Spray Skirt Repair

Advice
#1

I got a nice 2" cut on my SnapDragon Neoprene Spray Skirt. The cut/hole is right at the combing, probably got it doing rescues.

Do I stitch it, patch it, aquaseal it, or a combination af all of these?

Appreciate any advice.

#2

yes
I would glue it with some neo cement, then stitch it, being careful NOT to stick too many holes in the neo, then aquaseal the whole kittenkabootle. I auquaseal with it on the cockpit.



good luck



steve

#3

I
would glue it, let the glue dry,(the same thinner toulene/cotel 240 works on both, that is why I would let the glue dry 12 hours or more) then put a light coat of Aquaseal over it. Aquaseal is forever…if you have a nylon or slightly rough surface for it to get grip on.



punching holes with a needle, just to say its stiched, adds more holes to repair with Aquaseal (just my opinion, your milage may vary)



Best Wishes

Roy

#4

Aquaseal
is not a glue on neoprene: it’s a chemical weld.

No need to stitch. If you don’t trust the repair with Aquaseal alone you can use a hot bond tape (you get that at a dive shop-same stuff they put over the seams on wetsuits).

Good luck

#5

I have used
Aquaseal thinned with Cotel on both my neoprene spray skirt (small holes), and on a small rip in a Goretex paddling jacket.



It worked fine - it is a completely functional repair.

#6

the
reason that I would glue the cut first. is that it will allow you to have the cut held together in position so that the Aquaseal can cure for 24 hours without having the pieces move slightly .



Aquaseal takes its own sweet time to fully cure. Even if cut with cotel 240/toulene. The toulene speeds up the dry to touch thing, but its best to give it plenty of time to actually fully cure



Best Wishes

Roy

#7

roof and gutter silicon
Grab some roof and gutter silicon, spread the rip, insert the silicon and let dry.

The stuff is waterproof and stretches with movement



My working skirt has heaps of repairs in it



Rob

Australia

#8

The only reliable repair
…Is along the lines that Flatpick suggested, except get a tailor to blind-stitch the tear first. Blind stitching (with a curved needle) does not penetrate both sides of the neo, and therefore provides strength without creating an entry point for water.



Good luck.

#9

addenda:
The tear must be edge glued first, with Bostick or equiv neoprene adhesive.

#10

Thanks!!!
I got to senegal only to find that my old Harmony LC-1 (now 20 years old), was badly torn from my pyranha seat ratchets and was basically unusable. No aquaseal here and getting a new skirt is close to impossible short of having someone carry one here from the states. I bought standard silicone at a local hardware store, applied layers front and back in alternation for 6 days (3 layers per side), let it dry 3 hours in the sun daily and the rest in the shade and voila! Was out all day this weekend and it held up perfectly. Note though that for the top layer, I did all the work with the skirt around the cockpit to pre-stretch it. Probably won’t hold up with UV (not roofing silicone) but hey, at least I’m back in business. Thanks Rob (old_user) for the tip!!