DIY dry suit pockets..

[Kwbyron]

Does anyone make their own pockets? What fabric did you use? I have a tendency to over due things...make pockets too big, got the 6in knife instead of 4in, I make something out of wood, I make it way to heavy.... ext. so what dimensions did you use? I want to make 2, one for each side... something that will hold(when I get them) safety sausage, spare mask, my slate, Sony cybershot....

 

[lotsofgadgets]

http://www.kidspot.org/personal/scuba/#wetsuit

I made one of Kidspot's pockets, but I have to mount it on my drysuit. It was a very simple project.

 

[Kwbyron]

Thanks, that looks good. I am thinking of putting cargo style on each side and the a thin one on the front of my thigh to slip my slate into, maybe a wet notes for later....
Did you order the fabric? I am think I should go to goodwill, get an old military duffel bag and dyeing it black....

 

[lotsofgadgets]

I went to the local fabric store and bought the heaviest ripstop nylon they had. It seems like it will be good enough.

 

[TSandM]

Just one word of caution from somebody who's been there . . . Once you have your pockets made, do not be cavalier about the process of putting them on. It is not as simple as glue and go. First off, the heavy coarse nylon doesn't grip the glue well. It really is necessary to do some cleaning of both surfaces with solvent, and to do a little careful sanding of both sides to create a fuzzier, "grippier" surface.

Make sure you put the dry suit on and mark where the pockets should be. Too high, and your weight belt may interfere; too low, and you have to curl up like a swimming nudibranch to get into them.

Put a large book inside the dry suit leg when you go to do the gluing, so you get a really flat, stable surface. Follow all the instructions for the glue to the letter. ROLL the pocket down onto the dry suit, and then put a heavy weight (surgical textbooks work) on top and DO NOT DISTURB THE ENTIRE ASSEMBLY FOR AT LEAST 24 HOURS AND PREFERABLY 48.

Fail in these steps, and you will have a pocket like mine, which is peeling off bit by bit. According to the Airspeed Press drysuit book, there is no really good way to take a home-built pocket OFF a drysuit and reapply it neatly, so you have one shot at this to get it right.

BTW, the book I referred to is well worth having.

 

[Kwbyron]

Does Airspeed press have a whole line of DIY texts?

 

[TSandM]

Yes, they do.

 

[nwbrewer]

Kevin, your best bet for the fabric in the area is to go here:

http://www.seattlefabrics.com/ Let me know how it goes, I'm thinking about putting some on my wetsuit, as getting into the ones on my bc is virtually impossible.

Jake

 

[CIBDiving]

check ebay for the closeout XShorts. They can be had for $20 and they come with 2 good pockets. Remove the pockets,scrap the shorts and glue the pockets on your suit, you'll likely spend $20 making your own.

 

[WetDawg]

Better still, get the shorts 1 size larger and wear them over all your U/W wear.

The shorts work great over any wetsuit and your drysuit.

Why make it more difficult for yourself?

Spend the time and money you save on divng and tank fills.