Around July of 2007, I noticed that my 3-year-old wetsuit had developed a small tear at the bottom edge of one of the legs. Over the next few months this tear expanded until I had a sizable rent in the suit of about 3 inches. Since there was nothing wrong with the rest of the suit, I opted to try to repair it myself. I found and followed these instructions from the eHow website on this topic:
Things You’ll Need:
* Neoprene Cement (I used Aquaseal)
* Heavy Sewing Needle
* Strong Thread Or Dental Floss
Step 1:
Large rips, or rips along seams, need to be sewn closed. Use strong thread or dental floss and a heavy sewing needle. Hold the two sides of the rip together and use a spiraling stitch to sew them together.
Step 2:
Coat both sides of the newly sewn rip with neoprene cement to make it watertight. Neoprene cement can be purchased at surf and dive shops.
Step 3:
Small cuts and rips can be sealed using only neoprene cement. Hold the rip together and coat with cement. Apply to both sides. Let dry for 10 minutes and apply a second coat.