I have a dry suit with latex boots that have a tear from foot area to ankle area. I have never replaced a latex boot and thought I would learn something at the risk of screwing things up as opposed to handing $100 dollars to NRS
Where is the best video that shows how to replace the boots without pulling stitches from the eVent fabric?
Not sure I have ever seen a video on booty replacement. But the process is basically the same as for a wrist or neck gasket or ankle gasket, so if you watch those and then just adjust the form or clamps to work on the diameter of the ankle you should be good to go.
I am hesistant to glue anything directly to the fabric. I guess I will ask NRS if the Aquaseal and thinner that they sell will work with the fabric on my suit.
I had a kokatat drysuit and replaced the failed ankle gaskets with latex socks myself. I watched a lot of different videos before starting. I don’t believe the gaskets were stitched onto my suit. Don’t know if NRS stitches theirs. Some of the videos and instructions state that as long as the latex is still in good shape where it attaches to the suit (pliable and w/o damage), you can just cut the old gasket off to the edge of the fabric material and glue to the latex. Mine were old and crumbling, so I had to scrape it off using a knife.
The hard part is making a form that will fit up inside the leg, that will stay in place while your gluing the sock and taping it so it doesn’t move, and that you can pull out from the inside of the suit through the leg and the outer cuff that protects the gasket while you’re wearing it. At first I was considering a large chinese soup container, but fortunately I tested before gluing, and realized that once glued up, I’d have cut the container up to get it out. I ended up using some chunks of gray packing crate foam from work to make the forms.
Next time I need a gasket replaced, I’m sending it off. I know I can do it, but it’s a PITA, and worth the charges to me. I just didn’t want to wait for the shipping round trip. And after all that, it was an old suit I hadn’t used in years, and after replacing gaskets, I discovered most of the seams leaked. Ended up having to buy a new suit, as they were deemed unrepairable by Kokatat.
You have convinced me to send it off to NRS. The current price is $49 / booty and it’s not much more than the kit that they sell with the booty, glue and curing accelerator.
If your drysuit season is over, definitely send it off. I started my repair in December thinking I’d get to use it sooner than if I sent it out for repair. After researching and getting supplies, material and courage to do the job, discovering the seam leaks, sending it in for inspection, being told it was unrepairable and having to order a “custom” suit (they were out of stock in anything in my size, but would build a “custom” stock suit for the same price), it was the end of March before I got out on the water.
NRS is stating 2 weeks turn time. But with ground shipping from coast to coast, its going to be 4 weeks.
If there any dive shops in your area try them. They can or know of people who do repairs of this nature locally.