Unpopular opinion: that expensive drysuit repair kit was a total waste

I dropped $80 on a branded drysuit patch kit last fall after a small tear on a job near the Seattle pier. Followed the instructions to the letter, even let it cure for 48 hours. First dive in Puget Sound, the patch peeled off at 40 feet. Ended up using a cheap bicycle tire patch for $4, and it's held fine for 6 months now. Has anyone else found a better workaround than those fancy kits?

1 comments

1 Comment

grant.margaret20m ago

Worked on a houseboat in Lake Union last winter where a guy used marine epoxy on a wetsuit tear. Said it was the same stuff they use on boat hulls. That patch looked like garbage but it outlasted the suit itself. Bicycle patches are the real deal though, I've used them on everything from diving gear to a leaky air mattress. The fancy diving brands are just charging for a logo half the time.