[Quirine Schuyff]

Hi all:

On my last kayak trip I realized that one of my goretex drysuit socks has holes. My inner sock was very soggy! Upon testing with water, I saw that there are at least 4 or maybe more pinhole leaks. Kokatat said I may be able to repair them myself. I’d love to save on shipping charges.

Has anyone ever repaired these using a goretex patch kit? Or other fancy repair tape?
Thanks in advance.

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[Quirine Schuyff]

I love that idea too Peter. Will try that. I think I’ll still use a patch to make it a bit stronger as I do tend to need to pull on them as I fit them into my neoprene paddling shoes.

Thanks!

[Peter Kearney]

ditto on the Aquaseal or ShoeGoo for small holes or tears – you can use masking tape with a hole punch to keep it small and neat then cover the top with plastic wrap for a smooth surface.

Peter

[Quirine Schuyff]

Thank you for your ideas everyone!

John: I have always been VERY careful with my drysuit socks but sometimes getting into and out of the boat, sand gets in and I suspect, some small shell pieces too. But I do like to idea of goretex socks to protect them! I think in the summer the shorter paddling shoes let more sand in.

Thanks Maureen and Katya for your ideas too. Perhaps I’ll start with some AquaSeal then go to tape.

[John Halliday]

I use Tear-Aid tape on inside.

Care of drysuit socks is as important as care of gaskets. Grit between your paddling shoes and the socks creates pinholes. Use high-top paddling shoes or wear neoprene socks over your dry suit socks. After every paddle you should rinse off your socks.

[Maureen Benzon]

You can buy iron on tape for repairs on seams etc, but I was reluctant to bring an iron anywhere near the goretex lining, so I bought a patch for the outside, cut a very small patch and ironed it on using a piece of cotton cloth  between the iron and the suit. It has done the trick.

On my suit I could see that the fabric was worn from rubbing against my shoe

You can also use a small dab of aquaseal.

Hope this helps 🙂

[Yekaterina Yushmanova]

Hi Quirine, I fixed those with a dab of Aquaseal very successfully. Didn’t even use tape. You can use Aquaseal + tape combo for a nicer feel on the inside. Definitely not worth shipping to the States for this repair.

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