Through constant use, it slowly becomes brittle — and sooner or later it happens: the gasket tears. This is completely normal and has nothing to do with the quality of the product. But what now? You basically have two options. For high-quality dry jackets and dry suits, we clearly recommend having the product professionally repaired by the respective manufacturer. This is the only way to maintain long-term warranty claims. Additionally, the jacket or suit can be checked for watertightness and repaired if needed. For less expensive dry jackets, however, there's nothing wrong with tackling the repair yourself. Tips for this can be found further down this page.
Help! Where should I send which jacket/suit to have the gasket repaired?
Sandiline: Sandiline ltd. | Pobeška c.19/A | 6000 Koper | Slovenia (approx. 3–4 weeks)
Kokatat: Hotmelt Kayak Ltd | Office 6 Ashridge Manor | Forest Road | Wokingham | RG40 5RB | United Kingdom (approx. 3–4 weeks)
NRS: NRS Repairs at Hammond | Dene Yard Green Street Green Road | Dartford | Kent | DA2 8DH | United Kingdom (approx. 3–4 weeks)
Everything else: Blue and White; blue and white GmbH | Eichenstrasse 3 | D-83083 Riedering | Germany (approx. 1–2 weeks)
If you'd like to send a jacket for repair, please send us a short email first. We can then let you know the expected repair costs. You can then send the jacket or suit directly to the respective company. They'll repair the gasket as quickly as possible and return it either to us or directly back to you. We'll then send you an invoice for the repair. If you have any questions, feel free to call us anytime: +43 512 546710 or email us at info@s2s.at.
How do I repair my gasket myself?
First, we'd like to say that we take no responsibility for the success of such a repair. But basically, it works like this:
- From the moment your gasket has torn, please stop using it. Firstly, the further the tear extends, the more difficult the repair becomes. Secondly — especially in a dry suit — it's simply quite dangerous.
- Carefully cut off the old gasket. Leave 2–3 cm standing. You'll want to glue the new gasket onto this remaining material.
- Stretch the jacket over a suitable object (hard foam cylinders have proven very effective). The gasket should be stretched until it has no more folds and you can glue the new gasket all the way around.
- Pull the new gasket over as well. Now fold the edge up all the way around so you can see both bonding surfaces.
- Brush the bonding surfaces with neoprene glue. Make sure no channels form and the glue is applied evenly across the surface.
- Fold the new gasket down and secure it with a few rubber bands or similar.
- Let the whole thing dry for at least 12, preferably 24 hours.
- Good luck!
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