I wouldn’t worry about that nick, as long as the situation is as you describe, with far more material on the backside surface (behind what’s shown in the photo) to glue the new gasket to. What I would do, is remove all of the existing gasket that extends beyond the fabric of the suit. The fabric of the suit won’t stretch so even if some of the nick had propagated into that area, it wouldn’t matter. In any case, new tears are apt to get started at the free edge of the gasket, not within the base material.
As far as Kokatat’s recommendation for using their neck-gasket clamp, bear in mind that unlike wrist and ankle gaskets, the base of the neck gasket and the material that it attaches to is not tubular, but flat. That, as I understand it, is why you can’t do as good a job with a cylindrical form such as a coffee can. Actually, even for tubular attachments, the internal form has to be exactly the right diameter or it is useless (I’ve built up a steel can to the proper diameter using duct tape).
Based on the little bit of gasket replacement that I have done, I would NOT want to just stick the material in place without proper clamping. Without clamping, I think maintaining good contact all around that flexible and uncontrolled margin would be impossible. There is virtually no adhesion of the glue to start with, and good contact between mating surfaces would surely be lost while working to press together the material at other locations.
I did mine and put thread here. Cane out good first time. Just watch the videos a few times and do a dry run with clamping. Made my own wood rings and bought bunch of clamps for 1.79 each. Use good coverage on rubber with glue but use it sparingly. Leave 24 hr. Cane out good but they replaced the suit under warranty so it was good practice.
Use the wax paper. Rubber glue and rubber is very very slippery so you need the wood and bunch of clamps. GBG above said the same thing. Need double side tape or make a loop out of painters tape like 3M do entire ring.
Thanks, GBG. Less than 30 minutes after I posted, the package came from George at Kayak Academy with the replacement gaskets – now I see that these have a flattened base as you describe so that makes more sense – the videos I had been looking at were replacing gaskets in suits other than Kokatat that don’t have as deep a “bib” and that flat perimeter. They were more cylindrical. I can use a cylindrical mold on the booties, which I will be installing over the existing ankle gaskets. Think I will do the booties first to refine my glue application skills on parts that won’t be so obvious.
Looking at the fancy neck gasket installation mold kit that Kokatat sells, I’m pretty sure I could make something like it to put even pressure on the glue contact area. I have a couple of those nylon-plastic kitchen cutting board, one that is warped a bit and the other is stained. Can cut a circle and a “donut” using the Rotozip and jigsaw. Have lots of little c-clamps and spring clamps.
New neck gasket is spending the night stretched over my flour canister to loosen it up. It does seem stretchier than the original gasket but when I pulled it on it felt like it was cutting off the blood to my brain.
I’ve owned at least a half dozen drysuits and replaced at least that many gaskets. I don’t bother trying to stretch a gasket anymore and haven’t since my very first drysuit where I tried every possible round thing to stretch it with, all to no avail. I get a new suit and try it on to make sure that my neck hasn’t shrunk and my eyes still bulge out. It hasn’t and they do. After that I remove two rings and I’m good to go. I always make sure to pull it below my Adams Apple. Above that and my eyes bug out a bit.
It occurs to me that I could probably have made my own neoprene gasket. I have a couple of weights of neoprene, a serger sewing machine to flat stitch overlap seams and plenty of Aquaseal.
Honestly, I’ve thought of selling the drysuit and buying one of Paulo Oullet’s nice Goretex tuiliks with the proceeds. But I need to get a reliable roll first.
Three months later, it’s pretty comfortable. It bothers me when I eat. One trick is to pull it so that it’s tighter in the back, and looser in the front. Hope that’s clear.
As a cool weather northern gal, I can always put on more layers to stay warm. That doesn’t work in reverse to stay cool and not get arrested for indecent exposure.
As a cool weather northern gal, I can always put on more layers to stay warm. That doesn’t work in reverse to stay cool and not get arrested for indecent exposure.
Kayak the springs or wait till fall. Southern prime kayak season in Florida is Oct to May……….or head north in the summer.
