7mm neck tear - 2" chunk - sew or glue?

[wheeledgoat]

I bought a little tube of Aquaseal at the LDS but now that I'm sitting down to do it, I'm realizing the 2" piece that tore out of the neck contracted a lot, and is smaller than the hole it left. Better to sew maybe? (I hope not), or just go at it with Aquaseal? Never used the stuff before...

20201001_182829

• wheeledgoat
• Oct 1, 2020

2" neck tear wetsuit 7mm

 

[rob.mwpropane]

I would use aquaseal. No matter what, you're going to tell there was work done there. I guess I would aquaseal the tear and get it to stick and then layer more on the inside than outside, but you'll still have to layer the outside some too.

You can always tape of the seam with painter's tape so you don't get it everywhere. Wouldn't hurt to add a layer on both parts, let sit for 10 min and then layer again and glue. Aquaseal is pretty sticky, wear gloves and prep a lot more than you think you should. Once you get rolling no turning back.

Good luck.

 

[apenland01]

I would think it's a case of the hole expanded after the stress of the torn piece was removed. I would seal the flat edge and bottom, stopping at the beginning of the white curved part. Let it cure up, then pull the curved white edge together and seal it. You may have to clip it with something to minimize the gapping, but it should work fine.

 

[JBFG]

I would do the opposite. Loose stitch to close the gap abs aqua seal the seams after.

 

[chris kippax]

For me that suit is junk, what brand is it so I can avoid in future?

 

[wheeledgoat]

Thanks for the advice! I'm afraid my sewing skills may prove to be more hindrance than help, so since there seems to be some consensus on an Aquaseal-only approach, I'm going that way. Thanks for the reminder about adequate prep. Will post results.

So far as brand, I'm all about full honesty and disclosure but I'm hesitant to share because I consider this fully my fault. I was being lazy taking it off and pulled far harder on the collar than I should have.

 

[rob.mwpropane]

Thanks for the advice! I'm afraid my sewing skills may prove to be more hindrance than help, so since there seems to be some consensus on an Aquaseal-only approach, I'm going that way. Thanks for the reminder about adequate prep. Will post results.

So far as brand, I'm all about full honesty and disclosure but I'm hesitant to share because I consider this fully my fault. I was being lazy taking it off and pulled far harder on the collar than I should have.

Don't feel bad, I've ripped brand new neoprene wrist seals on my drysuit. It happens.

Just remember to cover the rest of the suit with an old towel or something so you don't get aquaseal splatter everywhere.

 

[gryan315]

Are you using aquaseal FD or Neo? This is a job for aquaseal Neo contact cement, which bonds neoprene rubber together like it was never torn. Put a very light coat on the mating face of both surfaces, let dry for about 10-15 minutes, then repeat. For the third coat, let it dry for about 5 minutes, then press the mating faces together, pinching along both sides of the seam along the entire length. Allow to cure for at least 1 hour. If you'd like to make it even stronger, you could then run a bead of aquaseal FD along the outside of the seam as well, probably 2 coats since the first will get absorbed into the fabric. Note that aquaseal FD is much less flexible than the neoprene, so don't use it anywhere that needs to stretch.

 

[hilljo88]

This is the kind of piece meal fix I have tried in other circumstances with poor results. If the neck seal material is brittle enough to tear off this piece, there is a high probability that you will either pull off the repaired piece again, or break off the area you attach it to. If you really love the suit then how about looking for a full replacement neck seal and find someone to properly stitch it in? Having your suit flood with cold water is the kind of equipment failure that in the worst case can compound to catastrophic results.

 

[scubadada]

I would limit the Aquaseal to the torn edges and the outside of the wetsuit to avoid the neck irritation from having it on the inside. I once repaired a tear near the zipper and it ended up being quite abrasive on my neck.