Hole in nearly new drysuit :(

[bamamedic]

So, evidently, I've worn a hole in my drysuit *sigh*

It's only about six months old, but I dive every weekend, so I guess it was inevitable. There's a faded wear spot on the right rear (kind of just above where you sit) of the suit, and a small hole worn through next to it. The left side is also showing signs of wear, but it hasn't developed a hole yet. I think it's from my backplate rubbing, but truthfully, I'm not quite sure.

I think I'm going to put all my gear on tomorrow, and have my husband see exactly what's rubbing on the suit and causing the wear. I tried using a dab of Aquaseal on the outside of the suit, but after a few dozen dives, the Aquaseal is peeling, and it's leaking again. Unfortunately, I can't easily repair it from the inside, because the suspender is mounted on the inside of the suit, exactly right where the hole is.

Was thinking of sending it to Steve Gamble and having him repair the hole and put a Kevlar patch over the entire worn area; does anyone else have any other ideas? Maybe a backplate pad or something? Has anyone else had this happen to their suit?

 

[H2Andy]

i second Gamble

talk to him and see if he can suggest a remedy in addition to the patch

btw, there's no such thing as a drysuit

 

[helimvee]

Out of curiosity, what brand/model is it?

 

[Jeff Toorish]

Are all or most of your dives from the same location? A specific boat for example? I'm just trying to determine if there is some external factor, aside from your backplate that may be causing the wear.

By the same token, it sounds like the suspender bracket may be part of the problem.

What kind of suit is it?

Jeff

 

[bamamedic]

Out of curiosity, what brand/model is it?

It's a DUI TLS SE...same material as the front zip TLS350, just in a "budget friendly" backzip version.

 

[bamamedic]

Are all or most of your dives from the same location? A specific boat for example? I'm just trying to determine if there is some external factor, aside from your backplate that may be causing the wear.

By the same token, it sounds like the suspender bracket may be part of the problem.

What kind of suit is it?

Jeff

A good chunk of my dives are at a nearby quarry. They have wooden tank racks...but I don't think the rear of my drysuit is in contact with the tank rack long enough to wear a hole in it.

I do think the suspender bracket isn't helping...because the hole is directly over the suspender bracket on the right, and there's a similar wear spot over the same bracket on the left side as well. It's a very small hole, and it looked like it was formed just over a small "bubble" in the material. There's also a faded portion (about 3 inches by 3 inches) of the drysuit that's just above the actual hole, but it seems unrelated.

 

[bamamedic]

i second Gamble

talk to him and see if he can suggest a remedy in addition to the patch

btw, there's no such thing as a drysuit

I'll agree with that one! First, I over trimmed the neck seal....had to replace it and try again. But I'm stubborn, so I was going to get at least some use of it....just dealt with having a wet chest for about 4 months

The wrist seals constantly leak a little bit...I blame my wrists...prominent tendons. Ugh.

Finally, the "butt" leak has been driving me nuts! At first, it was so minor that I thought it might be condensation....then, gradually, it got worse and worse. It's still just a bit of dampness; not enough to need to wring out my undergarments. But it still drives me batty.

 

[Mark Michaud SELAUSAR]

Go to wal mart and find the boating section. Buy a tube of 3m marine 4200 or 5200. There is clear and white as well as slow and quick dry. This will patch the hole without having to use a patch. Aquaseal is not very good and seldom holds for more than a year. When you patch it, use a plastic spreader (old credit card, plastic trowel, whatever you can find) and make it about one inch around the hole. You will be happy with the results. BTW try not to get it on your hands as it is a pain to clean.
This stuff has been patching my drysuits, and other things for about 10 years now.

 

[bamamedic]

Woot! Thank you...I'll be sure to try it. Hopefully, I'll have a nice and dry Full Cave class

 

[tstormdiver]

My TLS 350 developed some leaks during my cave class. In fact, I had 3 leaks on the left side by the time we were heading home. It was barely over a year old, but I've got close to 200 dives in it. The worst leak was the sock booties of the suit. I was prepared for that. I had completely worn out the insoles of the rock boots & could see the wear on the booties developing. I sent the suit into DUI & had the booties replaced & got some slip- in insoles for the rock boots. The next leak was the exhaust valve. Somehow I had gotten sand in the valve membrane (darned sand gets into everything). My instructor & I took the valve apart, cleaned it out & replaced it. The third leak was in the left sleeve. It was tiny, so I used some Aqua Seal to patch it. Unfortunately the sleeve still leaked on occasion. I recently found a pin hole in the seal. I've temporarily patched it & will be replacing the seals very soon. I haven't had any rub holes in it just yet, but I can see some area of stress here & there. I will probably be looking at another suit in a year or 2 & use the current one as a back- up. Don't feel bad. Like you, I use my drysuit almost all the time in the quarries, also. I'm very tough on my equipment & it seems I'm constantly repairing this or that.