Tear in foot pocket - repair ideas?

[billder99]

I just got a tear in my trusty (4 year old, well used) Picasso foot pocket. Tear is about 3" long, top side, mid-pocket (I know, strange location). Anyone have a hot tip for a repair? I was thinking:

1. Glue with quality rubber cement
2. then, sew snugly with waxed sail twine,
3. then, patch with a neoprene outer patch

Whattayathink? Another 4 years of use? (alternate repair... duct tape fixes just about anything, I guess)

 

[Bill]

You might try using a 2mm hot wire to make a stop hole(s) in the tear and holes for shoe laces. For a decade we couldn't get fins large enough and had to slit the top of the pocket to add shoe laces.

 

[billder99]

Bill... excellent idea, I get it... this is exactly what I was missing in my thinking. Gracias!

 

[cww180]

Picasso's have a lifetime warranty I would send it in a get a new pair that is what I did when mine tore. Now I have a new pair and they are much softer than the old pair.

 

[azapa]

superglue, if used on cleaned well fitting pieces of rubber is incredibly strong. you could use that to hold the piece in shape, then make the holes and stitch as per Bills idea.

 

[cdavis]

I repaired a split in the back of my Spora Dessaults using contact cement and a piece of bicycle inner tube that lapped over the tear a couple of inches. Seems to work fine, but I would not be surprised to have to reglue after a while. The inner tube is much thinner than the footpocket and allows it to stretch quite a bit when I put the fin on. Fine for me, but I'm not sure how well that would work if the repair is in an area that stretches when finning.

 

[cww180]

Why would you go through all of this when they have a lifetime warranty?

 

[ripperu]

what if manufacturer will argue about this?
did you read ''General Terms and Conditions'' of warranty?

 

[cww180]

I called them they asked me to send pics I sent pics they sent me new fins before they even received my old ones very good customer service.

 

[billder99]

Thanks for all the good tips. Before I got the tip regarding the Picasso lifetime warranty, I repaired the fins (per Bill's tip)... great repair, and I will send pics if someone tells me how to load photos online (tried... grrrr #%!*#@#). Now I will send photos to Picasso... would be nice to have comfy new footpockets.