Neck seal question
Neck seal question
Lately my neck seal has been giving me what feels like a raw red rash under my beard and looks like a hangmans rope burn. It's fairly painful for a few days then heals up enough to dive again, one dive generally doesn't cause a problem but after 2-3 it starts to bother me. It's an older Oneil neoprene but the seal appears fine and doesn't seem to have any bad spots that would cause the chaffing. Don't bother suggesting latex as I have a severe allergy to it... What I'm wondering is will vaseline or some other lubricant harm the neoprene or is there some type of product that will help because I REALLY don't want to go back to a wetsuit.... Any suggestions or advice would be most appreciated (except shaving off the beard, even my wife of 29 years has never seen my face nekkid)
-Alex-
"so in the interest of advising something...let's see..."the early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese!" -Eliseaboo
"so in the interest of advising something...let's see..."the early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese!" -Eliseaboo
Re: Neck seal question
KY jelly.......Alexitt wrote:Lately my neck seal has been giving me what feels like a raw red rash under my beard and looks like a hangmans rope burn. It's fairly painful for a few days then heals up enough to dive again, one dive generally doesn't cause a problem but after 2-3 it starts to bother me. It's an older Oneil neoprene but the seal appears fine and doesn't seem to have any bad spots that would cause the chaffing. Don't bother suggesting latex as I have a severe allergy to it... What I'm wondering is will vaseline or some other lubricant harm the neoprene or is there some type of product that will help because I REALLY don't want to go back to a wetsuit.... Any suggestions or advice would be most appreciated (except shaving off the beard, even my wife of 29 years has never seen my face nekkid)
-Ron T.
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"When I'm 80 I'll take up real diving, which is done in a pub..." Ray Ives.
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My Dive Pics...
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Re: Neck seal question
or seal saver if you could find it, i went to 3 shops and didnt see any.
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Re: Neck seal question
You could try the Apollo Bioseal It's a silicone ring you put around your neck to prevent the seal form coming in contact with your neck. Vaseline or any petroleum product cannot be used on neoprene or latex for that mater.
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Re: Neck seal question
Thanks... I could probably find some ky around here somewhere... Do any of the shops up north here carry the bioseal? or is it something best ordered online? And I figured the petroleum based products probably weren't a good idea but I had to ask just in case I was wrong...
-Alex-
"so in the interest of advising something...let's see..."the early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese!" -Eliseaboo
"so in the interest of advising something...let's see..."the early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese!" -Eliseaboo
Re: Neck seal question
owwie like this? try lots of baby powder or KY jelly, and sooner or later you'll get a gorgeous callus on your neck like mine
and i don't have a beard to hide it under!
and i don't have a beard to hide it under!
The student was ready.
it's nice to have low expectations, sometimes - lcf
I said keep going, not start whining -airsix
it's nice to have low expectations, sometimes - lcf
I said keep going, not start whining -airsix
Re: Neck seal question
Good to know (about not having a beard).....Blaiz wrote:owwie like this? try lots of baby powder or KY jelly, and sooner or later you'll get a gorgeous callus on your neck like mine
and i don't have a beard to hide it under!
-Ron T.
"When I'm 80 I'll take up real diving, which is done in a pub..." Ray Ives.
253-227-0856
My Dive Pics...
https://www.facebook.com/RETOPPPHOTOGRAPHY
"When I'm 80 I'll take up real diving, which is done in a pub..." Ray Ives.
253-227-0856
My Dive Pics...
https://www.facebook.com/RETOPPPHOTOGRAPHY
Re: Neck seal question
yup... that's what my tweezers are for!cardiver wrote:Good to know (about not having a beard).....Blaiz wrote:owwie like this? try lots of baby powder or KY jelly, and sooner or later you'll get a gorgeous callus on your neck like mine
and i don't have a beard to hide it under!
The student was ready.
it's nice to have low expectations, sometimes - lcf
I said keep going, not start whining -airsix
it's nice to have low expectations, sometimes - lcf
I said keep going, not start whining -airsix
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Re: Neck seal question
You may have an allergy to latex. You could also replace the latex seal with a neoprene seal.
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Re: Neck seal question
I am allergic to latex (let the jokes begin). I confirmed it with a blood test. For some reason, neoprene seals irritate my neck more than latex ones do. Anything rubber-like is likely to irritate me though (let the jokes continue....)
Re: Neck seal question
The Underwater Sports at 104th and Aurora has bioseals. They work quite nicely under neoprene seals, even though they feel like a nasty alien creature is wrapped around your neck.
