my dreads don't absorb water in the tightest places either actually so I support pat's superdread theory
i think, and i have said this in previous threads. it has to do with fluid dynamics. the parts closest to my roots, where they are the tightest, don't seem to absorb water. but i think it has to do with the surface area available at the tips for the water molecules to bond back together. hydrogen bonds. strong shit.
i dont have dreads, but i have long hair and didnt wash it for a couple of years, and i reckon it suffered because it wasnt hydrated as much as anything, i mean its gets oily but its so different after being watered, like a plant lol.
who gives a fuck if the actual dread or the tightest part of the dread doesn't soak up water. it's your scalp that needs washing! not washing your scalp is like not washing your face. rank.