wetsuit zipper jam repair

[padudle]

Hello

On several occasions I have had wetsuit zippers jam in the fully open position. It seems that when the slider hits the stop at the bottom of the zipper it can somehow misalign the teeth so that they will not mesh properly. The effect is that I spend anxious minutes trying to close the zipper while the rest of the boat is getting geared up. This has happened on both my Henderson 5mm and my wife's Bare 3mm.

The good news is that I think I have discovered a solution that totally eliminates the problem. Now we can just grab the ribbon and pull in either direction without worrying about jamming the ziper.

To fix the problem I purchased some heavy duty nylon thread and stitched the zippers closed about 1 inch above the metal stop. The slider hits the thread and stops with the teeth still fully meshed. Here is a little picture if you want to see.

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/pete_d/zipper_stop2.jpg

 

[diver_paula]

Thanks for the tip. I know I've gotten awfully upset with an uncooperative zipper. & of course it always happens at the worst time.

Paula

 

[nursetiff]

Thanks for the tip... as a newbie who is expecting her 1st wet suit in the mail by the 22nd of June... I need all the tips I can get.

 

[padudle]

Thanks for reading my post. It doesn't get a lot of attention but almost three years later I can tell you that fix is still working great on my zippers.

Pete

 

[nursetiff]

I'm so new I need all the advice I can get... it's good to know that the trip still works!
Thanks,