Another suggestion would be Bag Balm. I use it under my latex seal when I get seal burns.
Another suggestion would be Bag Balm. I use it under my latex seal when I get seal burns.
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Re: Neck seal question
I used to use conditioner to help keep my neck from getting a rash.
I recently switched to body glide (http://www.bodyglide.com/#/products/anti-chafe). It is made for runners and triathletes and looks something like a clear deodorant stick. So far it seems to work well. It is less messy than conditioner and seems plenty slippery. If you have a local running or triathlon store you might check for it there.
I recently switched to body glide (http://www.bodyglide.com/#/products/anti-chafe). It is made for runners and triathletes and looks something like a clear deodorant stick. So far it seems to work well. It is less messy than conditioner and seems plenty slippery. If you have a local running or triathlon store you might check for it there.
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Re: Neck seal question
I guess the first question I'd ask is, what changed? Have you gained or lost weight? Changed the way you trim your beard? Has to be some reason for this problem to suddenly arise - maybe you can isolate it and address it directly.Alexitt wrote:Lately my neck seal has been giving me what feels like a raw red rash under my beard
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Re: Neck seal question
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Re: Neck seal question
A bio seal will eat your neckseal up in pretty short order. And neo seals are sorta spendy to put on and you'll be giving your suit up for a while to get it done. Who asked "what changed?" That's where you should start. This is the first time I've heard of this kind of thing while using a neoprene neck seal though.... Hmmmm... Most of the people I've known who've had this problem (myself included) have solved it by A) switching to Seal Saver (if you can't find it PM me... Our shop has TON'S) and/or B) (this cured it for me) makeing sure their hoods neck did not fit so tight it wouldn't allow the neck seal to move under it, making it drag across the neck every time they/I turned their/my head.
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Re: Neck seal question
One question and one suggestion....Alexitt wrote:Lately my neck seal has been giving me what feels like a raw red rash under my beard and looks like a hangmans rope burn. It's fairly painful for a few days then heals up enough to dive again, one dive generally doesn't cause a problem but after 2-3 it starts to bother me. It's an older Oneil neoprene but the seal appears fine and doesn't seem to have any bad spots that would cause the chaffing. Don't bother suggesting latex as I have a severe allergy to it... What I'm wondering is will vaseline or some other lubricant harm the neoprene or is there some type of product that will help because I REALLY don't want to go back to a wetsuit.... Any suggestions or advice would be most appreciated (except shaving off the beard, even my wife of 29 years has never seen my face nekkid)
Question: Have you lately been diving with more than one buddy at a time? The reason I ask this is because with more than one buddy divers find themselves in the situation in which they are see-sawing their head right and left in an effort to maintain visual contact with all of their team-mates. I find that if I dive with one buddy this problem does not arise. If I dive with more than one I will inevitably get the beginnings of a rash such as you describe from moving my head back and forth. Your "new" issue just might be that simple.
Suggestion: Drop in at REI and pick up a small can of "Body Glide". Bike racers use it to protect their inner thighs from friction, and it will do the same thing for your neck. It rolls on much like a deoderant and will not harm your neck seal. You need to remember to put it on BEFORE the dive, since once the rash starts it is too late.
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Re: Neck seal question
“Don’t pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he’ll just kill you."
I just read that for the first time.... That's hilarious! Made me laugh for the first time today! Thanks!!!!!
That's an interesting observation about the team configuration and moving ones head more.... Nice!
I just read that for the first time.... That's hilarious! Made me laugh for the first time today! Thanks!!!!!
That's an interesting observation about the team configuration and moving ones head more.... Nice!
Ripper of drysuits, mocker of divers...there are no atheist divers in a mistimed Deception Pass dive. Jeremy
Re: Neck seal question
+1 for seal saver. I had dives where this was becoming an issue and since I have been shown this it has changed everything. Just before slipping my head through I put some on my finger and just lube the inside of the neck seal along the top and about 1.5 inches in depth. Make sure to get good coverage. Also make sure you are rinsing your suit well; I believe salt crystals will chew the hell out of your neck regardless.
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Re: Neck seal question
I think I have correlated my neck seal rash/abrasion with extended surface intervals where my neck dried out and salt crystals chafed my neck.
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Re: Neck seal question
Oh boy, I can just hear the jokes now when you bust out the CostCo size of KY at the dive site. Along those lines, any latex-safe personal lubricant would work. But how will this effect the integrity of the seal to keep you dry during the dive?
I tried the powder to ease the donning of the wrist seals. What a mess.
