Dry Suit Boots...How easy......

[Hightower]

would it be to say purchase a pair of boots and attatch them to your drysuit bottoms?

Andark want £90 for doing it.

[m chappelow]

once stuck some normal wellington boots to a childrens drysuit ,as it was of the sock type and my son kept walking about in them putting holes in ,as long as they are not pvc i dont see a problem and as long as the mating surfaces are buffed up , some good waterproof contact adhesive ie inflatable boat glue ,also you will need some rubber tape ,then use an old 2 litre plastic drinks bottle stuffed down the inside leg to get it all stuck in proportion ie no creases or bubbles left ,

[Nasher]

The wellies option is the cheaper way to do it.

The only consideration is to make sure the current latex will fit snugly over the top of the chosen wellies before gluing. If the latex tube part is too big or small making a watertight seal is a bugger.

Oh, and don't do what another member of this forum did once and stick one welly on at 90deg to the leg
(You know who you are)
Drysuits that automatically make you stand in a camp fashion didn't catch on.

Nasher.

[Hightower]

Originally Posted by m chappelow

once stuck some normal wellington boots to a childrens drysuit ,as it was of the sock type and my son kept walking about in them putting holes in ,

That's the trouble with mine. They're not too difficult to get on, but either have to put one foot on the other to remove a leg (making holes in the sock)or roll around on the floor looking like someones kicked me in the nuts

I figured that boots would be a better option.

[Buff]

Depends how expensive your drysuit is? Attaching boots to a drysuit immediately creates a weak point which if the boot is not attached correctly will cause you more problems in the future. My advice would be to let the experts do it, at least that way it is guaranteed.

[Nasher]

Originally Posted by Buff

Depends how expensive your drysuit is? Attaching boots to a drysuit immediately creates a weak point which if the boot is not attached correctly will cause you more problems in the future. My advice would be to let the experts do it, at least that way it is guaranteed.

If you get it wrong then giving to an expert to sort out is an option, but having a go yourself first is a lot more satisfying.
I've put new neck and ankle seals in drysuits over the years with no problems. I believe it's one of those things that the experts try to maintain the mystery of so they can fleece people out of cash for something that 90% of people would be capable of doing if they were shown how and had a go.

Nasher.

[Mikeallenuk]

Originally Posted by Hightower

would it be to say purchase a pair of boots and attatch them to your drysuit bottoms?

Andark want £90 for doing it.

Last pair of boots Andark fitted for me outlasted the drysuit !!!! They fitted neoprene boots to my Crewsaver Breatheable Hyperdry that I am using now, worth every penny.

Mike A

[Buff]

I would not disagree with Nasher on his point especially relating to neck and wrist seals, these are relatively easy if you know roughly what you are doing. However, boots are a totally different kettle of fish. Believe me I know, the company I work for repairs more dry suits than any other world wide and we outsource attaching or repairing attached boots!

[m chappelow]

if you are using the suit for diving then is a different matter but for surface use i dont see a problem ,most decent diving shops sell neck seals and cuff seals in kit form, i have always repaired my own suits ,infact when i started diving in the late 1960s most people bought a wet suit or dry suit in kit form and it was done on the kitchen table ,main points are to get the fabric clean and remove any of the old tape ,glue , and reminents of the previous seals.its not that long ago that inflatable boats could be bought in kit form .though i know people that would take a bicyicle to the shop just for a puncture ,.

[Nasher]

Originally Posted by m chappelow

infact when i started diving in the late 1960s most people bought a wet suit or dry suit in kit form and it was done on the kitchen table ,,.

Thanks for that, you've just brought back some happy memories

My Mother used to make wetsuits for my Father, brother and myself exactly as you've said.
They arrived in the post as a reel of fabric backed neoprene, either pre-marked out or with a paper pattern, a reel of neoprene tape and a pot of glue. After cutting out each seam was glued and taped over.
We are talking 30 to 35 years ago though, and they'd be used for diving. They were expensive too as I remember, roughly the same price 30 years ago as an off-the shelf steamer wet suit today.
My Mother would 'Tailor' them, adding bits in the back or taking a bit out, and just gluing it back together.
I often had one of my older brothers old ones with a slice taken out and glued back together, then they'd be passed on to Davybouy on here to cut and glue for his kids. Mad.

Nasher