Hi all wondering what people use to repair the small cuts nicks in wetsuits.
I'm using a 4/3 ripcurl fbomb heatseeker over winter. A great warm suit but everything I take it on and off I seem to get a small tears in the smooth rubber part where my fingers grab to pull it on and off. I would normally use aquaseal but the newer UV activated one doesn't seem to work last very long. Black sikaflex seems to work OK to.
What do other people use?
Selleys multi grip is suitable for small repairs and I believe even their normal contact glue could work
www.selleys.com.au/products/adhesives/minor-repairs/selleys-fix-and-go-multi-grip/
Ive found the specific things like neorez look nice as they're clear but eventually peel away and yellow in the sun so hmmmm
If you dont mind ugly, Kwik Grip all the way. The good stinky yellow one not waterbased or clear
Select to expand quoteMark _australia said..
If you dont mind ugly, Kwik Grip all the way. The good stinky yellow one not waterbased or clear
100% on the old stinky one. Look for "MEK" in the ingredients (Methyl Ethyl Ketone), which is also incredibly toxic to humans... but man that glue is good stuff!
Select to expand quotenebbian said..Mark _australia said..
If you dont mind ugly, Kwik Grip all the way. The good stinky yellow one not waterbased or clear
100% on the old stinky one. Look for "MEK" in the ingredients (Methyl Ethyl Ketone), which is also incredibly toxic to humans... but man that glue is good stuff!
For glue sniffers its top shelf 
I used uhu por glue on a small repair seemed to work ok.
Used it like a contact adhesive.
Black Shoe Goo works great and appears to be exactly the same in that way it worked compared to the wetsuit repair glue I purchased from a local dive shop. Shoe Goo available from skate shops, shoe repairers, Sportspower and Spotlight stores according to ebay
Apart from ShoeGoo and 3M 5200, which work ok, the biggest key, is to never touch the outside of your suit, or at least to never pull on it, especially if it's a smoothskin. If you kind of turn the suit almost inside out you can grab the inner, lined material to pull it over your feet, then work your way up pulling solely from the inside. Then basically do the same thing with the first arm (if it's a front-zip), and as much as possible with the second arm too.
Thanks for the feedback. I'll try some of these.
The ripcurl heatseeker is zipless which makes it more prone to damage
Select to expand quotedkeating said..
Thanks for the feedback. I'll try some of these.
The ripcurl heatseeker is zipless which makes it more prone to damage
I would also look at some of the super glues. They can be used to glue together broken O rings so they are very good with rubber. The best way would be to do so tests with the different glues on a scrap piece of wetsuit (if you have some spare).
Neoprene is a strange beast its hardness is similar to a relevant EVA pr PU foam but it absorbs a lot i.e its open cell so don't use super glue, its rigid and wicks into the neoprene, sets and gives you a big patch of hard ridged sponge that just tears around its edge.The 3m5200 or Sika flex would be soft yes ok but again makes a big blob with a weak edge, quick grip or other MEK glues (shoe goo etc) work and are soft but bloody messy and ugly. Most surf shops sell set suit repair kits with a dedicated glue that is the Goldielocks not too stiff not to soft, just right, formula perfect for neoprene, and its black. The same as manufacturers use to glue wetsuits, stubby coolers etc etc. The iron-on patches do surprisingly well and last a lot longer than you would think, so protect the damage after the repair.
$25 bucks gets you a kit and is less than sika flex or 3m!
oceanandearth.com.au/products/surf-accessories-ultimate-wetsuit-repair-kit
PS plenty of you tube vids on repairs too....
I've done dozens of wetsuit repairs and modifications. For me the only product to use is a purpose built neoprene cement. I use Gear Aid Aquaseal Neo. I expect the other products like Black Witch would work as well.
I just buy it in the tube. With a little care you can apply it straight from the tube and get a very neat finish. The glue in the tube lasts for ages. I did buy a can of glue for a bigger job, but found the glue had gone off in the can after a couple of months.
Neoprene cement dries to a similar density to wetsuit neoprene. If you do it carefully you can't tell where the repair was done and it lasts well.
For major tears or wetsuit surgery (ie. cutting sections out and inserting new bits) use Neo around the edges then blind hand sew the edges. A simple running stitch (sewing over and over) works well. When you tension it the stitches all line up perfectly.
Never ever use any urethane glue. It dries hard and eventually peels off. I've tried silicone to redo the liquid taped seam sealing but the result looked a bit messy. I might give that another go.
Iron on patches work well but they're very expensive. You can buy iron on tape for redoing internal seams, but it's the stuff that is used on goretex jackets. It works ok but it doesn't look the seam and is not as stretchy as neoprene.
I don't think there is anything better than Aqua Seal, the black one is the best here is a link to it triggerbrothers.com.au/aquaseal-fd-repair-adhesive-75oz/
Tear Aid type A. Aesthetically not as nice as glues. Tape that if applied to clean surface adheres well, stretches with the neoprene, UV resistant, and waterproof. Do not use Type B. Simple and fast application. Wipe area with some rubbing alcohol, allow the area to dry, cut with rounded corners a piece of Type A ~2cm larger than the cut, press firmly onto surface. I've just let the patch cure overnight before using. Haven't had any peeling issues except for the one where I didn't round the corners. Even then it stayed attached and kept the cut sealed. Just collected grit at ~1-2mm exposed corners.
I've successfully made minor wetsuit repairs over the years using the techniques and products recommended by this wetsuit manufacturer.
They have some useful repair videos including how to fix finger gouges:
www.wetsuit.com/diy-wetsuit-repairs-care-warrantee
You can also find the Aquaseal+ Neo and seam tape on Amazon. I've used an iron-on seam tape to replace failing seams inside, and looks like new.
