Drysuit pocket glue

[WASP7000]

Anyone have suggestions on glueing a pocket on a bilam suit? It started peeling off so I did some research, yadda yadda, ended up glueing it back on with seal cement because so many people reccommended it, and it started coming off again after the first dive. Is there different kinds of seal cement? The only one the shop had said for neoprene wetsuits/drysuits, but I figured it was all the same stuff, maybe not.

I would like to be able to remove the pocket in the future if it gets jacked up, so I don't want to use aquaseal. But right now I'm considering sticking a couple small globs of aquaseal just on the corners to keep it from peeling.

[Nwbrewer]

This is what I use, but I've heard it has some trouble on some nylon suits. I think April's peeled off.

[LCF]

Aquaseal lets go if you heat it.

The problem with pockets is that the stresses are high at the corners. It was my experience that the corners will eventually peel, no matter what adhesive you use, or how carefully you prepare the surfaces. I eventually gave up and sent my suit in to have the pockets sewn on and sealed.

[spatman]

i glued XS Scuba pockets on my USIA bilam suit with Aquaseal and they've stayed put for over 100 dives and are still doing fine.

some good info in this thread, too.

[BillZ]

I've glued a pocket on my Diving Concepts Z-flex (Trilam) with seal cement and after 100 dives haven't had anything peel up.

Here is the process I used.....
Chalk out where you want to place the pocket on your thigh. It's best to do this with the suit on and someone helping you.
Put a board on the leg of the suit so that the area that you are glueing lays flat
Make sure the area where youre placing the pocket is super clean and dry.
Put the cement on both the pocket and the suit and brush it out to cover the entire surface area. Lots and lots of cement. I think I used an entire tube.
Let the cement become tacky (10 min or so) and attach it to the suit.
Weigh it down with something heavy ...ala dive weights
After the glue is dried run a bead of glue around the perimeter of the pocket.

If the bilam suit is shiny, after I've cleaned the area I would scuff it with sandpaper or a 3M pad so the glue will stick

[WASP7000]

Yeah thats pretty much exactly what I did, but maybe I didn't use quite enough glue.

[Nwbrewer]

Not all shell suit material is the same. The DC suits are some form or another of codura, which seems to take glue really well. April's DUI material was more slick, and more difficult to get the adhesive to stick.

[BillZ]

Not all shell suit material is the same. The DC suits are some form or another of codura, which seems to take glue really well. April's DUI material was more slick, and more difficult to get the adhesive to stick.

Hmm...
You could try using PB 300 (the stuff for wrist and neck seals) instead of seal cement but its pretty spendy at $20 for 4 ounces.

[April]

Not all shell suit material is the same. The DC suits are some form or another of codura, which seems to take glue really well. April's DUI material was more slick, and more difficult to get the adhesive to stick.

Hmm...
You could try using PB 300 (the stuff for wrist and neck seals) instead of seal cement but its pretty spendy at $20 for 4 ounces.

Can you get that at a dive shop?

Edit: Also... what's the glue on the inside of the suits used on the seams? I'm interested in attempting to sew on my own pockets.

[Nwbrewer]

Not all shell suit material is the same. The DC suits are some form or another of codura, which seems to take glue really well. April's DUI material was more slick, and more difficult to get the adhesive to stick.

Hmm...
You could try using PB 300 (the stuff for wrist and neck seals) instead of seal cement but its pretty spendy at $20 for 4 ounces.

Can you get that at a dive shop?

Lighthouse in Lynwood has it. You can get it cheaper form Bob3 if you don't need it right away.

[fmerkel]

I saw some E6000 in the U of W Bookstore yesterday, down stairs in the art section.
I use PB300 for putting on seals. I don't think it would work well for pockets, not robust enough. But, I haven't tried it.

[Mattleycrue76]

The stuff used to seal the seams on the inside is aquaseal.

[renoun]

Can you get that [PB-300] at a dive shop?

The closest place for you to get it is at Northwest Outdoor Center, the kayak shop on Westlake. They sell it in half pint cans.

Larger tubes of E6000 are available at Hardwick's on Roosevelt.