Over the years I have had pretty good luck with gaskets. The NRS drysuit that I had repaired is 7-years old, and it was the latex booties, not the neck gasket that wore out. Since I was sending it off to get the booties repaired anyway, I figured I would do the neck gasket as well. I never treat the gaskets with anything. I am a freshwater (river) paddler, so maybe that has something to do with it.
When I bought my new Kokatat drysuit, I was surprised that all the manufacturers had switched back to gore tex booties. My first drysuit had gore tex booties, then everyone switched to latex, now they are all back to gore tex. Both are going to wear eventually, but it seems to me that latex is easier to repair. Anyone know the reason for the switch.
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Because GT booties are more durable.
The shiny side IS the outside of the gasket, unless they ship them inside out. But I think I can still get a couple of seasons out of this gasket anyway, Iâm not going to throw it away. The latex itself is fine
Second this. latex booties can blow out, like a gasket would. GoreTex is a much thicker material (basically the same stuff as the dry suit is made of) and the failure mode would seem to be pin holes or the like or delamination. Blown latex sock is catastrophic - pretty much means you can;t use it. Pin hole or delamination is usually not catastrophic - you can still use, but some water will get in should you swim.
The shiny side is the inside. This is the outside.
At least the way it is installed on my suit. Not sure why the repair kit picture only shows it inside-out.
Yes I believe you are right. So they probably shipped it inside out so that the coating wouldnât stick to itself, but they folded it up so it stuck to itself anyway. Brilliant procedure on a no-return item.
I think you need to cut NRS a break - most people donât leave the gasket folded in the shipping packaging for a couple of years. I have a fiberglass repair kit that has been sitting in my closet for a couple of years. At this point, if I open it and find that there are issues with the resins, I wonât blame the retailer. There is a shelf life for this stuff.
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I guess - but I think you are more likely to get a leak from abrading the fabric than you are from ripping the latex. The latex booties in my old drysuit lasted 7-years and were easily replaced. Weâll see how the gore tex booties hold up.
Iâm a river paddler so I spend a lot if time standing in the water - even a small leak means cold feet.
Latex made from rubber tree sap naturally sticks to itself. Thatâs why latex products are coated with magnesium silicate powder, aka asbestos-free talc (think medical gloves, childrenâs balloons, rubber bands), a silicone product or some other barrier. If uncoated latex surfaces are stored in contact with each other, esp. in warm and/or damp environments or under pressure, they will stick together.
Synthetic latex rubber like neoprene doesnât stick to itself and doesnât have the protein allergens of natural rubber latex, but it has other shortcomings - it isnât as stretchy, tends to fatigue with repeated use (doesnât return to itâs original shape), and is less durable.
I agree that extended storage was a big part of the problem, but Iâd also say that it should not have been folded in the first place.
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I think you need to give this thread a break. Companies should not be packing and shipping things in ways that they should know will damage them, and if they do, they should be warning the customer and/or accepting returns.
For the zillionth time, this is not the latex sticking to itself. Its a coating they apply to it. The latex that was also touching itself is fine.
I said:
Latex made from rubber tree sap naturally sticks to itself. It does.
I also said:
Thatâs why latex products are coated with magnesium silicate powder⌠Thatâs true.
I said nothing about the coating on your gasket or itâs role in your problem.
Taking a break from this thread is an excellent idea.
I sent an email inquiry to NRS asking about the shiny part versus the dull part of the gaskets, and whether that was an adhesive. Here is the response from Tyler, one of their repair technicians:
You are correct, that shiny portion of the gasket is an added adhesive layer that is reactivated with acetone. That portion is what is glued down during installation. It is not necessary to use (like you said, many gaskets lack this feature), but it is intended to increase the bond strength between the adhesive and the gasket. We use it in-house every day. Let me know if I can help out with anything else.
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That makes sense if you look at the repair instructions on the NRS website. That is not the way mine was done.
No - I donât think so - this is very interesting.
Itâs a coating. Who knew? 
