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Old 12-14-2017, 12:23 PM   #1
growingupninja
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neoprene seam tape for wetsuit repair

Does anyone know what this is actually called or where I can order it? I need it to fix big tears in my opencell smoothskin suits, and it is used on the inside seams for manufacturing those kind of wetsuits. The local custom and repair shops use it but won't ever just sell me the tape... I'd rather have the tape and fix my own suits instead of paying them $60 a pop to fix a tear.

This is for opencell smoothskin, not the typical outer nylon lined spearfishing suits. You don't need it for those kind of suits.

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Old 12-14-2017, 01:07 PM   #2
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Re: neoprene seam tape for wetsuit repair

I hope that isn't the quality of repair you're trying to duplicate! That is TERRIBLE!
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Old 12-14-2017, 01:28 PM   #3
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Re: neoprene seam tape for wetsuit repair

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I hope that isn't the quality of repair you're trying to duplicate! That is TERRIBLE!
I have no doubt we can do better but what is it called?? I think they use actual sticky tape of some sort but if I just had a skinny sliver of neoprene I would glue it in to hold the seam together and then flip the suit rightsideout and glue the crack. The tape they use peels eventually as you can see.

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Old 12-14-2017, 02:30 PM   #4
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Re: neoprene seam tape for wetsuit repair

https://www.foamorder.com/neoprene/n...seam-tape.html

https://www.wetsuitoutlet.co.uk/neop...re-p-2836.html
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Old 12-14-2017, 02:34 PM   #5
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Re: neoprene seam tape for wetsuit repair

The big guy on the block for seam tape is Melco, it is an iron on tape, I dont think it will hold very well to skin, it is made for nylon side. But if you had it, you could put it on both sides, heat on the nylon side, and with wetsuit cement on the skin side. But a better way is thin nylon one side neoprene cut in strips and glued on. Glue your rips together first, then apply the seam tape.
Shoot me a PM and I'll get some to you.

BTW..HEAT WILL MELT THE NYLON EASILY>>SO GO EASY ..
Better yet, put a barrior between the iron and suit, most anything will do, even paper.
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Old 12-14-2017, 04:35 PM   #6
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Re: neoprene seam tape for wetsuit repair

A smoothskin wetsuit is repaired as easy as it tears. Just buy some contact cement (neoprene glue) at your local hardware store and that's it. If you want to go fancy, most manufacturers sell neoprene glue, which is pretty much the same but with black colorant.

Clean very well with alcohol, put a small amout of glue with a Q-tip on each side and keep them separate for 10-15 minutes. Then press together (pinch with your fingers) and let dry for 8 hours. Done!

Be very carefull when puting together both sides as they stick together very strong as soon as they touch.

You don't need any tape to repair your wetsuit.
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Old 12-14-2017, 05:34 PM   #7
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Re: neoprene seam tape for wetsuit repair

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Originally Posted by Marco View Post
A smoothskin wetsuit is repaired as easy as it tears. Just buy some contact cement (neoprene glue) at your local hardware store and that's it. If you want to go fancy, most manufacturers sell neoprene glue, which is pretty much the same but with black colorant.

Clean very well with alcohol, put a small amout of glue with a Q-tip on each side and keep them separate for 10-15 minutes. Then press together (pinch with your fingers) and let dry for 8 hours. Done!

Be very carefull when puting together both sides as they stick together very strong as soon as they touch.

You don't need any tape to repair your wetsuit.
You are correct in as much as contact cement will work ( to some degree) but it is Not the same as wetsuit cement (minus the color), and it will not work as well. Using a artist paint brush would be Much better than using a Q tip (and getting all the cotton hairs in the repair). And as for not needing any tape..Done Right, with the Right glue, the neoprene repair will be as strong as the original neoprene...but you have lost a lot of strength by not replacing the nylon..sorry..that's just the way it is.
Now I will have to listen to how you have been doing it with contact cement and it works just fine...yada,yada,yada!
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Old 12-14-2017, 05:48 PM   #8
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Re: neoprene seam tape for wetsuit repair

I did fix a lot of wetsuits years ago for a surf shop with contact cement and pieces of neoprene. We did a process similar to the one Marco described, then we used strips of neoprene and placed it along the repair on the inside, applying it with the same contact cement. With a lot of care, it can look quite good. Thin neoprene can double for the tape.
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Old 12-14-2017, 05:49 PM   #9
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Re: neoprene seam tape for wetsuit repair

Well, you have to read better, not listen...

