Blew $450 on a drysuit zipper repair that failed in 3 dives

I took my older DUI drysuit to a shop near Seattle for a new zipper. Paid $450 and got it back, but the zipper started leaking around the crotch area after just 3 shallow harbor dives. Took it back and they said it was installed wrong but wouldnt cover it under warranty. Anyone else get burned by a repair shop that didnt stand behind their work?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_paul1mo ago

Man I feel your pain on this one. I had a similar thing happen with a shop in Portland a few years back, paid a ton for a zipper swap on my old Fusion and it crapped out after 5 dives. What finally worked for me was going straight to the drysuit manufacturer and explaining the situation - they hooked me up with a repair shop they actually trusted and even gave me a discount on the redo. The original shop never admitted fault but I left bad reviews everywhere and warned local dive clubs about them. Sometimes you just have to cut your losses and find a place that cares about their reputation more than a quick buck.

ryanm601mo ago

Did you ever hear back from the manufacturer after that, or did they just fix the suit and send you on your way? I've been tempted to try that route myself but always worry it'll just get lost in their system.

martin.riley1mo ago

Yeah exactly, going straight to the top cuts through all the noise every time.