Drysuit neck gasket replacement... fail!

I just came across a discussion where somebody made their own neoprene neck gasket and attached it to a Kokatat drysuit. They have a nice picture-tutorial here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/95432377@N05/8707673457/in/photostream/

That looks to me like it would be much more comfortable, and plenty waterproof...

I just came across a discussion where somebody made their own neoprene neck gasket and attached it to a Kokatat drysuit. They have a nice picture-tutorial here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/95432377@N05/8707673457/in/photostream/

That looks to me like it would be much more comfortable, and plenty waterproof...

This is pretty similar to what I was thinking.  You could also add a Velcro closure, to introduce a little adjustability, and you wouldn't be trying to squeeze your head through a tight fitting while putting it on/off.

Any updates on the gasket replacement?  I need to replace both wrist gaskets and was wondering if the procedures are the same.

Any updates on the gasket replacement?  I need to replace both wrist gaskets and was wondering if the procedures are the same.

Funny you should ask. I decided to send it to Kokatat and get it done right. I asked, and they didn't mind that I'd already removed the old rubber gasket. I also had them do a leak test.

All went well, and they packed it up and sent it back to me. FedEx delivered the packages somewhere (if you recognize the location of the attached picture, LMK...), but not to my house. I walked the neighborhood, but could not find it, so I notified FedEx. It's now been a couple of days, and the package has not appeared. FedEx told me to contact the sender, which I did, but no reply yet.

We live in the mountains, and the picture looks like it is somewhere in the hills, but there is not much to go on. My guess is that it's still exactly where they dropped it off, with the box now a pile of mush due to recent heavy rain. I can't believe that FedEx doesn't have GPS coordinates of where they dropped the package (well, maybe they do, but I have not been able to get ahold of any human at FedEx, and such info is not provided in any of their automated responses).

You might want to try posting on Nextdoor. I have been able to find the owners, and correct addresses in the past for stuff left on our porch with our address by mistake.

You might want to try posting on Nextdoor. I have been able to find the owners, and correct addresses in the past for stuff left on our porch with our address by mistake.

Good idea. I just posted to Nextdoor. I'm not too optimistic as lots of semi-hermits live around here, but it's certainly worth a try...

Wishing you good luck and kind neighbors in the search for the package, Mark. Did they send you a report of what they did/found separately via email? I’d be interested in hearing about it.

Found! Whew!

Much as I suspected, the package was left in a location where nobody would typically see it. It was far from our house, and the address has no similarity to ours. The specific mountain road where the package was left is very narrow, twisty, and difficult to maneuver, with no turn-around, so the delivery driver would have had to back out. I'd guess that the driver was running behind schedule and just dropped it there to save time.

Anyways, someone finally happened to walk by and see it. The box had turned to mush, and my name was barely readable. The suit itself got wet inside and out, which kind of surprised me, as I figured that Kokatat would put it in a plastic bag. Fortunately, it was not damp for long enough to get moldy or cause any problem, so it should be as good as new.

I just came across a discussion where somebody made their own neoprene neck gasket and attached it to a Kokatat drysuit. They have a nice picture-tutorial here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/95432377@N05/8707673457/in/photostream/

That looks to me like it would be much more comfortable, and plenty waterproof...

This is pretty similar to what I was thinking.  You could also add a Velcro closure, to introduce a little adjustability, and you wouldn't be trying to squeeze your head through a tight fitting while putting it on/off.

Next time I need a neck gasket replacement, I might try this. I actually found a cheap neoprene sheet at a surf shop in Santa Cruz, and I made a neck gasket to see how it  would work. Without velcro, it was difficult to pull it over my head, even though it felt a bit loose around my neck, so I think velcro is essential...

Any updates on the gasket replacement?  I need to replace both wrist gaskets and was wondering if the procedures are the same.

Wrist gasket replacement is definitely simpler the neck gasket, and there are lots of good videos, such as the one below. However, I was not able to convince myself that Aquaseal was making a strong enough bond. Before replacing your gaskets, I'd recommend taking a couple of pieces from your old wrist gasket, glue them together with Aquaseal, and after it has dried, try to pull it apart. I tried several times, and each time I was disappointed with how weak the bond was. Some videos recommend sanding, wiping down with rubbing alcohol, etc., but as far as I could determine, none of that seemed to make any difference.

Did the test report survive in the box?

Did the test report survive in the box?

There was some paper suitable for spitballing, but not readable. I could probably ask Kokatat for that info...

You'll see if they taped up any pinholes - glad you got your suit back.

Cheers,
Brad

That was quick--emailed Kokatat and 10 minutes later got a reply. Right hip and both socks had pinhole leaks. Socks are a bit surprising, as I always wear neoprene socks on the outside, so as to protect the drysuit socks.