The drysuit zipper grease I ignored for years finally bit me

I spent the last 5 years using whatever cheap lube the shop had on hand, figured it was all the same. Last week in Port Townsend, I did a 40 foot wreck dive and the zipper seized up halfway through the seal. Water crept in slow, not a flood, but cold enough that my hands went numb before I got topside. Turns out the proper zipper wax has a specific viscosity that stops salt from grinding into the teeth, and the generic stuff just washes off in one dive. A guy on the dock, old timer, he told me back in 2018 to spend the $20 on the name brand stuff. I laughed it off. Now I've got a $400 repair bill and a damp wetsuit habit. Anyone else cheap out on small maintenance items and pay for it later?

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annaw731mo ago

Oh yes! Learned that same lesson with my boat trailer bearings last summer.

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dianahayes1mo ago

Ha! Bet I'd argue the opposite, @annaw73. If those bearings are greased right and kept clean, they'll outlast the trailer itself. Most folks just beat on them and blame the parts.

3