Wetsuit Repairs

Wetsuit tears are an inevitable and frustrating part of diving - The tear in this suit for example resulted in severe frostbite of the right buttock, a blind and traumatized dive buddy and rendered the scupper largely redundant.  Most tears however can be easily fixed at home if you use the right glue and technique.

Items Required:

Wetsuit glue

Brush

Step 1:

Thoroughly clean and dry the suit.Put a plastic bag behind the tear to prevent the glue from sticking the legs (or arms or whatever) together.

Step 2:

Using a brush (that is very important) spread a thin coat of glue to both sides of the tear.

If, like in this case, it is a very long tear it is better to do 5cm sections at a time.

Step 3:

  Hold the two sides apart and allow the glue to dry for 24 hours.

Step 4:

Apply a second coat of glue and let it dry for fifteen minutes.

Step 5:

Squeeze the two sides together and let it set for 24 hours before using.

Be vey careful when lining the sides up as the glue will bond instantly.

Step 6:

Pat yourself on the back.

Glue repairs are very strong and in most cases the glue will be stronger than the surrounding neoprene so it is very rare for a glued cut to reopen.