Good Afternoon,
I have an old used wetsuit that I got to get me through a cold water tri this weekend (Oly-Mooseman). Normally I swim without a wetsuit, but Mooseman is too cold for that…at least for me. Unfortunately, while practicing taking it off I managed to put a 4" rip across the right rear cheek. It was pretty beat up anyway, so I’m not surprised.
I know I should glue it up with Neoprene cement, but it will be difficult for me to pick any up before this weekend. Does anybody know if there other glues that I can use that might be available at a local hardware store? The other options are to swim with it as it is or try to tape it up with duct tape.
Thanks,
Victor
gorilla glue and duct tape…
hell, i would just duct tape it after i put it on…leave it at that!
Any scuba shops nearby?
Not that I can get to this week given my work schedule.
Thanks,
Victor
hell, i would just duct tape it after i put it on…leave it at that!
That is probably what I’ll do.
Thanks,
Victor
Just ask one of the HOTTIES at the race to help you put that tape on!
if your going to ditch the suit after the race…you could also sticth it up with thin fishing line and then put the tape on…
Stitching sounds a bit slow…just use a staple gun!
5 minute epoxy from a headware store should work. Just make sure its the type that works with rubber. The back of the box usually states the applicable materials, metal,wood,glass, rubber…tacos…etc 
Good luck!
Normally I swim without a wetsuit, but Mooseman is too cold for that…at least for me.
Shhh. The water’s going to keep warming up and it will be perfect by Saturday.
(I’ve been praying to the Lake Gods all week!)
Any Hardware will have Rubber Adhessive. It works GREAT.
I doubt that duct tape will last more than a few yards as any minimal flex will pull it away from where you sitck it. Then you can end up swimming with both a hole in your suit and a trailing a string. Epoxy is likily too stiff to use without also making the situation worse.
Rubber Cement/Contact cement is just that. A bit harder to apply cleanly than wet suit glue (which is thinner and “pours” easier into tears), but it will do you just fine. Just open both sides up, paint both bonding surfaces with the stuff and let it fully dry, do a second coat and let that dry a long time (longer than just surface dry) and then press together and push hard to bond.
Call the people at Blown Out Wetsuit Repair in Santa Cruz, CA. They do the repairs for Blue Seventy and we’ve referred a few customers to them who needed rips/tears fixed. They report good, quick service. The phone number is 831-475-4942
I’ve patched my 5 year old wetsuit many times with ‘Shoe Gu’.
Available at just about any walgreens, rite-aid, or other pharmacy/grocery type store.
It’ll last a while too. Let it cure overnight.
Interesting suggestion! When I went to my local hardware store yesterday the store owner recommended Shoe Goo. He noticed my hesitation and then suggested a rubber cement, I forget the brand name.
Anyway, I glued up the wetsuit last night, and reinforced it with some duct tape. Seems like the seal is pretty good. So if you are at Mooseman Saturday AM and you see a guy with an old, beat up, gray DeSoto T1 with a good size patch of duct tape on the left cheek, that’s me.
Victor