Wetsuit repair?

[halocline]

I have a fairly new (5-6 years old) wetsuit that I love and fits me really well. One of the seams recently split open; the seams are not stitched, they're bonded and taped. It's about a 7-8 inch split. I am considering gluing the seam back together, stitching it up with dental floss, then gluing the tape back in place to seal the holes from the stitching. I have a few questions:
1. Has anyone on this board actually done this? I did see a few webpages suggesting it, but nothing here.
2. What's the best glue for this, is it aquaseal, or is there something better?
3. Would dental floss work, or is there another nylon thread that might work?

Any suggestions would be welcome!

 

[MAKO Spearguns]

You will want to purchase wetsuit glue. Aqua seal is not a
good choice for large repairs. You might also consider
some iron on patch tape to be applied after the glue has dried.

We have all those products listed under wetsuits https://www.makospearguns.com/Wetsuits-s/94.htm

 

[halocline]

Follow up, I did buy some neoprene cement, used it to re-attach the open seam, then used heavy nylon thread to stitch up the seam, then cemented the existing tape over the stitching. It worked perfectly.

 

[MAKO Spearguns]

Great, sounds like you did a good repair which should last the life of the suit!

 

[Couv]

Follow up, I did buy some neoprene cement, used it to re-attach the open seam, then used heavy nylon thread to stitch up the seam, then cemented the existing tape over the stitching. It worked perfectly.

....and of course you took pictures of every step to make a blow by blow tutorial. Right?

 

[halocline]

....and of course you took pictures of every step to make a blow by blow tutorial. Right?

Ummm, well, I meant to, but my dog deleted them while he was eating my homework. But here's the tutorial:

Step one: Glue the edges of the open seam back together using a spare amount of neoprene cement. It works like contact cement; you coat both edges of the open seam, let it dry, stick the edges together while keeping them lined up. The only tricky part is the fact that seams are not straight lines when flat, so you have be careful to follow the curve of the seam.

Step two: Use heavy gauge nylon thread like this:
Sailrite - Fabric, Canvas, and Sewing Machines Since 1969

Or try dental floss, which surfers use to fix their wetsuits. You can even get floss that stretches a little.

I just sewed through the neoprene, not bothering with any sort of blind stitch. Maybe with a 7mil suit the blind stitching would be easier and still strong enough. I pulled the stitches just snug but not too tight.

Step three: Find some wetsuit tape (or re-use the tape from the seam if it's there) and coat one side with the cement, then put a coat on the seam, filling in the holes left by the stitching. Let it dry, press the tape in place, and that's it. This stuff might be good:
Iron on Seam Tape | 7/8 Inch Melco Seam Tape | Seattle Fabrics