There's no nylon there. He said smoothskin.

yada, yada, yada...


Quote:
Originally Posted by growingupninja View Post

This is for opencell smoothskin, not the typical outer nylon lined spearfishing suits. You don't need it for those kind of suits.

Thanks!
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Old 12-14-2017, 05:52 PM   #10
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Re: neoprene seam tape for wetsuit repair

Thanks for the replies, I will check out the links and pm seatux.

Marco what you are describing works fine for small tears but the open cell smoothskins will 'burst' dramatically if you look at them wrong, particularly in areas where they stretch (ie over the kneecap). The tape is necessary to reinforce. For the regular spearing suits I usually glue and blindstitch the outer layer.

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Old 12-14-2017, 05:53 PM   #11
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Re: neoprene seam tape for wetsuit repair

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Originally Posted by Nix View Post
I did fix a lot of wetsuits years ago for a surf shop with contact cement and pieces of neoprene. We did a process similar to the one Marco described, then we used strips of neoprene and placed it along the repair on the inside, applying it with the same contact cement. With a lot of care, it can look quite good. Thin neoprene can double for the tape.
Hey Nic! That works when the wetusit is lined. When it's a smooth skin, like he said, just glue and that's it.

I know that manufacturers use a two coumpound adhesive, but FOR ME regular contact cement has worked very well.

I have some pictures of a smooth skin Yamamoto Spetton wetsuit that was thrown to the garbage by the original owner. I repaired and it's still going strong. I'm going to post them here if I find them.
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Old 12-14-2017, 06:03 PM   #12
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Re: neoprene seam tape for wetsuit repair

Here!

Not a small tear at all. Anything else as aquasure or tape will compromise the neoprene flexibility and will eventually tear again there.
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Old 12-14-2017, 08:23 PM   #13
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Re: neoprene seam tape for wetsuit repair

MAKO Spearguns sells some iron on seam tape. I have used it on nylon backed neoprene and it holds up quite well. I assume you could apply to bare neoprene as well.
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Old 12-17-2017, 07:59 AM   #14
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Re: neoprene seam tape for wetsuit repair

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Originally Posted by growingupninja View Post
Thanks for the replies, I will check out the links and pm seatux.

Marco what you are describing works fine for small tears but the open cell smoothskins will 'burst' dramatically if you look at them wrong, particularly in areas where they stretch (ie over the kneecap). The tape is necessary to reinforce. For the regular spearing suits I usually glue and blindstitch the outer layer.

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I never got a PM from you with an address. The stuff I would send you is nylon on one side and what you guys like to call open cell the other side, it is about .03" total thickness, the object is just enough neoprene to accept glue and bond to the skin one side suit you have, Ive seen it many times before, the material in your suit gets old and the wear areas continue to rip, this solves the issue by effectivly installing nylon on the high stress areas inside the suit where needed.
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Old 12-17-2017, 01:06 PM   #15
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Re: neoprene seam tape for wetsuit repair

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Originally Posted by SEATUX View Post
I never got a PM from you with an address. The stuff I would send you is nylon on one side and what you guys like to call open cell the other side, it is about .03" total thickness, the object is just enough neoprene to accept glue and bond to the skin one side suit you have, Ive seen it many times before, the material in your suit gets old and the wear areas continue to rip, this solves the issue by effectivly installing nylon on the high stress areas inside the suit where needed.
I was teaching all weekend! On it...
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