Wetsuit seam repair

[Mikelamusic]

Hey, all. I'm curious what you guys use to reinforce cracked rubber on internal seams? I picked up a new Billabong 4/3 because it was a great deal... One session out and the rubber is all cracked apart in the armpits. My Vissla 3/2 has seen a lot of Atwater lately and has shown no such wear. The BBong is still under warranty but I'd prefer to not send it in and be out a 4/3 for who knows how long. I've read about Plastidip, Plastiseam, AquaSeal, but have not found anything very thorough, and most of what I have found are from old threads. Any advise would be appreciated!

[jaffa1949]

Go the warranty, ! It is no great deal if it falls apart. Fix it yourself may void the warranty!

If that is your armpits , you probably need to change your deodorant . Pit rot prevails

[dtc]

I use solarez but I think trying to make repairs under the arms might end up making some nice bumps to rub on your skin for the next 3 years.

After one session send it back and demand an immediate replacement. If the store is being a good store, they should send one out quickly. Indeed, insist on new and not repaired.

Although at the end of the day the cracking may make little practical difference

[Mikelamusic]

Thanks, guys. That's what I am curious about... Will the cracking actually make a difference in the water? It shows in the major flex areas. That photo is 1 of 5 that I could take. In general, I'm a believer in getting what you pay for and I take care of my stuff, so to see the issue so quickly does bug me. On the other hand, if the cracks wouldn't affect the comfort of the suit, and it still keeps water from flushing through the seams I could forget about it. I may send it in, I'm just not sure how quick I can get a replacement. I have a trip to Mexico in just over month and I'd prefer to have a 4/3 with me.

[Surf Hound]

I have made several wetsuit repairs with different vendors and have never waited more than 2 weeks for a new suit. My experience was as soon as the factory received the suit they just shipped me a new suit. Once the retailer just swapped out for me at the store - that one was an O'neill but I have had similar experience with Rip Curl and Xcel. I would not do anything to fix yourself as that will void the warranty. Watch the forecast and then get the warranty work on a down period.

[dtc]

Thanks, guys. That's what I am curious about... Will the cracking actually make a difference in the water? It shows in the major flex areas.

So they appear to be liquid taped seams - liquid rubber placed over the seam to provide a waterproof seal. Obviously when you join bits of the fabric (neoprene) together, there is a gap. If your wetsuit is upmarket it may have blind stitching with gluing, which pretty much eliminates the gaps, in which case the liquid seams are a second layer and not that important at the moment - until the seam starts stretching and wearing out, at which time the liquid seam will help out. Also, in such a small area, the amount of water that can get in will be fairly minor.

Keep in mind that wetsuits work by trapping body heat, either warming up a small amount of water or for some really good suits (at least in their early days), not allowing any water in at all. Either way, once the water is in and warmed, any new water that gets in is cold and thus causes issues. The primary places for water getting in are the holes around your arms, ankles and head (but you cant do much about them) and the seams. So a seam that isn't fully sealed can create issues. But at the moment and given the size and that the seam is new and tight (being a new suit), those issues wont be significant or perhaps even noticeable. They might become more noticeable over time but even then maybe not a huge amount.

check out here https://surfing-waves.com/equipment/ ... tching.htm

That said, there shouldn't be cracking at this early stage- it suggests the suit may be a bit old or not been stored well and the liquid rubber has hardened a bit. Maybe why it was cheap.

Up to you to figure out how far you want to take it. As said, you probably wont notice it at the moment if you have a blind stitch seam. If you do want to repair it, highly recommend not trying to fix the inside seam but just put something on the outside of the suit along the seam. Anything on the inside will rub; the outside wont look pretty but you can go nuts with quantity or lack of skill and it wont make a difference.

[Mikelamusic]

Thanks again. It's a mid-range suit. I think I will just send it in with the warranty. I wore it today and it felt good, but paying for something new shouldn't come with issues. On another note, I tried on a new Flashbomb the other day and that may have been the comfiest suit I've slipped on! I have been gassing for one but already have a new 3/2 and this questionable 4/3.