on your Drysuit Purchase Your drysuit has been designed to provide you with the highest degree of comfort and convenience. Since 1956 we have been constructing suits with the finest quality materials, design and production excellence. Our suits have been used for many years by professional dive and rescue teams and have a reputation for performance and durability. Each drysuit is individually inspected and tank tested before it leaves our factory. From time to time your suit, including its valves, zippers and seals, may require professional service. If, for any reason, you suspect that service is required, or your suit and/or its components do not perform as they should, then you should immediately discontinue its use and have it evaluated and/or serviced at your authorized dealer. Our recommended interval is annually. A little effort goes a long way to keeping your suit in optimum working order. Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with the care, maintenance and warranty information. If you have any questions about your suit, please do not hesitate to contact your authorized dealer. The dry suit and has been found to be in accordance with the requirements of Council Directive 89/686/ EEC. When examined the product satisfied the requirements of the manufacturer s technical specifications (based upon EN14225:2005 requirements), which has been previously assessed and deemed to meet the basic health and safety requirements (Annex II) of the directive. The size of suit is Components Supplied with your Drysuit marked on interior CHEST Every drysuit comes supplied with: label of suit with size of suit per - Suspenders - Inflation Hose - Owner's Manual - Zipper Lubricant Drysuit Accessories A full range of accessories is available to add to the comfort or practicality of using your drysuit. For details, please refer to the current product catalogue and/or www.aqualung.com. published chart with Height and Chest sizing included. Dry suit compatibility The dry suit is compatible with all standard diving equipment, such as: undersuit, mask, fins, BCD, tanks, regulator etc. The user should be trained and familiar with the use of the equipment for use with the dry suit. HEIGHT 2
Table of Contents Critical Safety Precautions & Limitations on Use 4 User Guidance & Warnings 5-6 Limited Warranty 6 Donning a Back Entry Drysuit 7-8 Post Dive Procedures, Cleaning & Decontamination 8-10 Disposal 10 Polytex Neck & Wrist Seal Care 11 Fitting Polytex Seals 11 Exhaust Valve 12 Inflator Valve & Low Pressure Hose 13 Folding Suit for Storage 14 Drysuit Zipper Care 14-15 Installing Inflator & Exhaust Valves 15 Finding a Leak 16 Repairing a Hole 17 Changing Polytex Neck Seal and/or Hood 18 Replacing Wrist Seals, Neck Seal & Hood 19 3
Critical Safety Precautions & Limitations on Use IMPORTANT NOTICE This is not a diving instruction manual, nor does it eliminate the necessity for obtaining professional instruction in the operation of a drysuit, diving in contaminated water or having a diving certification. The user is therefore advised to obtain such instruction as well as familiarizing him or herself with the information contained in this manual prior to operation of any drysuit. 1 Complete a drysuit diving course from an instructor and stay current. 2 Always use a buoyancy compensation device (BCD) when diving with a drysuit. 3 Know your equipment and emergency procedures. 4 Practice your drysuit diving skills under controlled conditions until you are fully conversant. If diving in open water, consider using a shot line or the boat s anchor line to control your ascent. 5 If diving with a buddy ensure that he/she understands your drysuit system. 6 Use the correct amount of insulation (thermal protection) for the water temperature you are diving in and your exercise rate. 7 Don't weight yourself heavier than neutral buoyancy with an empty tank. Your weighting should allow you to make a safety stop at an appropriate depth in accordance with the decompression schedule in use. 8 Inspect your valves, zipper and seals for proper performance before each dive. 9 Perform preventative maintenance and repairs on your suit and valves regularly, or have them serviced by a qualified individual. 10 Know your limitations and do not exceed them. 4
