Source for 2mm smooth neoprene

Advice
#1

Does anyone know a good source to find 2mm neoprene with one side smooth for making wrist seals and neck gaskets (small quantity)? I looked at Seattle Fabric but a $20 piece of neo was going to cost me $18 in shipping and $4 handling fee!

#2

Since you have some control over
the looseness/tightness of what you use, why not use latex gaskets? You may not have to trim rings or stretch gaskets if you can locate properly sized latex.



I don’t think any neoprene neck or wrist gasket can match the comfort and complete water seal that you can get if you find latex that fit your neck and wrists.



This whole issue has been muddied and confused because manufacturers of latex gasket drytops and drysuits have been too damn lazy and irresponsible to deal with the sizing issue. Meanwhile, MensWearHouse and others get rich selling shirts with necks sized exactly.

#3

lets agree to disagree
I much prefer my Palm’s semi-drysuit’s neoprene neck sleeve to my kokatat drysuit’s latex neck gasket. I find it much more comfortable to wear the neoprene but I’ll concede its not as dry.

#4

eBay
There are vendors on eBay who sell neoprene fabrics and some have free shipping.



I’ve also picked up used wetsuits on Ebay quite cheap and cannibalized them for the neoprene for various projects. In fact I am going to see if I can use the upper leg of a man’s wet suit I bought to make a replacement neck gasket for the torn latex one in my drysuit.

#5

Here’s one place to try, listed in a SK
magazine article from a few years back, Aug 2008, that described how to make neck seals. I’ve not ordered from them so I can’t speak to reliability but they were listed as a source and they still seem to be in business.

Hope it works for you



http://www.macrointlco.com/category/4/Neoprene_Sheets.html

#6

But wouldn’t you find a latex gasket
really comfortable, if makers and dealers gave the same care to gasket sizing and one gets even at a lowball store like Mens Wearhouse?



Why can’t we walk out of a store, or pull a drytop out of a box, and have the neck and wrist gaskets fit comfortably, immediately?



As for neoprene gaskets, I’d like mine better if they were sized properly, too.