I've never dove more than two days (2-3 dives per day) in my drysuit, and at that point I had a red line but it wasn't bad. Let's see what four days in the Channel Islands looks like.
I tried the powder to ease the donning of the wrist seals. What a mess.
I've never dove more than two days (2-3 dives per day) in my drysuit, and at that point I had a red line but it wasn't bad. Let's see what four days in the Channel Islands looks like.
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Re: Neck seal question
Actually now that you mention it I have been diving with 2-3 others more often than not lately, strangely enough right around the time this irritation started so that makes a lot of sense... And I'll take that suggestion of the "Body glide" that sounds like just the ticket and see how it works. I wasn't too keen on the idea of gels or another layer around my neck like the Bioseal. Thanks Everyone for the suggestions!!John Rawlings wrote:
One question and one suggestion....
Question: Have you lately been diving with more than one buddy at a time? The reason I ask this is because with more than one buddy divers find themselves in the situation in which they are see-sawing their head right and left in an effort to maintain visual contact with all of their team-mates. I find that if I dive with one buddy this problem does not arise. If I dive with more than one I will inevitably get the beginnings of a rash such as you describe from moving my head back and forth. Your "new" issue just might be that simple.
Suggestion: Drop in at REI and pick up a small can of "Body Glide". Bike racers use it to protect their inner thighs from friction, and it will do the same thing for your neck. It rolls on much like a deoderant and will not harm your neck seal. You need to remember to put it on BEFORE the dive, since once the rash starts it is too late.
- John
Oh, and I too love your sig line... So true, so true...
-Alex-
"so in the interest of advising something...let's see..."the early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese!" -Eliseaboo
"so in the interest of advising something...let's see..."the early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese!" -Eliseaboo
Re: Neck seal question
Oww!!Blaiz wrote:yup... that's what my tweezers are for!cardiver wrote:Good to know (about not having a beard).....Blaiz wrote:owwie like this? try lots of baby powder or KY jelly, and sooner or later you'll get a gorgeous callus on your neck like mine
and i don't have a beard to hide it under!
-Alex-
"so in the interest of advising something...let's see..."the early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese!" -Eliseaboo
"so in the interest of advising something...let's see..."the early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese!" -Eliseaboo
Re: Neck seal question
What do you use for a neck seal then? The dui zipseal with silicone seals?Tangfish wrote:I am allergic to latex (let the jokes begin). I confirmed it with a blood test. For some reason, neoprene seals irritate my neck more than latex ones do. Anything rubber-like is likely to irritate me though (let the jokes continue....)
Re: Neck seal question
I've used Body Glide under my triathlon wetsuit and it works well to prevent chaffing. But I hear that many deodorant sticks will work just as well. Maybe you can save yourself some hassles and some $$. Wait a minute - I'm an REI member and I get dividends - Body Glide is the only answer - slather it on before every dive! Tell all your friends about it!Alexitt wrote: Actually now that you mention it I have been diving with 2-3 others more often than not lately, strangely enough right around the time this irritation started so that makes a lot of sense... And I'll take that suggestion of the "Body glide" that sounds like just the ticket and see how it works.
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Re: Neck seal question
Yeah....that realization "dawned" on me one day after a few days diving with a couple of friends, one of whom had a reall "talent" for straying. I spent so much time twirling my head around looking for him that I felt like Linda Blair! I also ended up with a neck rash.Alexitt wrote:Actually now that you mention it I have been diving with 2-3 others more often than not lately, strangely enough right around the time this irritation started so that makes a lot of sense... And I'll take that suggestion of the "Body glide" that sounds like just the ticket and see how it works. I wasn't too keen on the idea of gels or another layer around my neck like the Bioseal. Thanks Everyone for the suggestions!!John Rawlings wrote:
One question and one suggestion....
Question: Have you lately been diving with more than one buddy at a time? The reason I ask this is because with more than one buddy divers find themselves in the situation in which they are see-sawing their head right and left in an effort to maintain visual contact with all of their team-mates. I find that if I dive with one buddy this problem does not arise. If I dive with more than one I will inevitably get the beginnings of a rash such as you describe from moving my head back and forth. Your "new" issue just might be that simple.
Suggestion: Drop in at REI and pick up a small can of "Body Glide". Bike racers use it to protect their inner thighs from friction, and it will do the same thing for your neck. It rolls on much like a deoderant and will not harm your neck seal. You need to remember to put it on BEFORE the dive, since once the rash starts it is too late.
- John
Oh, and I too love your sig line... So true, so true...
The following week I dived with just one buddy and....voila! No rash!
- John
“Don’t pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he’ll just kill you.”
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