I have had a lot of friends ask me how easy it is to repair a gasket so I made a little video to show that is isn't hard but until you get the system down it is very much a pain in the ass....practice makes it LESS of a pain in the ass. Here goes!
Location:
Pick a spot to do this that you can make a mess...like a big mess. Now cover that spot with a piece of cardboard to work on.
The tools:
Gasket form keeper. A paint can for neck gaskets or cup for wrist. Wrist are usually around 4inch in diameter. Check your drysuit maker for neck sizes.
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The new gasket: Duh!
Rubbing alcohol and paper towels
180 grit sand paper
GLOVES...there is a reason this one is in all caps...no joke
Beer...because, why the hell not
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| Sandpaper the gasket with the form inside to keep the gasket tight |
Drytop preparation:
1.
Cut the gasket of the old drysuit or dytop until you have around 1 inch extending from the drysuit fabric in an even line. Try to be as straight as possible when doing this.
Usually it is the inside rubber that you want to measure.
2.
Now place the form keeper you just spent two hours looking for inside the sleeve to keep the old rubber tight. This can be a pain and a test of your patience but that's why I put beer on the list...you can thank me later.
3. Once you have the sleeve nice and tight with the form keeper take some 180 grit sandpaper and rough up the rubber that the new gasket will be attaching to. Make sure you get all of it because this will be what helps the aqua seal bind the two rubbers together.
DO NOT SANDPAPER THE NEW GASKET IN ANY WAY!!
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| Sizing looks good! New gasket over lapping the old |
When you are done roughing up the drysuits rubber in preparation for receiving the new gasket take a paper towel and some rubbing alcohol and clean off the rubber you just roughed up with the sand paper. After cleaning it up let it dry.
5.
Now take the new gasket and overlap it with old gasket on the making sure the shiny part of the new gasket it face to face with the bit you just sand papered.
6. Once you have them perfectly overlapped pull the new gasket back on itself to once again expose the old gasket.
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| What it should look like right before you aqua seal your gaskets |
7. Put packaging tape on the cuff of your drysuit to make sure excess aqua seal doesn't get on your drysuit.
PUT YOUR GLOVES ON!!
7. Now you will start with the aqua seal. You will want to put about as even an amount as you can on the exposed old gasket. No need to put too much but just be sure to cover ALL of the rubber that is exposed from old gasket with a layer. Over flowing is likely (Step 7!)
Hope you guys enjoyed and that this helps someone with their gasket repair.
-Owen Darrow
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