West Marine zipper seizing

by Ed Klein
(Long Island, NY, USA)

I am in the process of returning or replacing a 5 year old marine jacket because the zippers have frozen up. I am a recreational sailor and have occasionally gotten the jacket and zipper wet while sailing in salt water. This season several of the zippers have frozen for the first time , and despite using liquid wrench and sail kote (a dry lubricant) the zippers are still stuck. Do you have a suggestion for freeing the zippers? And if I upgrade to a new jacket what zippers do I look for? The name brands often boast of YKK, so is that the gold standard?
Thank you. Ed Klein, New York.

If saltwater gets on the zipper it will corrod. If you can, rinse the salt off the zipper, otherwise you might try zippy cool or bees knees zipper lubricate. That is about the best that can be done for your zippers. Keep them clean and lubricated and replace them when needed.

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