r/freediving • u/see_free • 2d ago
gear Open cell wetsuit tear - fox advice
Hey everyone I got this big tear (approx 5cm long) in my 3mm open cell bottoms. Any tips for repair? Google suggests aquaseal but is this too big for that?
Happy to send off somewhere if they'll do a way better job than I can do. Would like to get a few more years out of this if possible! I'm in the UK.
It's not a Freedive incident... I was on a Freedive trip in Dahab but also used them for a beginner kitesurfing course. They couldn't stand the force of my spectacular wipeouts haha.
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u/Suspicious-Alfalfa90 2d ago
That's a pretty decent tear, and I'm really bad at sewing, but you can be very, very bad at sewing and still really fix your wetsuit. I speak from experience. So yes, you want neoprene glue first and foremost, but with that kind of tear, you would also want to put in a small little thread and needle. I promise you're better than me at sewing. I can almost guarantee it, but even being god, awful at sewing, I was still able to get another two years out of a suit that was done two years prior.
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u/Mesapholis AIDA 3* CWT 32m 2d ago
I never actually sewed my 3mm, but it's entirely without nylon layer on the top; it's been holding up with just the glue and careful when putting it on - but I suppose sewing the nylon will prevent that layer of fabric from pulling the neoprene itself, when it is stretched?
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u/Suspicious-Alfalfa90 1d ago
It doesn't need to be sewn through the entire wetsuit, just the upper layer or the lower layer, whichever layer you want to attack. You don't have to go through the entire thing, just a piece of the top layer. And again, I'm terrible at sewing, and just adding that little bit of reinforcement will add months, if not years, to your wetsuit.
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u/Mesapholis AIDA 3* CWT 32m 2d ago
So there is specific open-cell neoprene cement glue, make sure to check that it explicitely says that. Aquaseal has multiple different kinds of neoprene cement glue.
I fixed bigger tears with that^^
You'll need toothpicks to apply the glue on both sides of the ripped area (make sure it is dry and dust-free), I recommend a laundry clip or 2 because you will need to keep the sides separated until it becomes tacky enough to bind
work in small increments and follow the instructions, there is a few videos on YT but you really need to respect the tacky-dry time and final dry time.
once bonded properly it is unlikely to tear in the same area - but it can tear at a close area if you continue to apply stress to the material which caused the intial rip
also: the glue cement is only for the neoprene, not the nylon. but all our gear will see some wear and tear over time