need nicked drysuit gasket repair help!

i’ve got a 1/4" nick in the latex neck gasket of my drysuit. is there any way to repair it w/out sending it back in for a gasket replacement? i could trim the entire gasket down 1/4" but i’ve got a skinny neck to begin with and fear it might leak all the way around.

what about Gooping (or Aquasealing, if’n I can find it) a piece of bicycle inner tube to the gasket?

what about smushing a piece of electrician’s mastic tape over the area?

what about???

i don’t mind sending it in for a replacement but i’d much rather do it in the summer than right now. hate to be out of commission for as long as it’d take to repair it and get it back.

thoughts, anyone?

If It Was Me…
I’d try a bicycle inner tube patch.

I got gasket material
A piece of seal material is ideal. E-mail me your address and I’ll send you out a good size piece. I save old seals for that exact purpose. USA I presume? Clean the area with sandpaper and alcohol and Aquaseal on a small patch.



I’ve had totally split neck seals and patched them with an old seal patch and used them for months. Bicycle shops will give you an old tube from their trash if you want to go that route.





jbabina@snet.net

You can fix it yourself
Is it time to replace the gasket?

kayakacademy.com sells a repair kit and a field kit if you need to make repairs in the field.



Go to their site, and under “Tips”, select:



“Replacing Gaskets and Latex Socks on Dry Suits and Dry Tops”



If the gasket is in good shape otherwise, Jay’s advice is good.

I’ll second repair it yourself …
If it’s time for a new gasket anyway do it now. The tool from Kayak Academy is great and costs less than Kokatat’s. It’s relatively easy to do following the directions and using the same stuff you would to patch it. You’ll have your suit ready in 24 hours or less.



If the gasket is in good shape or new I would try the repair route.

~wetzool

thanks!
thanks, all. i’ve emailed jay and will go that route. should take care of it. thanks again for the speedy responses!

It’s easy to make your own tools/jigs
Many people make them out of cardboard for next to nothing. I made mine from 3/8" plywood, since I had some kicking around and I expected to use them multiple times, which I have. All you need is 10.5" and 8" disks, and a ring that’s 9.5" OD and 6.5" ID. Cover any surfaces that will be exposed to glue with packing tape to prevent sticking. If you go the cardboard route, you can make a set in ~15 minutes. If you want to go “high-tech”, make them from 1/4" polyethylene and they’ll be non-stick and last a lifetime.