Gasket Protection: Seal Saver vs 303

[kevohudd]

If you have ever paddled with me you know the sun is not my friend. I must apply sunscreen but hear it will damage the gaskets of a dry top.

Will sunscreen damage the gaskets? If so, what should you do?

Has anyone used Seal Saver or 303? Which is better, I am also open to other products? Does anything work?

Any help/advice is greatly appreciated.

[Cowper]

Neither product can protect the gaskets from sunscreen.

Kokatat now recommends 303 - I don't know if seal saver is "bad", or just that 303 is better; that would be worth a call to find out. I have a vague memory that years ago someone told me the seal saver is almost "too good" and makes the seal soft.

It's been many years since I ruined a seal with sunscreen; it's all about being very careful. Here are some of the things I do; it is not any one thing, it is the combination that saves the day:

1) When weather permits, wear something other than the drysuit. (Duh. Sorry if this one is too easy, but it is true.) On summer trips, this is usually easy, and that's when you need the most screen. My long sleeve shirt (notice, I said "shirt", not "shirts") and boonie caps are well known and a source of constant amusement to the boating buddies who take me with them on western rafting trips. One Canyon, 18 days, one shirt, what's the problem?

2) Try not to use sunscreen on your hands. Wear lightweight gloves instead. With some searching, you can find some that improve your grip instead of hindering it. You just saved the wrist gaskets. All the gloves from places like NRS seem to be too slippery on the paddle for me; right now I'm using thin neoprene gloves from Glacier Gloves in cold water, and some nitrile-coated gloves I found at Lowe's when the water is warm enough for it. Those are downright "sticky" on the paddle.

3) Wear a full coverage helmet. You just protected your ears, with no screen.

4) AFTER you have the suit on, very carefully apply sunscreen to your nose and cheeks. Don't put any on your neck, and don't put it on thick enough that it will run down or be carried down by sweat towards your neck.

5) Wash residual screen off your hands. Later, when you remove the suit, as you take off the neck gasket, slide your fingers between it and your face so that it doesn't rub across the areas that have sunscreen.

6) If you detect any "gummy" areas developing on your gaskets, then you have failed, and the gasket is going to get worse. Replace it before you go on any multi-day or "once in a lifetime" type trips!

7) Consider whether you can get one of those "semi-dry" type neck gaskets that doesn't use latex on your next suit. If you are doing a lot of playboating and are upside down a lot, then that might not be a good answer, but for most the seal is more than good enough to protect you.

[Don Harwood]

As always, great advice from Cowper! I use 303 most of the time about once a month. But I use Seal Saver every once in a while instead of 303, probably about every sixth month. I've had very good performance out of that combination. I talked to a couple of pro's and a guy from Kokatat and they all recommended doing it about once a month whether you use the dry wear or not. They can actually get dry rot just hanging in your closet if not used at all, unless you put 303 on them occassionally.

[justin.payne]

If you were running the sh*t, you wouldnt be worried about sunscreen.

[kevohudd]

Stay in the CO...you are no longer welcome on this site.