Use: This suit should only be used in conditions appropriate for this type of CE certification, within user qualifications and in accordance with the regulations of the local jurisdiction. The maximum operating depth is determined by the users training, experience level and certified limits of breathing apparatus. Variation of Buoyancy: Improper use or misuse of this drysuit could result in the loss of buoyancy control, including uncontrolled descents and uncontrolled rapid ascents, which could result in decompression sickness, air embolism, drowning and death. The presence of a volume gas inside the suit will be subject to the effects of compression and expansion relative to the hydrostatic pressure. Inappropriate use of the inflator and the purge could cause squeeze during the descent as well as a too-fast ascent, which could result in a decompression accident. An undergarment used in combination with this drysuit shall allow free passage of air between the user s body and the deflation device for proper exhausting and inflation. Do not use the drysuit as a lift bag. If you use the drysuit as a lift bag and lose the grip on the object, you may become excessively buoyant. This may result in rapid ascent. Rapid ascent is dangerous and may cause air embolism or decompression sickness, either of which can result in serious injury or death. Inflation Gas: Introducing gas into the suit should serve only to control the internal volume and so maintaining the thermal protection. Use of a drysuit will in no way replace the need for a buoyancy compensation device (BCD). This suit is intended for use with compressed air or with Enriched Air Nitrox (EAN) where the percentage of oxygen in the EAN does not exceed 40%. Do not use any other gas or mixture for inflation of the suit. Using any EAN with a percentage of oxygen exceeding 40% for inflation presents a risk of fire and explosion. When using argon there is a risk of this gas getting into a full-face mask and the breathing system through the hood. The effects of breathing argon are more narcotic than nitrogen when under increased partial pressure. Thermal Protection: This suit leaves only your head and hands in direct contact with the water. The temperature of the water in which you will use this suit will likely require that you also wear a hood and gloves. This suit offers thermal protection as long as it is used with an undergarment with a thickness appropriate to the temperature of the water. Several types of undergarments are available. The choice of undergarment is influenced by the drysuit material, the temperature of the water in which you plan to dive, and your work rate. An inappropriate choice of undergarment could cause hypothermia or hyperthermia. Only specialized training will give you the knowledge required to make the best choice of equipment. 5 User Guidance & Warnings
User Guidance & Warnings Hydrostatic pressure will reduce the thickness of the suit. Thus the thermal protection of the suit can reduce with depth. Work Rate: Work rates will be influenced by choice of undergarment being worn and water temperature. Too high of a work rate in conjunction with a thick undergarment and/or warm water temperature could cause hyperthermia. Only specialized training will give you the knowledge required to make the best choice of equipment. Fitting: Reference the appropriate size chart for your suit to assist with selecting the correct size for your body. It is important that you try on the suit in a specialized dive shop offering you the advice of qualified and experienced staff. If you choose a suit that is too tight you may experience squeeze problems during the descent. If the suit is too big for your size you may experience problems of over-expansion that could cause an uncontrolled ascent. Neck and wrist seals need to be adapted to the size of the diver. Allergic Reaction: Some individuals may be allergic to contact with materials in this suit such as latex or neoprene. If you suffer from allergies, consult a doctor before using the suit. Limited Warranty Your drysuit is warranted for a period of (3) years from the date of original purchase to be free from defects in workmanship, material, and seams. Warranty is valid to the original purchaser and non-transferable. The zipper and valves are warranted for a period of (1) year from the date of original purchase from defects in materials and workmanship. Drysuit seals (wrist & neck) are warranted for a period of 90 days from defects in material and workmanship. Warranties do not extend to damages caused by normal or abusive wear and tear, fading, misuse, improper trimming, negligence, or effects from chemical exposure. This warranty is invalid if negligent or unauthorized repair procedures have resulted in damage to the drysuit. Any product determined to be defective in material or workmanship will be repaired or replaced at our discretion free of charge. Suit must be returned freight prepaid with proof of purchase. Proof of purchase must be established to obtain warranty service or replacement. 6
Donning a Back Entry Drysuit (zipper across shoulders) 2 3 1 4 5 6 7 7
