WETSUIT SEAM REPAIR

A wetsuit can sustain many types of damage over time, so the ways of repairing a wetsuit vary. If you have bought a new wetsuit and you notice any kind of damage or production mistake, contact your reseller to inquire about a warranty. A wetsuit seam repair is the most common wetsuit repair. Other frequent repairs are fingernail or fin cuts. These are all fairly easy repairs that you can perform yourself for under €10 within 30 minutes by using neoprene glue. Always repair wetsuit damage immediately, if you leave it, it might get worse and make your wetsuit harder or unable to repair.

NEOPRENE GLUE

You can use wetsuit repair glue, or neoprene glue, to glue neoprene panels together. Neoprene glue is flexible and remains waterproof. Wetsuit glue is affordable and it’s available in most surf shops or available online. Don’t use any other type of glue to repair a wetsuit cut. Neoprene glue is easy to use, but take your time to do it right and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

WETSUIT REPAIR SHOPS

Bring your wetsuit to a specialized local repair shop if the damage to your wetsuit is worse than just a simple cut or tear. You’ll find these shops in most areas and they will often accept sending your wetsuit in rather than driving there.

WETSUIT SEAM REPAIR

Seams are a common place for a wetsuit to eventually start wearing. There exist different types of seam issues. If you own a blind stitched wetsuit and the thread has come undone, it’s best to contact your local repair shop to redo the blind stitching. This requires a specialized sewing machine. Has the seam split open next to the thread due to too much pressure on the seam? You can repair this with neoprene glue, but it is advisable to add an iron-on reinforcement patch on the inside of the repair to make this area stronger and to avoid it from tearing again. Note that after the repair, you’ll need to let the glue cure overnight before you hit the water.

WETSUIT TEAR REPAIR

A wetsuit is likely to sustain some form of damage during its life. A clean cut or tear caused by a fingernail or a fin hitting the wetsuit is usually easy to fix. This is different than a wetsuit seam repair. Read more about wetsuit cut repairs here. Get a tube of black neoprene wetsuit glue online or at your local surf shop. Open up the cut and apply a layer of glue on both sides of the neoprene, leave it to dry for about 10 minutes (unless indicated differently by the glue manufacturer) until the glue becomes tacky. Then, firmly press the cut together to create a butt joint. Leave the glue to cure overnight.

IRON-ON NEOPRENE REINFORCEMENT PATCHES

When the cut or tear cuts all the way through the neoprene and lining, it’s advisable to add an iron-on reinforcement patch on the inside of the repair to make this area stronger, avoid water leakage and to avoid it tearing again. These patches or reinforcement tape, also called Melco tape, can be bought through your local wetsuit repair shop. These patches have a hot melt glue layer attached to the back of them. They can be ironed on with a normal iron, but always make sure you use wax paper or baking paper in between the iron and the wetsuit. A different way of reinforcing the inside of a tear, or wetsuit seam repair, is to glue on a thin strip of thin neoprene, called neoprene tape. This can be glued on with normal wetsuit glue but is not a clean looking as hot melt tape.

WETSUIT ZIP REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT

Wetsuit zips experience a lot of abuse in their lives. So it’s not uncommon for the teeth of a zip or the zip runner to corrode, break or get damaged. You don’t have to throw away your wetsuit in case the zip fails. Fortunately, zips can be replaced by your local wetsuit repair shop. If the zip teeth get damaged you will have to replace the complete zip. However, if only the zip slider breaks, just the slider can be replaced. In case you’re buying a wetsuit, and you are worried about zip strength, buy a wetsuit where the slider disconnects from the teeth when open. This prevents the teeth from breaking when the zip is fully opened. This also avoids your shoulder from scraping over the slider when getting into your suit. A slider that disconnects, as on all SRFACE wetsuits, makes your wetsuit last longer.