When I took off my drysuit after my ice paddle tonight, my left wool sock was damp. My right sock was not damp so am guessing my left bootie sprung a leak.
Is there an easy way to find the pinhole(s)?
As always, thanks.
I would think possibly the same way one would look for a slow leak in a bike tire tube. Inflate it and stick it into a bucket of water and look for air bubbles.
sing
Invert the suit (after drying) and partially fill with water. You should quickly see the colour change as the dampness spreads.
When you do, mark it with a pencil (should work while wet), empty it out and let it dry, then use a small amount of Aquaseal on your finger (or something else) to smear a little on and around the area. It doesn’t take much to do a good job.
I’ve successfully repaired about 4 tiny leaks in my Goretex socks this way. I didn’t even know they were leaking until I did a “whole suit” leak test prior to heading east for the BOFSKS.
If it is a Kokatat, you can send it back for a leak test and patching. They charge $40 for his service now, plus you will be paying to ship it both ways.
Thanks, gentlemen.
Suit is a Kokatat Radius and less than a year ago had been sent to them as there was a small issue with the gasket on the SwitchZip. At that time they also replaced the neck gasket and did a pressure test.
The Goretex socks are black - would a color change be that noticeable if the sock is filled with water?
Last night I put a Luci light in the sock and examined it in a dark room. Not sure what I’m looking for but saw lots of tiny holes along the seam - but those are protected by tape.
To make sure that dampness wasn’t some sort of condensation, plan to fill a bucket with warm water, put on the pants barefoot, then keep my left foot in the bucket for five or ten minutes. If there is a leak and I can find it, then I’ll get out the Aquaseal. If I can’t find it, will send it to Kokatat at some point.
Appreciate the suggestions.
If it is just damp socks it could be moisture from the inside. I have had to switch to thin wool socks in the winter. It helps absorb some sweat and keeps me warm if my feet do get wet. At first I thought the socks were leaking but it turns out my booties might be keeping my feet too toastie at times.
Rookie
Turn the suit inside out and fill the foot/lower leg with water and observe. It’ll be easier to see moisture on the grey inner lining. This is what Kokatat does with the whole suit on a wet test
A trick I learned if it is perspiration is a bit of antiperspirant on the sole of your foot. Not just for armpits anymore. Go figure.
See you on the water,
Marshall
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Did the bucket test last night. Wore the Goretex sock over my bare foot in warm water for 15 minutes. Sure felt like my foot was wet but when I took off the sock, it was dry. No leaks - yay!
Smartwool socks are my base layer. Stretchy Mysterioso socks go over the drysuit booties to protect them from the sand that always finds a way into my shoes. Setup works pretty well in the current 35F water temp.
Thanks for the tips. I know now what to do in case a leak develops.
You may want to go further up - test the leg of the suit also just to make sure. Possible a small leak up here is dripping down.
I can usually get by simple things like sticking parts of the suit under running water with my hand inside. Cold water helps to feel the leak sooner. I just take my time and usually find a pinhole or a bad seam. I use a hairdryer in between the wetting attempts.
Sometimes I do a swim in a bathtub filled with cold water.
Tried filling the suit from inside. It’s hard to handle it and I am not sure how reliable that is due to accidental drops from hands and so on.