McNett

McNett and GearAid are the same brand. The company renamed, so the vendor here reads McNett while most product titles read GearAid — same tubes, same formulas. This is the care and repair side of diving: wet and dry suit shampoo, mask defog, seal conditioner, zip lubricants, silicone grease and Aquasure repair adhesive. A small range, each item doing one job on kit you already own.

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One brand, two names

McNett became GearAid. Nothing else changed: the tubes, the formulas and the product names all carried over. Our vendor field still reads McNett because that is how the range was first entered, while the products themselves are titled GearAid. If you came looking for one name and are seeing the other, you are in the right place — treat them as the same stocked brand, because they are.

Cleaning and conditioning

Suits

Wet & Dry Suit Shampoo is the job you do when you get home. It lifts salt, chlorine and organic residue such as algae and bacteria out of neoprene rather than leaving it to dry in, which is what keeps a suit supple and stops it turning. It is safe on drysuits and triathlon suits as well as wetsuits, and on booties and gloves, so one bottle covers most of what comes home wet.

Jackets and hardware

BCD Cleaner does the equivalent for a jacket. Silicone Protectant Pump Spray is the step after drying: safe on rubber, plastic, neoprene and vinyl, it restores suppleness and helps prevent the cracking and fading that come from sun and salt. It is a pump rather than an aerosol, which makes it easier to travel with.

Repair rather than replace

Aquasure is the repair adhesive most divers end up owning, and we stock it in three formats — a twin pack of small tubes, a mid-size tube and a large tube — so you can keep one in the save-a-dive kit and another on the bench at home.

Black Witch is the quicker option for neoprene. It is a contact cement that bonds neoprene, latex and rubber and cures to an elastic rubber, so a mended seam stretches with the suit instead of fighting it. It also brushes onto high-wear areas such as knees and elbows, and it seals watertight. Repair Tape is stocked here for patch jobs.

Zips, seals and O-rings

A drysuit zip is the part worth being fussy about. Zipper Stick lays down a dry lubricant that keeps a zip running and helps hold off the corrosion caused by salt, dirt and chlorine. It works on nylon, metal and coil zips, and the stick applicator keeps the lubricant where you want it and off everything else. Zipper Wax does the same job in wax form.

Seal Saver Conditioner is for the neck and wrist seals. Silicone Grease covers the rest — O-rings, regulator seals and mask frames — and is worth keeping in the same box as your spares rather than in a drawer at home.

A mask you can see out of

Sea Drops does two jobs at once: it cleans the lens and it stops it fogging. A drop treats a mask, the formula is alcohol-free and non-toxic, and it is safe on glass and plastic dive lenses without attacking silicone or rubber frames. It is not intended for swim goggles. Sea Buff and Sea Gold are stocked here as well.

Frequently asked questions

Is McNett the same brand as GearAid?

Yes. McNett renamed itself GearAid, and the products carried over unchanged. On this page the vendor still reads McNett because that is how the range was first entered into our catalogue, while most of the product titles read GearAid. If you were sent here looking for one name and are seeing the other, you are in the right place.

Which gear-care brands does Oyster Diving stock on this page?

One: McNett, which now trades as GearAid. Every item on this page is listed under the McNett vendor name, and most are titled GearAid. Treat the two names as the same stocked brand.

Which size of Aquasure should I buy?

We stock Aquasure repair adhesive in three formats: a twin pack of small tubes, a single mid-size tube, and a large tube. The twin pack suits a save-a-dive kit or a travel bag, where you want a fresh tube on hand rather than a part-used one. The mid-size tube covers most people doing the odd repair at home. The large tube is for clubs, schools and anyone maintaining several suits.

How should I wash a wetsuit or drysuit?

Use the GearAid Wet & Dry Suit Shampoo rather than household detergent. It is made to lift salt, chlorine and organic residue such as algae and bacteria out of neoprene, which is what keeps a suit supple and stops it turning. It is safe on drysuits and triathlon suits as well as wetsuits, and on booties and gloves, so one bottle covers most of what comes home wet.

How do I look after a drysuit zip and the seals?

The zip is the part worth being fussy about. GearAid Zipper Stick lays down a dry lubricant that keeps a zip running and helps hold off the corrosion caused by salt, dirt and chlorine; it works on nylon, metal and coil zips, and the stick applicator keeps the lubricant where you want it. Zipper Wax does the same job in wax form. Seal Saver Conditioner is for the neck and wrist seals, and Silicone Grease covers O-rings, regulator seals and mask frames.

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