Help Please! Drysuit latex next seal split - emergency temporary fixes?

[pinkpipefish]

Hello Clever People!
I have a bodyglove drysuit with latex seals (that I just bought...:depressed and the neck seal has split from the top about 3 inches down (it was second hand but in great condition). I really really want to dive it this weekend (4 dives) and am wondering if there are any temporary solutions I can use to get me through. I've called around and no one can professionally fix it in time (and the water is cold!). I've heard mention of bike tyre kits and surgical wound seals as potential options, and would very much appreciate any help on a good temporary fix (options, specific products, instructions, anything!). I'm new to drysuits so ANY advice would be great (even if it's that a temp fix is impossible...). It only needs to get me through 4 dives, as I'll send it off to get fixed after the weekend. Thanks to all in advance :blinking:

 

[Doppler]

Second skin and even duct tape may work in a pinch but every time you doff and don will be critical in the life expectancy of your fix... anyhow, good luck with it mate.

 

[Hickdive]

Buy the seal and adhesive and DIY. It isn't difficult and there are videos on youtube on how to do it.

Alternatively, some McNett Tenacious Tape might get you through four dives.

 

[pinkpipefish]

Thanks for these suggestions, I'll definitely see if I can get some of those products or have a go at replacing the seal. Much appreciated

 

[Peter_C]

As a new dry suit diver I would recommend not diving it until repaired as you might not be well enough prepared to deal with a flood.

Repairs are fairly easy and the parts can be overnighted if necessary.

 

[neonstingray]

You can change a neck seal yourself even the night before the dive, which I would trust over trying to reglue the seal. You may have trouble getting it to look factory-finish if it's your first time and the night before, but it really isn't hard to get a watertight seal at all. Get old seal off with hair dryer. Clean leftover glue with Cotol (which is basically a paint thinner), then roughen up surfaces with some sandpaper, then clean with alcohol. Stretch the neck area over something like a stool or bucket lid. Apply about 4 coats of cement to both the suit and seal, waiting about 5-10 minutes between each coat. Carefully apply seal to suit. You can push and pull along the seal after placing the glued parts together but try not to 'lift off' the seal as this can pull the glue away from one of the surfaces. Drysuit glue is contact cement (meaning you can use DAP contact cement from your local Home Depot or Lowes if the dive shop doesn't have it). Contact cement doesn't work like glue where you press things together and wait to dry. Instead you wait until both things you're gluing are tacky and no longer gooey, then press them together. The glued parts then form a bond.

Edit: Sorry, didn't realize the post was a week old and you said "this weekend."

 

[ajduplessis]

My backup plan is my semi-dry and hoodie. Don't rush anything and make sure you don't cut corners with repair/replace. it will only cost you more $$.

 

[TSandM]

I spent several days of a trip to LA years ago, futzing with a failing neck seal. You CAN duct tape yourself into the seal, but if you take the suit off, you'll finish off what's left of the seal.

Whether it's a good idea to try or not depends on how cold the water is. In LA, I was willing to take the risk, given that I had Puget Sound undergarments, and the water was almost 60 degrees at depth. In British Columbia, I'd sit out the dive. Hypothermia is too dangerous.

Replacing a neck seal requires that you have the proper glue for your suit type, and a correctly sized object to obturate the neck opening so the suit will lie flat. (A T-bottle works great for DUI suits.) You need a roller, or something else to smooth out the air bubbles, because that's criticial to getting a leak-free installation. It's not difficult, but it does have to be done right.