Re: [Paddlewise] Chlorine and Neoprene Sprayskirts

Coated nylon and neoprene are not immune to the effects of
chlorine (actually hypochlorite) which is a strong oxidizing
agent. Maybe the differences are:

a) Coated nylon skirts use a thin layer of adhered waterproofing,
and might experience loss of waterproofness more quickly owing to
the (lack of) thickness of the waterproof film.

b) Neoprene is thicker, and chlorine-induced degradation on the
surface may not be immediately evident, especially with a nylon
skin.  Also, neoprene is not a single chemical entity, but is
rather a generic designation for a natural rubber made of
polychloroprene, which can be co-polymerized with other chemicals
to provide different physical properties.  If oxidative stability
is a goal of the polymer design, then it probably can be
achieved - perhaps at the expense of other physical properties.
Steve's testimony indicates that neoprene used for spray skirts
degrades on exposure to chlorine.  Maybe the manufacturer of
Mike's skirt uses a different neoprene formulation.

c) Neoprene used in diving suits doesn't need to be as stretchy,
and might be formulated differently - or it may be that the
degradative effects of chlorine aren't as noticeable in
unstretched neoprene.

IIRC, the neoprene molecule exists in a coiled shape, and owes
it's stretchiness to the uncoiling of the molecule under stress
(natural/latex rubber behaves in similar fashion and has the
*best* stretchy characteristics, but has less durability towards
chemicals and the environment).

Don't use your good skirt in the pool!

Erik Sprenne


Michael Daly" <michaeldaly_at_home.com> wrote:
>>> On the other hand, when I asked my scuba instructor years ago
how the chlorine affected his wetsuit, he said (after years of
teaching and using the a wetsuit over and over in the pool) that
it doesn't affect it much other than to bleach the nylon outer
layer. If, as Dave K. has said, the chlorine does eat the
neoprene, it seems to take a long time.<<<

To which Steve Cramer <cramer_at_coe.uga.edu> responded:
>>> Judging from the skirts the University WW Club has been using
for roll practice, less than 2 yrs of 25-30 times a year pool
practice (2 hours) results in noticeable weakening of the
neoprene, but little fading. I keep telling them to rinse
afterwards, but....<<<

And Mike <michaeldaly_at_home.com> commented further:
>>> I wonder if the use (rolling, rescue etc) leads to more abuse
than regular paddling. This also may reflect the difference in
the chemicals (type and concentration) used in the pools.
I have two nominally identical skirts, one of which I use in the
pool, the other only on fresh water (Both Trailhead logo, made by
Brooks). I do rinse the pool one most of the time. The fresh
water skirt is two years newer than the pool skirt. There is only
a slight difference in fading (leading to the assumption that the
sun accounts for most of it) and no difference in the integrity
of the neoprene. <<<








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