Cutting excess off wetsuit legs

[Marie13]

The water is constant temp year round and it is chilly when doing longer dives. She is going cave diving, not to Cozumel.

I also have a greater cold tolerance than you do!

 

[Tracy]

I also have a greater cold tolerance than you do!

Everyone has a greater cold tolerance than me.

 

[Brodydog]

The water is constant temp year round and it is chilly when doing longer dives. She is going cave diving, not to Cozumel.

Aha, yes after a couple of days of reading comments I’d forgotten is was a cave class.

 

[Still Kicking]

I don’t see any need for glue at this point. The cut edge of the seam is holding. I’ll use it for 5 days in MX and then CCR pool session.

No need to glue the cut edges but you should run some stitches over the seam ends or add a dab of glue.

 

[Altamira]

I wish Terrapin had offered to do a “taper.” As I mentioned above, all they did was cut 2 inches or so off, and now they don’t seal. I sent my suit to Terrapin thinking they were the experts. I know nothing about suit alterations. I thought I was paying for knowledge. Terrapin apparently has the capability to do any kind of alteration, but I would advise caution in dealing with them. It’s not quite like going in to a tailor for bespoke alterations. Maybe next time, a fully custom suit.

I don't have any skin in the game as far as Terrapin Wetsuits is concerned, but I strongly disagree with your advice to avoid dealing with Terrapin. Sending your wetsuit to Chris is exactly like going to a tailor for bespoke alterations, and who can also can create a fully custom suit. I don't know what you told her to do on your wetsuit, but Chris installed arm and leg zippers in three of my four Bare wetsuits, and did a full alteration on two of them when I put on enough weight to change my wetsuit size from a Large Short to an XL Short. That alteration required addition of a variable width, tapered panel from armpit to ankle, which she glued and stitched. However, as with any tailored alteration, you do have to follow the directions, and supply the measurements that she requests on her website.

 

[johndiver999]

No need to glue the cut edges but you should run some stitches over the seam ends or add a dab of glue.

Even a few tiny drops of super glue on the end of the threads of the cut seam will be beneficial.

 

[Lorenzoid]

I don't have any skin in the game as far as Terrapin Wetsuits is concerned, but I strongly disagree with your advice to avoid dealing with Terrapin. Sending your wetsuit to Chris is exactly like going to a tailor for bespoke alterations, and who can also can create a fully custom suit. I don't know what you told her to do on your wetsuit, but Chris installed arm and leg zippers in three of my four Bare wetsuits, and did a full alteration on two of them when I put on enough weight to change my wetsuit size from a Large Short to an XL Short. That alteration required addition of a variable width, tapered panel from armpit to ankle, which she glued and stitched. However, as with any tailored alteration, you do have to follow the directions, and supply the measurements that she requests on her website.

I did not say “avoid dealing with Terrapin.” My words were “I would advise caution in dealing with them.“ In other words, don’t do what I did, which was to simply follow the directions on their website for measuring and marking to have arms and legs shortened. A tailor, in contrast, would measure me and make whatever alterations the tailor in their professional judgment believed would make the suit fit me correctly. If more than an inch or so is removed from a wetsuit, the arms and legs will not seal properly, I discovered. Call me naive, but that had not occurred to me. I trusted Terrapin would do whatever needed to be done. Nothing on their website mentioned tapering the arms and legs. They simply lopped off the ends where I had marked them.

 

[Stoo]

I need to cut off about 6”.

Have you considered growing? Seems a shame to chop a new suit...

 

[rob.mwpropane]

Well then cut away and like John pointed out if anything is used neoprene glue will work better, aquaseal can be very uncomfortable next to bare skin.

leave the suit behind after the class.

Why would the aquaseal be next to bare skin at the ankle? Wouldn't there be a boot there? I had envisioned just using 1/4" or so all the way around to prevent fraying... maybe the width of the finishing tape, but not against the skin.

Edit: I'm an idiot, I went back and looked and what I thought was aquaseal was really glue... sorry.

Either way it seems like she's all sorted out. Good luck on your trip @Marie13

 

[johndiver999]

It can be confusing, because the aquaseal brand actually makes aquaseal AND aquasel neoprene cement. The neoprene cement is wetsuit glue.

Aquaseal Neo Neoprene Contact Cement 1.5 fl. oz. (44 ml)

Don't let a wetsuit rip interrupt your fun. Fix it fast with Aquaseal Neo Neoprene Contact Cement. Aquaseal Neo Contact Cement waterproofs, seals and protects against abrasion for longer life. Aquaseal

www.scuba.com