cnidae
Guest
Anyone know of a good sight explaining on how and what are the best materials to use to patch a hole in trilaminate?
Repairing a Hole in a Dry Suit
- Thread starter cnidae
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Bob3
Contributor
Have you checked on the mfgr's website or looked in the owner's manual?
How big of a hole, and where is it located?
How big of a hole, and where is it located?
While diving the Thistlegorm during our 2001 trip to the Red Sea, Pearce had the misfortune of putting a nice tear in the thigh of his DUI TLS 350 trilam drysuit.
He used the patch kit from DUI to make a field repair on the liveaboard and it worked VERY well. In fact, he's used the drysuit numerous times since then and had NO problems.
~SubMariner~
He used the patch kit from DUI to make a field repair on the liveaboard and it worked VERY well. In fact, he's used the drysuit numerous times since then and had NO problems.
~SubMariner~
akforsyth
Contributor
Trilam patch kits work great, just one word of advice though...DO NOT PUT IT ON THE INSIDE. Unfortunately I know from experience. Patching the inside allows the inner material to wick water up into them, causing a damp dive. And by damp I mean boat entry with zipper undone damp.
The DUI kit specifies that the patch be done from the INSIDE. And that's how Pearce did it. FYI this is not the first suit he's had to patch. Just his first DUI that needed repairs.
Perhaps you didn't use the right amount of sealant when you did your inside patch? Or didn't effectively close the hole & cover it? Hard to say....
Frankly, I can't see doing it from the outside; it would be too much exposure of the patch itself to the elements, possible snagging, etc.
~SubMariner~
akforsyth
Contributor
Yes, the DUI instructions do say to do that from the inside, no arguement there, but from personal experience I have learned otherwise. I now do it from both sides, as I should have put in the initial post. The first time was with the installation of a relief zipper, the next couple of times with minor holes. I found that patching from the inside works OK, but the fabric manages to wick some of the moisutre up unless you seal the hole from the outside as well. As you can imagine, the facric is exposed to the water if this is not done, and all fabrics have a wicking potential, albeit small for some types. And it does not have to look terrible, or be a hazard. If you are slow and methodical, it can barely be noticed, Do not leave any frayed edges, keep the patch as small as possible, and use the appropriate amount of glue. Oh, and btw, this idea was given to me by the DUI rep after I contacted them about the wicking action of the material. But hey, anyone can do it their own way, don't matter to me. Thought i might try to help someone avoid the troubles I had.
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