How to Repair Drysuit Gaskets and Seams

Drysuit gaskets fail at the junction between the latex or neoprene gasket and the suit body. Latex degrades with age and with exposure to ozone and UV, becoming less elastic over time and prone to cracking at points of repeated stress, particularly where the gasket is stretched each time the suit is donned and doffed. Even a pinhole at a neck gasket allows cold water ingress that can quickly compromise thermal protection and safety at depth.

The seam body is vulnerable in a different way. Drysuits use welded or taped seams rather than stitched ones to keep out water, and those seam tapes can lift at the edge when the suit is repeatedly bent and straightened. Once water gets under the tape edge, capillary action draws it further along the seam with each use.

Stormsure Flexible Repair Adhesive bonds to both latex and neoprene and remains elastic when cured, which is critical for gasket repairs. A rigid adhesive on a latex gasket will crack away from the latex the first time you turn your head under pressure. Stormsure moves with the material.

What You'll Need

• Stormsure Flexible Repair Adhesive
• Isopropyl alcohol
• Masking tape
• Clean cloths
• Latex gloves (to protect skin during application)

How To Do It

1. Locate and mark the leak

Seal off the neck gasket and wrist gaskets temporarily (tied-off bags or the gaskets themselves if undamaged), gently inflate through the neck opening with a pump or by mouth, and submerge sections of the suit in a bathtub. Bubbles will show exactly where the failure is. Work systematically around every seam and gasket junction. Mark each leak site with chalk or a strip of tape on the dry exterior before removing from the water. Do not rely on memory when there are multiple small leaks.

2. Dry and clean the repair area

Allow the suit to hang and dry fully after the bathtub test, at least two hours in a warm space. Wipe the repair area and the inside of the gasket junction with isopropyl alcohol on a clean cloth. On smooth latex gaskets, scuff the surface lightly with fine sandpaper using short strokes. The sandpaper creates a mechanical key that the adhesive grips. On neoprene, clean only and do not sand aggressively.

Timing: Allow 10 minutes drying time after IPA wipe

3. Tape off the edges

Apply masking tape either side of the repair line to keep the adhesive off the surrounding material. Neat edges matter on a drysuit because the gasket face that sits against your skin needs to remain smooth: any cured adhesive on the face will create a pressure point that becomes uncomfortable over a long dive.

4. Apply Stormsure Flexible Repair Adhesive

Squeeze a controlled bead of Stormsure along the repair line. For a pinhole in the gasket, one or two drops spread thinly over the puncture site is sufficient. For a lifted seam tape, work the adhesive under the tape edge with a matchstick before pressing the tape back down. For a cracked gasket junction, spread a thin film along the full crack line and feather both edges so there is no thick ridge to peel away from.

5. Press and allow initial set

Remove the masking tape carefully while the adhesive is still fresh, do not leave it until the Stormsure has cured or it will bond to the surface. Press the repaired section firmly between your fingers for two to three minutes. For a gasket junction repair, hold the gasket flat against the suit body while you apply pressure so the adhesive cures with both surfaces in full contact. Leave the suit hanging with the repair site unsupported.

Timing: 2 to 3 minutes hand pressure, then leave flat

6. Full cure before any water entry

Stormsure cures fully in 24 hours at room temperature. This is not negotiable for a drysuit. The consequences of a failed gasket repair at depth are severe, and a repair that has had only six hours to cure will not have developed full bond strength. Re-test the suit in a bathtub using the bubble method before any open-water use.

Timing: 24 hours full cure. Test in bathtub before open water.

Prevention Tip

After every dive or paddle, rinse the gaskets in fresh water and dust them lightly with unscented talcum powder before folding for storage. Talc prevents the latex from sticking to itself and cracking at the fold points, which is the most common initiation point for gasket failures. Store the suit hanging on a wide hanger rather than compressed in a bag, and keep it away from ozone sources such as electric motors, and away from UV light, both of which degrade latex significantly faster than normal aging.

Common Questions

Can Stormsure repair a torn latex gasket as well as a leaking seam?

Yes, for tears where the latex is still structurally intact but has cracked or developed a pinhole. Apply Stormsure to both sides of the tear, press together and allow 24 hours. For larger tears where material is missing or the latex has degraded across a panel, a latex patch bonded with Stormsure restores the gasket function. If the latex is crumbling or has lost elasticity across a significant area, full gasket replacement is a better outcome than repair.

How do I confirm the repair has worked before I dive?

After full cure, inflate the suit via the valve with the exhaust valve closed and submerge it in a bathtub. Hold it under for two to three minutes, watching the repair site and all surrounding seams. No bubbles confirms a seal. This takes five minutes and is the only reliable pre-dive test. Do not trust a visual inspection alone: Stormsure cures clear on latex and a repaired pinhole is often invisible.

Will the repair affect the flexibility of the latex gasket?

Stormsure cures to a flexible, rubbery film that stretches with the latex. It will not stiffen the gasket or create a hard patch that limits movement at the neck or wrist. For very thin latex, the repair site may be fractionally less elastic than the surrounding material, but this is not noticeable in use.

My neck gasket needs replacing entirely. Can I do this myself?

Full gasket replacement requires removing the old gasket cleanly without damaging the suit body, stretching the new gasket to the correct diameter, and bonding it with the adhesive specified by the gasket supplier under even tension. The technique is achievable with practice but more demanding than a seam repair. Many divers do it successfully, but if the suit is a high-value investment and the drysuit manufacturer offers a replacement service, that is worth pricing first.