How to patch a wetsuit tear

It can take a while to find them on a black wetsuit. Apply the Aquaseal NEO onto both sides of the tear. Let the cement dry for five minutes.

Apply a second coat of the adhesive and let dry for 10 minutes. Once the second coat has dried, press the two pieces together and let them cure for minutes. Once the adhesive has completely cured this should take hours , remove the tape and use gear as you normally would. Recommended Products. Please enable JavaScript in your browser to experience all the custom features of our site. Got it. Same as the patch. Smear it on a larger area than you think is necessary. Be extra generous with the fabric areas.

Let it dry well before sticking the patch to it. The directions give a range of times. Use the long time. Don't worry, If it doesn't stick well you can try again. Press it down hard. Make sure all the glue molecules on both surfaces get really intimate with each other.

You're done. Enjoy your non-perforated wetsuit. If the patch is in a really hardworking area like the wrist, ankle, or crotch, you can sew the fabric edge of the patch to the fabric edge of the hole. Don't poke all the way through the wetsuit. Just sew the surface cloth together. Any kind of stitch is fine: baseball, frankenstein, whipstitch are all good methods. Coached by Kenny Jensen, Caglar Girit tries out the new suit while riding a human-powered ornithopter hydrofoil in the Oakland Channel.

To see more details check out the Aquaskipper Instructable The suit works great, and is good thing to have around. Now no-one can say "but the water's too cold" or "I don't have a wetsuit" I don't suppose I'll rely on it for my abandon-ship bag.

It would be too embarrassing to be found dead in a suit with "condemned" written on it. I've done repairs like this on neoprene waders as well, using duck canvas coated in weldwood contact cement though because it's what I had. Haven't had any leaks yet! Reply 12 years ago on Introduction. Yeah it should work as long as you allow the glue to set thoroughly and perhaps under a bit of pressure to get the air bubbles out.

I patched up my old 5mm neoprene suit like this but if its a membrane suit you may have to ask a diving shop or something. For many repairs, you can avoid stitching by gluing a piece of nylon knit over the entire patch.

For small stuff, no patch is required; just glue the neoprene together. Nice job though the suit model looks a bit dorky. I have made many repairs to my neoprene waders, but nothing involving making a patch, just using wader repair goop. If I ever tear my waders a new one, this will come in handy. Underwater barbed wire is my favorite way to create a rip to practice repairing. I would also recommend scuffing up the neoprene rubber and cleaning it before applying the glue.

My repairs have been consistently better after I have done this. That suit is an 'immersion suit', or what was once called a 'survival suit'. Judging by the foot, it was made by Imperial. It's Coast Guard approved as a personal flotation device. I have learned that wetsuit glue is extremely sticky.

I definitely recommend using some cheap disposable gloves while working with it. However, sometimes the smaller tubes only have a one-time use.

This is because the top tends to permanently glue the container shut after the first use. Therefore, I suggest getting a container with a metal screw lid if you want to use the adhesive again in the future.

For example, Neoprene Cement. This container also includes an application brush. Alternatively, you can use a Neoprene Queen neoprene patch kit. The package includes a neoprene rubber patch and 2 small tubes of black contact adhesive.