How to paint neoprene or rubber??

[fisherdvm]

Of course, this could be in the DIY column, but not too many folks browse that section. As a safety freak, I've been tempted to paint my neoprene hood orange or pink. Same with my black fins.

What kind of paint should I use. I am guessing that any oil based spray paint will be fine for the neoprene, as it is porous. I probably can abrade it with 400 sand paper.

For the rubber, should you use a primer first? Or just sand and spray??

 

[Web Monkey]

Of course, this could be in the DIY column, but not too many folks browse that section. As a safety freak, I've been tempted to paint my neoprene hood orange or pink. Same with my black fins.

What kind of paint should I use. I am guessing that any oil based spray paint will be fine for the neoprene, as it is porous. I probably can abrade it with 400 sand paper.

For the rubber, should you use a primer first? Or just sand and spray??

I know you can do neoprene, since it usually has a log silkscreened on it.

AFAIK, nothing really sticks to fins except tape. I've tried paint and magic marker. The only thing that stayed on was reflective tape.

Terry

 

[Thalassamania]

I know you can do neoprene, since it usually has a log silkscreened on it.

AFAIK, nothing really sticks to fins except tape. I've tried paint and magic marker. The only thing that stayed on was reflective tape.

Terry

Try tool dip.

 

[RonFrank]

Of course, this could be in the DIY column, but not too many folks browse that section. As a safety freak, I've been tempted to paint my neoprene hood orange or pink. Same with my black fins.

What kind of paint should I use. I am guessing that any oil based spray paint will be fine for the neoprene, as it is porous. I probably can abrade it with 400 sand paper.

For the rubber, should you use a primer first? Or just sand and spray??

IMO, buy new stuff that is the color you want.

Rubber does not paint easily. My biofins had some yellow paint on them when they were new, it quickly wore off, and if a manufacture can not get paint to stay on, I doubt there is a good process that will last.

Neoprene is very porous, and designed to stretch. Painting it will result in clogging the pours, and I would guess that as it stretches, the paint is going to break up and crack. Maybe an Acrylic Latex which may also stretch will work, but I've never tried this.

Maybe a wetsuit manufacture will respond, but IMO for all the hassle, put your current hood and fins on Ebay, and get some in the color you want assuming that is available.

I also know instructors that put things ON their head while teaching so they are easily identifiable. One guy used to have a lizard attached to his hood. Another a frog, and yet another couple of chicks I know both wear baseball caps when instructing.

If you want to be visible, paint is certainly not your only option. Blaze hunters tape for example, wrapped around the hood, or maybe made into a wig would be visible, and a heck of a fashion statement!

 

[Thalassamania]

IMO, buy new stuff that is the color you want.

Rubber does not paint easily. My biofins had some yellow paint on them when they were new, it quickly wore off, and if a manufacture can not get paint to stay on, I doubt there is a good process that will last.

Neoprene is very porous, and designed to stretch. Painting it will result in clogging the pours, and I would guess that as it stretches, the paint is going to break up and crack. Maybe an Acrylic Latex which may also stretch will work, but I've never tried this.

Maybe a wetsuit manufacture will respond, but IMO for all the hassle, put your current hood and fins on Ebay, and get some in the color you want assuming that is available.

They used to make a rubbery paint called "U-Name-It" that was great on wetsuits. I don't think it's still available (if it is please get me a bottle of white and a bottle of blue).

 

[Buoyant1]

One of the DM candidates working with my LDS just stuck strips of ORANGE duck (I know it's duct) tape on his black fins...Looks like racing stripes! he did look a little faster under water?!?!?!)

Tool dip? wouldn't that add a lotta weight to the fins! hahaha!

 

[Mr.X]

Why is it safer to have your hood & fins painted orange? Personally, I always carry an red/orange SMB which gives me a fair degree of visibility at the surface if needed.

Strobes help too. On a bad day at the surface it's pretty hard to tell what's going on & who's who when the waves are crashing over. I will say having a tall SMB, or large yellow surface like Inspiration or Cis-Lunar cover helps.

X

 

[Tortuga James]

As a joke for my Shark paranoid dive buddy, I painted big eyes on the bottom each flipper. I used model airplane paint. It looked great until after the first dive. Fins flex and enamel doesn't flex very well.

It was still worth it for the laughs on that one day.

 

[tuffshed]

This stuff is designed to be painted onto rubber whitewater rafts. It's about the only thing that I have seen stick...really stick to rubber. I have a small can of orange that I used to paint names on rafts for our whitewater river running club. I've also painted my name on the inside of wetsuits, fins, etc. Works great. This stuff thins with Toluene, nasty stuff, but I have found Toluene at most Hardware stores, be careful thou, this stuff evaporates quick, it very flamible and a nasty carcinoge I hear.

I don't know if you can find it in orange anymore, I haven't seen it around, but I have seen gray, used to repair abraided areas of rubber rafts. You might try a marine dealer, or a whitewater specialty shop. I would try Northwest River Supplies, a whitewater raft company, www.nrsweb.com .

Good Luck

 

[socal619]

Yeah, I wondered about paint too. I thought it would be cool to have a wetsuit that looked like the black Spiderman costume. But then I remembered it would be covered up by the BC anyway