How to Repair Wetsuits

If your scuba diving wet suit still has some life left in it, it is possible to repair some tears and gouges.

If a seam comes apart or you put a fingernail through the material (be careful!), you can usually fix these with no problem. You need to buy a neoprene glue or cement. You can usually find this at any good dive or surf shop or online. Commercial wet suit repair kits are also available in abundance online.

I have heard of people using the glue that is used to fix inner tubes for their wet suit repair. I have never tried this, so I can't comment on its effectiveness (or lack thereof).

The typical scenario to repair a wetsuit tear: First you fold the tear open so the two surfaces that need to adhere are exposed. You then put the wetsuit cement on the exposed surfaces and let it dry (only a couple of minutes). Then put the two surfaces together and press. You should be good to go.

Neoprene glue is flexible and will stretch with the suit. Aquaseal isn't quite as flexible and should be used where there isn't alot of strain on the repair.

Some tears can be sewn but you have to be careful about piercing the neoprene. You might also use a neoprene patch to cover the repair to make it more watertight. If you say pretty please, the dive shop might have a spare piece laying around that you can use if you don't have any available.

If you have a gouge and need to replace the neoprene, there are liquid fillers available. They are usually referred to as liquid silicon or liquid rubber. You fill up the gouge until level and let it dry. You can usually find liquid silicon for your wet suit repair in a dive or surf shop or a hardware store.

So there you have it, scuba diving wet suit repair. May all your scuba diving wetsuits last you for years to come.

*/reblogged from: http://scuba-diving-smiles.com