Wetsuit tear

Dental floss and wetsuit glue.

No, I'm not kidding.

D?an -can you explain the procedure please???? ? ??W?h?a?t? ?t?o? ?d?o? ?w?i?t?h? ?t?h?e? ?d?e?n?t?a?l? ?f?l?o?s?s?.?.?.

Sew it with dental floss and a leather needle. Then use wetsuit glue in the sewn area to seal the whole thing. If you take your time it doesn't even look all that bad. Everyone knows how to do a spiral stitch, that's just the standard in one side of the rip, angle it up a bit and come back out the other side of the rip. Continue until you're at the end of the rip then tie the floss off.

Make sure to do one side of the rip with the glue, let it dry overnight, then turn it inside out and do the other side.

(EDIT) dunno whose site this is but here's pics about it:
http://www.hccp.org/wetsuit-repair.html

Edited by DanielG 2010-08-12 9:48 AM

Same thing happend to me in the same exact spot, same Xterra suit too, earlier this year.  Send it to the company listed on Xterra's website, JMJ manufacturing I think! 

2 weeks and $25, good as new! 

As an aside, I noticed the left side of the leg has become quite crinkley. My suit did the same thing. Doesn't seem like they should do that. My higher end suits never did that but both my Xterra's have. Anyone know why this happens or if Xterra would take back as a defect?

My wetsuit ripped big time the evening before a race last year.  See this post:

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=178620
 

This user's post has been ignored.

I'm going to suggest something completely different here.  Why fix it?  Look on the inside of the suit.  If the tear is within the tape on the seam, i would just cut it off with some nice sharp scissors and be done with it.  I have 2 Xterra suits - sleeveless and long sleeved - and have cut off the legs on both of them.  I have short legs and actually really like a suit with more of 3/4 leg anyway.  I don't think you will miss the extra few inches of neoprene and might even find it easier to get the suit off. 

Just make when you cut it off, there is at least 1/2" of the tape on the seam inside.  This will keep the seam from separating. 

If you go this route, i would also suggest trimming the other leg too, just so it looks right.  :-)

Good luck!

Aqua Seal!!!  It works miracles with neoprene.  Don't use anyother type of adhesive.