Patching a cuff dump hole.

[Richard Mason]

I'm replacing a cuff dump with a shoulder dump on a membrane drysuit soon. I'll have to patch out the hole left by the redundant cuff dump. Does anyone have any advice on how best to do this and more specifically how not to do it?

[dazdiver]

I would leave the cuff dump in place, you would have redundancy should your auto dump fail.
Daz

[Prometheus]

I've got a membrane suit with both shoulder and cuff dumps and just put a rubber washer in the cuff dump to stop it working.

[Digger]

Bead of silicone sealant around the outside of the rubber one way valve in the existing cuff dump should do it.

I wouldn't bother trying to patch the hole, a cuff dump is small enough not to be an issue, and helps to keep the gauges in place. It also means if you wanted to change back you could shut off the auto dump and put a new cuff dump (£15) in the hole. Means it will suit the next owner for definite!

Digs.

[drysuit repair dave]

I would leave the cuff dump in place, you would have redundancy should your auto dump fail.
Daz

Patch the hole inside and out with bits of suit material, overlapping by about an inch around the hole. Best glue is Bostik 2402 or similiar . If you cant get the Bostik, any 2 pack designed for glueing inflatable boats should do the trick.
Clean everything with thinners/ alcohol/ white spirit,
apply a thin coat of glue, allow to dry,
apply another coat, allow to dry,
press together firmly
Turn suit through and do the other side
Whatever you do dont use Aquasure or Blackwitch

cheers
dave
drysuitrepair.co.uk

[Pioneer 10]

Patch the hole inside and out with bits of suit material, overlapping by about an inch around the hole. Best glue is Bostik 2402 or similiar . If you cant get the Bostik, any 2 pack designed for glueing inflatable boats should do the trick.
Clean everything with thinners/ alcohol/ white spirit,
apply a thin coat of glue, allow to dry,
apply another coat, allow to dry,
press together firmly
Turn suit through and do the other side
Whatever you do dont use Aquasure or Blackwitch

cheers
dave
drysuitrepair.co.uk

I used Hypalon fabric to seal off my Autodump hole as it was a rubber gasket type. As Dave says, both sides with the patch and no leaks at all. I prefer to use cuff dumps but was taught with Shoulder dump, it just leaked permanently as it had been fitted offset (badly) in the factory and let in buckets...