Donning a Back Entry Drysuit (zipper across shoulders) 1 Adjust suspenders for a snug yet comfortable fit. The suspenders should hold the suit up in the crotch but not so tight to restrict bending over. 2 Push hands through the latex wrist seals, using your free hand to expand the wrist opening. Use thumb loops on undergarment to hold garment in place, eliminating bunching. 3 Tuck undergarment thumb loops back under seal after your hand has been pushed through. 4 Using both hands, stretch the neck seal over your head. 5 Have your dive buddy carefully zip you up. 6 When opening or closing the zipper avoid catching undergarment material in the dry zip per teeth. If zipper slider becomes jammed, do not continue pulling. Back zipper up and clear debris or clothing. Do not force your zipper. * Use talcum powder on seals as a lubricant to assist in sliding into seals. When removing a back-entry drysuit, follow the same steps as above in reverse. Warning: Avoid sharp objects (rings, earrings, fingernails) when donning suits. Post Dive Procedures, Cleaning & Decontamination To keep the suit clean, rinse the external part of the diving suit with clean water (especially after diving in salty water). This will remove the salt and mud from the fasteners and will limit the formation of mould, as well as the development of bacteria. Rinse with a strong stream of running water. After rinsing, dry the diving suit. Drying the diving suit is necessary in such circumstances, where the diving suit has been flooded with water. First completely dry the inside of the diving suit followed by the same procedure with the outside. When drying, the diving suit should be hung on a wide hanger with the fasteners unzipped and all other parts of the suit hanging freely. Avoid drying in the sun, near chemical substances or open fire, as well as heaters, electric engines or other devices that produce ozone. The effect of these can cause color fading and damage elements of the diving suit. After drying examine the diving suit carefully for any damage. 8
Post Dive Procedures, Cleaning & Decontamination General: The materials used in the construction of your suit allow for easy general cleaning & decontamination. Care was taken in choosing materials that not only protect you in the environment in which you are diving but also allow for straightforward post-dive clean up. All suits should be cleaned/rinsed with fresh water after use and after decontamination. Contaminated Water Diving (CWD): 1 HazMat, Enviro & Enviro Hybid suits should always be decontaminated after each CWD use. 2 The very smooth surface of these suits allows for many products to be used for decontamination and does not require special systems or application process to ensure the suit is clean. 3 There are many different types of contaminates and an appropriate decontamination solution should be chosen for use. 4 Types of decontamination solutions vary in the effectiveness and application depending on the contamination encountered. 5 The most common contamination encountered by divers is biological-based. Biological contaminants are not damaging towards the suit material, unlike some chemicals, but can still pose a risk to the diver and topside personnel. 6 Petroleum-based products (gas, oil, and other lubricants) are the second most common contamination encountered during CWD today. These are mostly found in small concentrations floating on the surface and get on the suit during entering and exiting the water. Some of the more common solutions used for decontamination: Simple Green is a good degreaser and is non-toxic and biodegradable according to the manufacturer. Depending on the amount of petroleum based product on the suit it can be applied with a simple garden sprayer in whatever concentration necessary to ensure complete decontamination. Lestoil is a household cleaner/degreaser that is recommended for many household cleaning chores including laundry. It can also be diluted to a concentration that is most effective for the level of contamination. 9
Post Dive Procedures, Cleaning & Decontamination Bleach solution has been used for many years to kill biological contaminates. Used in the correct concentrations it does an excellent job in killing biological contamination. The key here is correct concentrations - too little and it is ineffective, too much and you will start to shorten the life of the drysuit. A 5-7% concentration will effectively kill most biological contamination encountered in the marine environment without adversely affecting the drysuit. Failure to properly decontaminate your dry suit will increase the risk of health issues to both diver and support personnel and can also reduce the useable life of the dry suit. Note: The above list is not exhaustive and other suitable decontamination