Shelled out $600 for a drysuit zipper replacement and it was a nightmare

I thought I was being smart paying a professional shop in Norfolk to swap out my zipper last winter. They quoted me $350 for the job plus parts, but after shipping and some extra fees it hit $600. Got the suit back and the new zipper leaked on my third dive off a bridge repair barge. Water just trickled right through the seal near the neck. Turns out they didn't seat the gasket right and it was a total waste of money. Had to send it back to a different guy in Seattle who actually knows drysuits and he fixed it for $200 flat. Anyone else get burned by a shop that claims they know what they're doing with commercial gear?

2 comments

2 Comments

gibson.robert22d ago

Man I read about this happening to a guy up in Alaska who paid big money for a zipper job and it failed on him during a king crab season. That stuff drives me crazy lol. Sounds like the Norfolk shop just rushed it and didn't care about the gasket seating at all.

the_daniel22d ago

Yeah that sounds about right for a shop that probably does more recreational rec stuff than actual commercial work. I swear some places just slap a zipper in and hope for the best. At least the Seattle guy actually knew what he was doing, so you got off easier than some people do.