Due to an emergency exit on a barrier reef, I now have several holes in my TechLE skin and the bilaminate. What is the best way to repair the skin and holes in the bilaminate core?
How to repair holes in the Fusion
- Thread starter carrielsal
- Start date
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Whites sells a heat-activated patch kit for the core.
Me, I have Gorilla tape on the holes in mine. It has worked well and one patch is over a year old now.
Me, I have Gorilla tape on the holes in mine. It has worked well and one patch is over a year old now.
OP
I would never have thought about tape. I have several holes in the skin, found a tear near my p-valve in the bilaminate and would guess there are smaller pin holes with the way my suit was filling up with water last night.
Dogfish Doug
Contributor
Hey Carrie,
Our patch kits are super easy and very fast to use. Like TSandM mentioned all you have to do is size out the patch, apply over the hole, heat with a heat gun and you are ready to go. I also believe if you go onto our website or search on youtube you can find a couple of demo videos explaining the procedure. Hope this helps. If you have any more questions please drop us a line.
Thanks Doug.
Our patch kits are super easy and very fast to use. Like TSandM mentioned all you have to do is size out the patch, apply over the hole, heat with a heat gun and you are ready to go. I also believe if you go onto our website or search on youtube you can find a couple of demo videos explaining the procedure. Hope this helps. If you have any more questions please drop us a line.
Thanks Doug.
OP
I just got home. I may try the gorilla tape so I can dive on Wens, then use a proper patch kit. The largest tear was at the site of my p-valve where I think the edge of the valve inside was forced through the bilaminate. I think I'll want to re-enforce the whole site around the valve.
I have quite a few small puncture holes in the techLE skin. What's the best way to repair those?
The biggest problem I've had is that, although I have a number of local Whites dealers, NONE of them carries the patch kits. I could have some special-ordered, but patching holes is usually something I'm doing in the heat of the moment. Thus the tape.
I have the Sport skin which now has a few holes and runs in it. I ignore them. Holes in the skin have no functional significance for the suit.
I have the Sport skin which now has a few holes and runs in it. I ignore them. Holes in the skin have no functional significance for the suit.
I have about 2 years on my tech skin and it has acquired a few tiny holes in various wrecks and caves. I have found that Iron Mend works really well for patching the skin and the street price for a kit (enough for several repairs) is around $10.
Just use an iron to apply per the directions with a book or something between the skin and bladder. The Iron Mend material sticks well to both the neoprene and spandex portions of the skin, is stretchy and is a good color match on a black skin.
The Whites patches are rumored by Whites to work well. I would not know, as my experience has been exactly the same as Lynn's - I have yet to find a dealer that actually stocks them and I have yet to encounter a diver who has actually used them. All of the White's dealers I have asked have offerred to special order them - with a very nebulous delivery date in the 2-3 weeks plus range and a price around $45 for the kit. Personally, being asked to pay $45 for a patch kit when you paid $1400-$1800 for the suit is a bit of an insult and having to wait a minimum of 2-3 weeks takes even more of the appeal away from the deal.
Also, when I discover a leak, the odds are I will be 20 plus miles offshore or in the middle of the woods in North Florida with no heat gun within at least 20 miles. So the good news is that the inability to actually find a White's patch kit when you need one is no great loss as a heat activated patch kit would be pretty worthless anyway.
I have found Tear-Aid Type A works really well on the bladder. It is also an instant fix (that does not require heat) and works just as well on wing bladders, so it cuts down on the number of emergency items you need to keep on hand in the spares kit. At $5.00 for the kit (also enough for several repairs) it costs a LOT less than the $45 I keep being quoted for the White's kit.
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As a suggestion, Whites may want to consider shipping a patch kit with their new suits, or perhaps require their dealers to keep some patch kits in stock. At least people might actually be able to use them then.
Just use an iron to apply per the directions with a book or something between the skin and bladder. The Iron Mend material sticks well to both the neoprene and spandex portions of the skin, is stretchy and is a good color match on a black skin.
The Whites patches are rumored by Whites to work well. I would not know, as my experience has been exactly the same as Lynn's - I have yet to find a dealer that actually stocks them and I have yet to encounter a diver who has actually used them. All of the White's dealers I have asked have offerred to special order them - with a very nebulous delivery date in the 2-3 weeks plus range and a price around $45 for the kit. Personally, being asked to pay $45 for a patch kit when you paid $1400-$1800 for the suit is a bit of an insult and having to wait a minimum of 2-3 weeks takes even more of the appeal away from the deal.
Also, when I discover a leak, the odds are I will be 20 plus miles offshore or in the middle of the woods in North Florida with no heat gun within at least 20 miles. So the good news is that the inability to actually find a White's patch kit when you need one is no great loss as a heat activated patch kit would be pretty worthless anyway.
I have found Tear-Aid Type A works really well on the bladder. It is also an instant fix (that does not require heat) and works just as well on wing bladders, so it cuts down on the number of emergency items you need to keep on hand in the spares kit. At $5.00 for the kit (also enough for several repairs) it costs a LOT less than the $45 I keep being quoted for the White's kit.
-----
As a suggestion, Whites may want to consider shipping a patch kit with their new suits, or perhaps require their dealers to keep some patch kits in stock. At least people might actually be able to use them then.
OP
WOW...I had no idea the White's patch kit would cost so much. I already had gorilla tape in the garage and put a piece over and under the large hole in the bilaminate. I am worried that the holes in the skin will get larger. The hole I cut last year for my p-valve has already stretched some and is looking rather ragged.
I wasn't familiar with Iron Mend or Tear-Aid Type A. I googled them both to see what they were. Do you find them in any local stores or do you end up having to order them online? I would think that maybe boating or pool/spa supply stores might carry the Tear-Aid.
I wasn't familiar with Iron Mend or Tear-Aid Type A. I googled them both to see what they were. Do you find them in any local stores or do you end up having to order them online? I would think that maybe boating or pool/spa supply stores might carry the Tear-Aid.
I found them both in local dive shops.
The fraying around the hole for the P-valve was the original motivation to find an iron on patch material for it. It has held up well over about 1 season of diving.
Small patches also seem to adhere well and hold up in some otherwise very difficult areas.
The fraying around the hole for the P-valve was the original motivation to find an iron on patch material for it. It has held up well over about 1 season of diving.
Small patches also seem to adhere well and hold up in some otherwise very difficult areas.
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OP
The gorilla tape failed. Today I'll be looking for Tear-Aid Type A.
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