Gasket replacement

Repair of latex seals for dry suits:

One useful link for instructions is Kokatat's: http://www.kokatat.com/instruction2g1.htm#NECK

Other repair outfits that can be recommended include:

• Amigo repair - 10 days
• Kokatat - 2 weeks

The owner of my local paddlesports emporium has been very obliging about loaning me the neck gasket replacement jig he bought from Kokatat. The third time I borrowed it, I sensed a pattern developing and decided to make myself a copy. The jig consists of a solid disk 10-1/2" in diameter and a couple of C-shaped pieces also 10-1/2" outside diameter with a 7-1/4" diameter opening in the middle. These are made out of a half-inch thick particle board with laminate surfaces. The edges are rounded. My copy is made of plywood, which I will finish with linseed oil and a coat of wax; hopefully this combination will not bond to the Aquaseal used for gluing the neck gasket in place.

The procedure recommend by the abovementioned paddlesports entrepreneur is to prepare the surfaces for gluing by cleaning with denatured alcohol, sanding lightly, and cleaning again. Place the solid disk inside the neck of the garment, smoothing out the wrinkles. Then put the neck gasket in place on the outside of the garment without any glue, put the C-shaped pieces on the top of the gasket, smooth out the wrinkles, and fasten it all together with spring clamps. Remove one of the C-shaped pieces, apply glue, replace the C-shaped piece and clamps, then repeat for the other side.