Repairing Fingernail Cuts on Your Wetsuit

It can happen to anyone, and when you do accidentally put a fingernail cut into your Nineteen wetsuit, don’t worry! You can repair it at home by just following these 4 easy steps.

1) Start with some neoprene glue and 3 basic household items.

a) AquaSeal black Seal Cement 60 ml (2 fl. oz) tube (available at your Nineteen retailer or local dive shop)
b) paperclip
c) scissors
d) household cellophane tape

2) Clean and prep the surface in and around the fingernail cut.

Make sure the area in and around the fingernail cut is dry and clean. If dirty, use a warm damp rag to clean the surrounding area. Make sure that the area is completely dry before commencing the next step.

3) Applying wetsuit glue to the fingernail cut.

For best results, apply the wetsuit cement to the fingernail cut with an applicator. By straightening the paperclip you've just made the perfect glue applicator.

Lightly pinch the neoprene together to open up the fingernail cut. Using the paperclip, apply a small quantity of glue to the inside and outside edges of the cut. When you release the neoprene, some glue should ooze out. The secret to a good repair is to have a thin film of glue on the outside surface of the cut as well as inside.

You can gently wipe the excess glue off with paper towel.

4) Make sure the cut remains together until the glue dries.

Now that the glue has been applied, you have to make sure the cut does not open up. This is done by applying a small piece of cellophane tape perpendicularly across the cut. This will hold the two sides together until the glue dries.

Ideally you want to allow the glue to dry over night, but a few hours will do. Once the glue is dry to the touch, gently peel the tape away. Due to the surface treatment of the wetsuit neoprene, the tape will come off easily and at the same time remove any excess glue on the surface.

The cut has now been repaired, and you can use your suit as normal.