products may be available. An assessment of the need for additional decontamination shall be made if the dry suit is to be reused after it has been exposed to hazardous materials and initially decontaminated. A close visual inspection of any diving equipment used in contaminated water is essential once the gear has been decontaminated. During the inspection, the diver should look for any of the following: Brittleness of the material Color changes in the material Swollen material Disposal All suits that are damaged beyond repair and cannot be made to pass all inspections and checks described above, must be taken out of service and disposed of. The proper method of disposal will depend on local regulations. In general the suit should be treated as waste and as such the proper method of disposal is normally incineration or landfill. For suits that are contaminated with chemicals, local regulations for the chemicals in question must be taken into account. 10
Polytex Neck & Wrist Seal Care Polytex seals offer a superb seal, however they can be fragile. Avoid contact with petroleum based products such as lotions, and petroleum based silicone lubricants, as they will accelerate the deterioration of Polytex seals. For lubrication use talcum powder or cornstarch. Avoid sharp objects (rings, earrings, and fingernails) as they may tear the seal. Extended exposure to sunlight will damage seals. Exposure to extreme cold will stiffen seals, ensure seals are warmed to pliable condition before attempting to stretch them. Fitting Polytex Seals 1 2 1-2 You may want to fine-tune the fit of your seals. If your seals seem too tight, they can be trimmed to create a comfortable fit. Using scissors, carefully trim off 1/4 inch (0.6 cm) at a time, checking the fit each time. You do not have to wear your suit during this process, just slide wrist or your neck into the seals to test the fit as you go along. The seals should be snug but not tight. You may want your dealer to assist you in fitting your seals. Warning: Neck seals that are too tight may restrict blood flow to the brain resulting in serious injury. 11
Exhaust Valve 1 Your drysuit is equipped with an adjustable highflow auto-exhaust valve allowing the highest degree of hands-off buoyancy control. 2 The HazMat suit is fitted with a double diaphragm Contaminated Water Exhaust Valve (red cover). The Enviro and ProCom suits are fitted with a standard single diaphragm exhaust valve (black cover). 1 2 3 Rotate faceplate clockwise for decreased venting and counter-clockwise for increased venting. 4 Pushing down on the faceplate will allow manual air release. 5 Check that your exhaust valve body is screwed hand-tight into the suit before each dive. 6 Check the exhaust valve faceplate setting before each dive. If your valve is not working correctly abandon your dive and have the valve inspected by an authorized technician. 7 Contaminated Water Exhaust Valve: This valve (red cover, fitted to the HazMat suit) is specially designed to reduce the chance of water entering the suit during your dive. This valve uses a double diaphragm (or check valve) system that exhausts at a slower rate than a standard exhaust valve. You should always practice your buoyancy and ascent rate with this valve in order to become familiar with its function. 8 If you ever remove both your inflator and exhaust valves from your HazMat suit pay close attention upon re-installation that you install the red back nut with the red exhaust valve as the second check valve is located in the interior back nut. It is important not to swap this with the inflator back nut as it will not allow air to enter the suit through the inflator valve. 12
Inflator Valve & Low Pressure Hose 1 1 Screw the low pressure inflate hose into the low-pressure port on your first stage. Do not use a high- pressure port! 2 Slide hose connector back to lock hose into place over inflate valve nipple. 3 Pushing the button center on the inflate 2 valve will add air to your suit. 4 Available as an option is a Contaminated Water Inflate Valve (red cover for identification) with slider/shut-off valve. This allows the user to shut off the air in case the inflator button sticks open without disconnecting the hose. 4 Important: Check that your inflate valve body is screwed hand-tight into the suit before each dive. If your valve is not working correctly abandon your dive and have the valve inspected by your dealer. 13
