Is it possible to downsize Apeks Tech Shorts?

[jerbee]

I bought a pair of new without tags Apeks tech shorts on eBay for $20 shipped. They‘re a size XL, and I normally wear between medium and large (sz 35). I was wondering how to best go about downsizing them to fit me. I was thinking of washing them in warm water and drying on low heat a few times to try shrinking them.

After a few cycles of doing that I would turn them inside out and pinch the sides together (so the fabric fits tighter on the sides and waist). Then I could use neoprene cement and clamps to bind it together, and finally sew within the cemented area using thick nylon thread to make sure it stayed there. That way I’m not actually taking off any material so even if it fails, I can just fix it again.

In essence I’m trying to permanently pinch it so it’s tighter. I know it’s going to look a little goofy, but it seems like it should work… I care more about function than form anyway. For the price I figured it’s worth a shot.

I’ve never done anything like this before, so I wonder if that’s crazy or not. Is there a better way to go about doing this?

A dive pal said I could bring them to an upholsterer, since they are used to dealing with heavy duty fabrics, but I don’t know if they would be able to do something like this… I could also bring them to a tailor, but I imagine they don’t work with neoprene either.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

They look to be made of neoprene, not cotton cloth. Even if you boiled them, I doubt you'd see any shrinkage. Putting them in a dryer is just going to make them warm for a while.
You could try turning them inside out and stitching the neoprene, but I wouldn't. They look to be glued on the seams, and short of taking them apart, trimming the neoprene, and then regluing them, you are not going to have much luck sizing them down.
That said, depending on where they are made, there is a good chance that they will run small. Dive gear made in SE Asia and China tend to run smaller for given sizes.
As for clamping, gluing, and sewing inside out, do you want a big seam pressing against your body/legs?
If I had to go that route, I'd rather the seam be on the outside. Yes, it will look goofy, but you won't have grooves pressed into your flesh.

 

[jerbee]

short of taking them apart, trimming the neoprene, and then regluing them, you are not going to have much luck sizing them down.

If I had to go that route, I'd rather the seam be on the outside. Yes, it will look goofy, but you won't have grooves pressed into your flesh.

thank you! You saved me from a day or two of unnecessary attempted shrinking! I did find an old (2001!! See below) thread that seems to have a pretty comprehensive guide to doing what I’m looking at, to a wetsuit.

If the pinching method doesn’t work, I think I’ll try to trim and reglue. I don’t have a sewing machine but I don’t mind trying to handstitch. Especially since it’s only a foot or so on each side. If I do glue plus 3 runs of separately stitched nylon thread it seems like that should hold. I hope, lol.

It appears Apeks actually runs really large - I’m in a scuba diving FB group and some people said that they are around my size (5’11”, 185 lbs) and have the same shorts… and a small fit them. So I’ll probably end up going further down than I originally thought….

I guess it’s a good little project to have, and for the price it’s worth taking a chance. I think I’m going to take photos of the process and make a longer post when I finish with the results in here, just in case someone comes along years from now trying to do the same thing).

aqua seal neo is what I planned to use. If you have any tips or techniques or advice that the thread from 2001 didn’t touch on, I definitely love to hear them. I’m not in a rush, I’d rather do this right.

thanks!

Glueing and sewing neoprene

I've noticed in various posts that some folks (like joewr) know how to sew and glue neoprene. Because I am short, fat, stocky, and dense (physically ..... intellectually I'm rather bright), I have no way of sucsessfully buying off the rack wetsuit-wise. And since my weight fluctuates up and...

scubaboard.com

 

[davecampbell]

sell them for a profit, and re buy the Yonsub version online. they're identical to the Apeks, rebranded and significantly cheaper. I have two pairs here via aliexpress, and can confirm the only difference is the branding. You might even come out ahead, and not have to wear weirdly modified shorts.

 

[jerbee]

sell them for a profit, and re buy the Yonsub version online. they're identical to the Apeks, rebranded and significantly cheaper. I have two pairs here via aliexpress, and can confirm the only difference is the branding. You might even come out ahead, and not have to wear weirdly modified shorts.

You know… that might be a much better option. I didn’t even think of flipping them and purchasing a different pair. And I certainly wasn’t aware that a rebranded version was available. That would be a lot more simple than trying to learn how to become a tailor. Much appreciated!!!

 

[SlugLife]

You know… that might be a much better option. I didn’t even think of flipping them and purchasing a different pair. And I certainly wasn’t aware that a rebranded version was available. That would be a lot more simple than trying to learn how to become a tailor. Much appreciated!!!

As someone who has done a bit of amateur tailoring ... if you were to get started in tailoring, you want to start with stuff you don't mind destroying, because that's what usually happens. At least until you gain the hands-on experience of destroying lots of stuff and learning how not to. Neoprene is that much more difficult. I can't even get pockets to stick right to a wetsuit.

 

[happy-diver]

Amazing company

https://www.youtube.com/@SailriteDIY/videos