has anyone here sent their Kokatat suit in for testing and repair of pinholes? any idea of cost? i’m not sure if it’s worth it, yet i’m not sure how to do a full body test for leakage myself. my suit is well loved, but in good shape, still has a couple years in it i’m sure, but it would be nice to bring it back to entirely dry again… any thoughts are welcome.
Kokatat - quality made in USA.
I highly recommend sending it in to have leak tested. My partner Jeff sent his in last spring for a leak test and gasket repair and it was in the $40 range (call to check on price). Last fall we took a tour of the facility and saw it being done. Jeff sent his in after 5 years of use and it turned out that the leak that he had was a defect in the gortex and they replaced the suit.
Kokotat - made in the USA and a company that stands behind its product.
All the best,
Cate
http://www.liquidfusionkayak.com
Dry suit leak test
You can send it in for repairs, or do minor stuff yourself.
It’s easy to test for leakage.
Wrist and ankle cuffs get plugged with plastic soda bottles. (Insert them from the inside.) Neck seals can be plugged nicely with a salad bowl (Tupperware, etc.) Use a hose type vacumn cleaner (exhaust mode), or even lung power to inflate. You can do this by inserting a hose or tube into an almost closed zipper.
Small pinholes can be sealed nicely with “Marine Goop”, a clear rubbery compound. You can get it at places like Home Depot, Lowes, or other hardware stores.
Dry suit refurbish
Forgot to add to previous post:
While you’re at it, lubricate the zipper. Use one of the products intended for zippers (Zip-Wax), or just use parrafin. A candle rubbed on the zipper works just as well. Rub till the wax comes off on the zipper, then work the zipper a few times.
DO NOT USE ANYTHING WITH SILICONE IN IT. Silicone gets on the fabric around the zipper and makes if almost impossible to replace the zipper when it dies.
Sent mine to Kokatate
Told them my suit was in need of a tune up, and to fix anything that needed fixing, so I would have no problems during the season. Can’t remember what is cost, but I thought it was fair. They put in a new neck gasket, did a leak test and found a few little leaks in the feet. All and all i think it’s a good idea to send it in every winter, so you’re trouble free during the paddle season.
Winter IS the paddle season
for my dry suit 
That’s when the water is coldest and the weather the nastiest.
ditto
spoke with Kokatat, and the price is less than i thought. may be worth it, even for my devalued Canuck buck. the timing may not be great for Kokatat, but it is better for me, as i too use the suit way more in winter than now, unless i’m in really heavy water.