I used to believe soapy water, short nails and a good technique would be sufficient to wear a unlined smoothskin wetsuit without running the risk of damaging it, but I was wrong. All it takes is an instant of distraction or a moment of haste and there you go, you can find yourself on the beach with a torn wetsuit. Have you ever been in this situation?
I have, and that’s why I’d like to offer you a few suggestions on how to carry out a durable and effective repair.
Required materials:
- Neoprene cement
- Trichloroethylene or Alcohol
- Latex gloves
As for any gluing operation it is extremely important to make sure the surfaces are clean. It is therefore necessary, before proceeding in applying the adhesive, to clean perfectly both the sides of the tear to be repaired.
First of all wash the wetsuit with freshwater and wait for it to dry. You can now clean the ripped area with trichloroethylene or alcohol.
Before applying the glue it is necessary to check the type of repair required, just so as to carry out all the steps in the right order. In addition to this, my best advice is to choose some reference points to help holding the strips of the wetsuit in the correct position.
Lay a thin layer of neoprene glue (or the result will be stiff) on both sides and let it dry for 40 minutes. This operation helps creating the base on which the repair will take place (primer).
When the primer is completely dry, lay a second layer of glue and wait another 10 minutes, then proceed to pair the two sides of the rip.
Pinch the surface you’ve glued with your fingers so as to facilitate adherence and remember that the results are instantaneous, and there isn’t therefore any way of repositioning the strips once they have been glued. Use the reference points you’ve chosen earlier so as not to make mistakes.
Please note: Neoprene glues don’t like humidity. Avoid gluing when it rains and use latex gloves so as not to touch the glue with your fingers. Days when Sirocco, Ostro and South-West winds are blowing are not good days to carry out the procedure, since Southern winds generally carry humidity.
Much better to choose days when Mistral, North and North-East winds are blowing, late in the morning or on early afternoons.
The following video shows my way of repairing smoothskin wetsuit.
Should you want to know how to carry out a repair on a lined wetsuit, please check out the notes below.
Ciao ciao,
Giovanni
