Barnacles ate my wetsuit! Please help with repairs.

[harbour seal]

hello wise deepergblue collective,

a pack of killer barnacles came out of nowhere and tried to eat me! luckily my trusty elios suit rose to the occasion and protected me from grave injury, however it was damaged in the melee.

the outer nylon cover was ripped off and the neoprene underneath damaged but luckily it was not torn all the way through. the damage occured in the underarm area. not sure if the damage can be repaired, whilst still retaining some stretch as this area undergoes much movement stress.

i would very much appreciate feedback from anyone with experience repairing wetsuits.

cheers,
sean williams
vancouver, canada

 

[octopus]

........

 

[harbour seal]

LOL!!! rofl

whoa, i think you got it all wrong. that stuff attracts barnacles.

this is the one i should have been using---scent of whelk, a major barnacle predator. wearing this stuff you won't find a barnacle within 100m of your position at all times during the dive.

i generally douse myself in the stuff but recently ran out so had to dive without----you see what happened to me, it can happen to you.

sean

 

[harbour seal]

this is serious stuff --- very potent!

 

[deep thinker]

If the neoprene itself isnt too damaged I would not worry too much about it, perhapes a thin layer of neoprene glue over the affected area just to stop the outer lining from tearing and fraying off any further should do the trick. If having a black spot under your arm bothers you maybe look around for the material they use for the outer layer, your supplier of the suit should be able to help you and just stick it over the damaged area.
I just had a bit of a nick in my suit this weekend and bought the glue this morning, Ill let you know tomorrow how what effect it has regarding elasticity and also what make it is. Cant remember now :duh

 

[atomichaggis]

Anywhere else I'm agreeing with DT but as its under the arm I'd patch it with a piece of nylon coated neoprene as underarms tend to rub a bit.

 

[harbour seal]

today i recieved an email reply from the good people at eliossub, which is below.
-----
Hello,
we have seen the photos and you can put a piece of thinnest neoprene 1/2mm to cover the part.
perfect will be a 1,5mm open cell inside to stick over the suit / nylon outside.
you can use also a classic neoprene glue in this method:
>1) clean both parts with alcool
>2) spread a first film of neoprene glue on both sides
>2) wait two hours without stitching together
>3) spread a second film of neoprene glue on both sides
>4) after 5 minutes stick together
>
>This method will make the work better and without other problems!
Best regards

 

[harbour seal]

anybody know where i can get a thin piece of neoprene (approx 1mm thick) with open cell on one side and nylon on the other? just a small piece for a patch (approx. 8cm X 8cm).

cheers,
sean
vancouver, canada

 

[deep thinker]

Unfortunately not, ask ellios if they can send you a offcut, or perhaps you have a old suit lying somewhere, cut your piece you need wet it and leave it under something heavy for a few days. It will compress to 1mm .
BTW the glue I mentioned is called Scuba care. Aqua Stop

 

[octopus]

I asked Elios to put some neoprene leftovers for pathcing with my order and they were very kind to do so. Unfortunately I left home yesterday, so I cannot send you any of mine. I should be back in 3-4 weeks if that is any good.

 

[atomichaggis]

Norway... Frivannsliv.no - Nettbutikken

 

[Sean Smith]

Hey Sean,
Sorry to hear about your traumatic experience. I've been caught off guard more than once by bands of barnacle thugs. Don't paint them all with the same brush though; it's a socio-economic thing.... You might try Oceaner in Burnaby for some spare neoprene - 604 434 0069. I had some alterations done there and they seemed nice...

PS Have you found a decent grief councilor?

 

[harbour seal]

Hey Sean,
Sorry to hear about your traumatic experience. I've been caught off guard more than once by bands of barnacle thugs. Don't paint them all with the same brush though; it's a socio-economic thing.... You might try Oceaner in Burnaby for some spare neoprene - 604 434 0069. I had some alterations done there and they seemed nice...

PS Have you found a decent grief councilor?

sean,

LOL!!!

admittedly, the damage to my poor suit has caused me to seek counselling. i still get the occasional flashback; large rocks encrusted with barnacles sneaking up on me. i hope my tattered nerves will settle down once i get the suit repaired.

when you get your fancy new wetsuit you should definitely post some pics!

cheers,
sean

 

[harbour seal]

Yet Another Reason To Love Elios!

hey guys and gals,

thanks for all the kind words and advice.

i am excited to report that elios sent me some 1mm neoprene to repair my suit! no charge!

have i told you how much i love my italian suit makers?
not only did they inspect the pictures of the damage but they sent repair instructions and replacement pieces of neoprene.

love the elios!

cheers,
sean
vancouver, canada


ps. octopus - i sure appreciated your offer of potential spare neoprene

 

[harbour seal]

Norway... Frivannsliv.no - Nettbutikken

beware, that site is run by the barnacle syndicate.

first they rough you up; then they charge you for repair materials.

don't let it happen to you, dive safe!

 

[atomichaggis]

beware, that site is run by the barnacle syndicate.

first they rough you up; then they charge you for repair materials.

don't let it happen to you, dive safe!

Ah... that must be the strange language they speak!