Flowable Silicone for Wader Repair?

[jifigz]

So as I am about to get out and do some small stream exploration this morning and my current pair of waders are shot (new pair arriving today, thank goodness) I was contemplating wet wading or trying to patch my already Loon UV repaired saturated stockingfeet. I grabbed some Flowable Windshield Automotive sealant and put it on some of the known holes that have been patched with the Loon in the past and held up for quite a while, but once again leak. Has anyone ever tried using Flowable Silicone to patch waders? The Loon UV wader repair and Aquaseal UV stuff works great, the only problem is is that it turns very hard and then eventually cracks itself, once again allowing water in. Plus, when it starts to crack the neoprene seems to be in way worse shape than it was before the patch. On the rest of a pair of breathables, this stuff would work great. Neoprene booties, however, seem to be the weak spot in waders for me and walking on the patching material tends to ruin the patch after a while. Silicone stays waterproof yet flexible. Either way, I'm hopeful that it may prove to be a fantastic patching product.

 

[afishinado]

jifigz wrote:
So as I am about to get out and do some small stream exploration this morning and my current pair of waders are shot (new pair arriving today, thank goodness) I was contemplating wet wading or trying to patch my already Loon UV repaired saturated stockingfeet. I grabbed some Flowable Windshield Automotive sealant and put it on some of the known holes that have been patched with the Loon in the past and held up for quite a while, but once again leak. Has anyone ever tried using Flowable Silicone to patch waders? The Loon UV wader repair and Aquaseal UV stuff works great, the only problem is is that it turns very hard and then eventually cracks itself, once again allowing water in. Plus, when it starts to crack the neoprene seems to be in way worse shape than it was before the patch. On the rest of a pair of breathables, this stuff would work great. Neoprene booties, however, seem to be the weak spot in waders for me and walking on the patching material tends to ruin the patch after a while. Silicone stays waterproof yet flexible. Either way, I'm hopeful that it may prove to be a fantastic patching product.

Interesting. Neoprene booties are difficult to fix with Aquaseal or similar type sealants for the reasons you stated above. Let us know how you make out with the windshield stuff.

 

[sandfly]

goop, either straight or thinned stays flexible

 

[jifigz]

sandfly wrote:
goop, either straight or thinned stays flexible

And goop sticks well to neoprene? I have tried using goop once to fix a pair of rubber hoppers and it didn't stick well to that at all. The patch was VERY temporary.

 

[sandfly]

I use it on rubber no problem, clean surface first

 

[AFISHN]

I use a little rubbing alcohol first;blow dry it and then very lightly sand the area with my wife's emorey board.Seems to hold up very well and I'm hard on waders

 

[Mike]

We use shoe goo or household/plumbers goop. Sand first. If can find hole from both sides, goop it from both sides. For tears, hold together with a small piece of duct tape and goop both sides of the tear. Works great. Fixed a 2.5 inch tear a month or more ago...no problems since.

 

[jifigz]

Mike wrote:
We use shoe goo or household/plumbers goop. Sand first. If can find hole from both sides, goop it from both sides. For tears, hold together with a small piece of duct tape and goop both sides of the tear. Works great. Fixed a 2.5 inch tear a month or more ago...no problems since.

Are you referencing the neoprene section in particular or any part of the wader? If it is in the nylon/polyester section one needs to look no further than Tear-Aid. It is the supreme patch for ease of use, durability, and overall awesomeness on anything nylon/polyester. It has never failed me in many applications on those fabrics. The neoprene, however, is much trickier.

 

[lestrout]

Neoprene, when failure is due to compression busts the normally closed cell of the foam, can exhibit leakage a good distance from the entry wound.

 

[Mike]

Jifigz,
Sorry, I should have been more specific. The "goop" repairs that I spoke of were not done to neoprene, as we never use neoprene. It is too hot for our physical work, even in December and March. And if repairs are a headache, all the more reason for me to want to avoid it...lost time on the job.

 

[jifigz]

Mike wrote:
Jifigz,
Sorry, I should have been more specific. The "goop" repairs that I spoke of were not done to neoprene, as we never use neoprene. It is too hot for our physical work, even in December and March. And if repairs are a headache, all the more reason for me to want to avoid it...lost time on the job.

So wait, I am still a bit confused. Lol. We are struggling here Mike! What types of waders are you referencing repairing? Most all breathables have neoprene booties, or are you wearing boot foot breathables? Seriously if you are repairing the fabric of breathable waders you should try Tear-Aid. Just be sure to round the corners of the patch. It is far superior to Goop or any similar product for that. The neoprene booties are the part of the waders that I despise and the problem.

 

[Mike]

Thanks for the Tear-Aid info. Most of our waders are boot-foot waders that are fairly light weight but certainly not breathable. Ninety percent of our leaks come from multi flora rose. They are pin hole leaks.