Folding Suit for Storage 1 3 4 Drysuit Zipper Care 2 1 Back-entry suit: with the zipper open, roll the suit starting at the boots working forward toward the neck seal. 2 Legs and torso rolled up. 3 Loosely fold the arms together over the body of the suit. Do not stuff your suit in a bag that is too small, as the zipper may get bent. 4 Self-entry suit: same as above, except fold suit with back facing upwards. The emphasis is on keeping the zipper from bending or kinking. For prolonged storage, it is best to hang your suit boots up, with the zipper in the open position. Hang in a cool dry place, out of direct sunlight and away from electric motors or fumes (i.e.: chlorine, diesel or gas). Keep your zipper free of sand and debris by spraying with clean fresh water after every use. Store suit with zipper in the open position. Stubborn debris lodged in the zipper can be removed with a soft toothbrush and mild hand or dish soap. When opening or closing a zipper, avoid catching undergarment material in the dry zipper teeth. If zipper slider becomes jammed, do not continue pulling. Back zipper up and clear debris or clothing. Do not force your zipper. Keep your zipper lubricated, paraffin wax is ideal. Do not use oil-based lubricants or silicone spray as they can damage the zipper material. Lubricate metallic zipper teeth after each dive and plastic zipper teeth every 4-5 dives. Be sure when storing your suit not to fold the zipper back on itself (see "Folding" above). For prolonged storage, it is best to 14
Drysuit Zipper Care hang your suit from the legs, with the zipper in the open position. Hang it in a cool, dry place, out of direct sunlight. For transport, do not stuff your suit in a bag that is too small. Important: After prolonged storage check the seals for cracking or loss of stretch. Natural rubber components generally have a lifetime of 5 years before needing replacement. Installing Inflator & Exhaust Valves We suggest having your authorized dealer maintain your drysuit valves 1 2 3 4 5 1-4 Insert the male part of the valve into the suit valve hole. 5 Screw the valve backing plate into position. The valves must be screwed in hand-tight. A valve tool, can assist in tightening the valve. 15
Finding a Leak 1 3 2 4 The HazMat, Enviro and ProCom suits are some of the easiest drysuits to repair on the market. Our dry adhesive system makes patching the suit very simple with only a few tools needed. The first task is finding the hole(s). 1 What you need: mild soap, pop cans, water container or spray bottle, tank, regulator, twine, and chalk. 2 If your suit has the dry glove ring system on it just snap a pair of dry gloves over the rings and use either a pair of Glove Retention Rings or twine to hold the gloves on. If your suit does not have the rings, place a can in the wrist opening and tie with twine. 3 Gather neck seal and tie snug with twine. Rotate exhaust valve faceplate to closed position. 4 Insert inflate hose into inflate valve and inflate suit fully. 5 Pour soapy water or spray with soapy water over the suspected leak area. Mark areas where bubbles appear with chalk. 5a 5b 16
Repairing a Hole 1 2 3 4 5 6 Now that you have marked the leak with chalk you can proceed to repair the hole. 1 What you need: dry adhesive patch (available from your dealer), acetone, clean rag, hot air source (a heat gun), a pair of scissors and a hand roller. 2 Cut patch to desired size and shape. Round off any points. 3 Clean the area of the hole with acetone. Clean the dry adhesive on the patch with acetone. Repeat for both areas using liberal amounts of acetone each time. 4 Promptly apply patch over hole and press firmly. 5 Using a hot air source, apply heat to patch. Use extreme caution! Keep moving the heat around and do not focus it at any one point for an extended period of time (most heat guns need to be held at least 5" to 6" away). Roll patch with hand roller. Press patch firmly. Caution: Patch may be extremely hot! 6 Let patch cool for 15 minutes and inspect bond. Adhesive film should be bonded to both surfaces. If bond is not secure, repeat heat process and inspect bond again. 17
Changing Polytex Neck Seal and/or Hood 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 18
Replacing Wrist Seals, Neck Seal, & Hood If your suit is equipped with the Wrist Rings for dry gloves and the SLT (Seal Lock Technology) neck system then this is the easiest repair. A complete video is available on our website on how to change seals on both systems. As it is very possible you will be doing this in the field (without access to a computer) we suggest you review the video and practice it a head of time so you will feel comfortable doing it in the field. If your suit does not have either of the quick change systems we suggest you have your seals replaced by an authorized dealer. A complete list can be obtained on our website. 19
Aqua Lung Canada Ltd 6820 Kirkpatrick Crescent Saanichton, British Columbia V8M 1Z9 Canada t: 250.652.8554 f: 250.652.8553 www.aqualung.com/militaryandprofessional Version 8/2014