As I was trying to figure out how to fix a small tear on my wetsuit, i stumbled across this product at my local surf shop: Aquaseal Urethane Repair Adhesive. Some of you might already know this and probably other brands of neoprene-compatible glue. I just had really great results with it: Very strong bond and clean repair. I applied a small amount with the help of a few toothpicks on each side of the tear, then close the tear by laying the suit in a way that avoids tension on the neoprene. The repair is as flexible as any of the original glued stitches.
Anyhow, hope this helps someone...
How to fix a tear in a wetsuit
6 years 3 months ago #2
I did use it before, but found 2 major drawbacks so I switched to the neoprene cement from the same brand. Aquaseal tends to harden fast inside the tube and then its hard to remove the cap even when I keep it in the freezer. Also it is not flexible enough and the neoprene starts to crack around the repair after a while, at least the skin type neoprene all my wetsuits are made of. I have no such issues with the Mcnett ruber cement.
How to fix a tear in a wetsuit
6 years 3 months ago #3
Also it is not flexible enough and the neoprene starts to crack around the repair after a while, at least the skin type neoprene all my wetsuits are made of.
Thanks for your tip Ady.
My repair is holding pretty well after a couple of months. So far so good! Time will tell.
How to fix a tear in a wetsuit
6 years 3 months ago #4
The Seal Cement is the way to go. I take issue with the label saying "quick fix." Anything but quick fix. Apply to surfaces 2X, waiting to dry 5-10 minutes between each application, then pressing together, holding, waiting a couple of hours. I get lazy, apply a lot only once, blow on it a lot for 5 minutes til it looks slightly dull, then press together. It really melts the 2 edges together nicely. At end of season I spend an hour looking over suit, fixing seams that are beginning to separate and little fingernail gouges. You can do pretty ambitious repair, even replace a small area of neoprene with a patch, gluing it on each edge to the open area.