My Tri Training: Wetsuit Repair

Arend Pryor
Aug 20, 2017
2 min read

I talked a bit about buying a used wetsuit in a previous post, but now that I've patched one up that was in need of some TLC, I wanna pass along some advice on my experiences.

I got the Blu Seventy wetsuit shown below from eBay for $46. Not bad, right? Only problem was that the right had some repairs and was in need of more. Being more excited at the thought of bidding on a decent triathlon wetsuit, I didn't see the description until after I put in what later turned out to be a winning bid.

After a little research I found that AquaSeal and Neoprene Queen were some of the top recommended sealants for wetsuit repairs so I ordered both.

Here's a few shots of the repairs that needed to be done.

Found this big gaping hole and a number of un-repaired stress tears hiding under a patch.

This led me to remove every patch I found and I got the same result. Multiple un-repaired stress tears.

I used tweezers to ever so carefully remove the sealant I found next to the patches. Not every bit, but a good amount. I wanted to see what I was doing and not miss any additional tears.

The big thing is, don't get freaked out by the size of the tear, even if it goes all the way through. As long as you're not missing any pieces of the wetsuit, it's not as hopeless as you might think. But wait, I was missing a big piece!

My tips:

Stress Tears: Neoprene Queen and a paperclip to apply it worked best for me. Follow the directions and tears like the one above will be fused back together no problem.
Big Gaping Holes: I liked using AquaSeal for this type of repair. It's self-leveling and doesn't get as tacky/sticky as the Neoprene Queen
Removing Existing Patches:
Use an iron set below cotton (permanent press on mine)
Start on a corner that does not have a stress tear and apply heat for about 10-15 seconds. Parchment paper over the top will provided some added protection for your wetsuit
Remove the iron and gently pull back on the corner
Repeat the process until the patch is removed
Now you can breath again
Take your time: You only get one shot with the Neoprene Queen sealant, make it count
Video Resources:
Video 1: Shows how to apply using a paperclip. My preferred method.
Video 2: This guy knows his stuff so listed up young Jedi! It's a longer video so skip to the portion that applies to your repair (or is similar) and follow along.

#1: How To Repair Triathlon Wetsuit Stress Tears:

#2: How To Repair A Triathlon Wetsuit:

Repairs Completed:

Once repaired, I used "Iron Mend" over the top of each stress tear for added strength. One tip for applying the Iron Mend patch. Be sure to put something solid underneath so you can apply pressure and not fuse two sections of your wetsuit. I used a small piece of wood covered in parchment paper.