I'm dying to tell you...

[cow109]

I was searcing for info on dyeing wetsuits (as opposed to dying in wetsuits--which I suppose would be preferable to cancer)...and I found a thread that dated back to biblical times, so I thought I would just start a new one. It was mainly hunters dealing with camoflauge, and though that's not my thing, the subject I'm about to discuss might be of interest to camoflaugers (is that a word?) There's not too much discussion of wetsuit dyeing out there. Well there's the issue of Rit dye which supposedly is detrimental to neoprene, but evidently some have used it with no (noticeable) effects, tho I imagine it likely blistered it to at least some surface depth, maybe shortened its life slightly, or possibly will cause the fabric to eventually delaminate. Esp. if using the soak in hot water method.

I have a suit--black w/ blue sleeves--that I had to have one torn sleeve replaced (bad shark bite, haha, just kidding), and it was replaced w/ black as that was the only color this repair shop used. So now I am going to dye the original blue sleeve black, but not using the Rit method. Conventional spray paint is an absolute no-no. I tested fabric paint (craft store variety) on a spare piece of neo. and it was OK for flexibility but looked patchy and inconsistent and added a bit of stiffness. I have decided to go with vinyl "paint" available from auto parts stores, which is more of a vinyl dye. It sprays from a pressurized can just like paint but behaves with the characteristics of a dye. Rather then putting a layer on the surface that has to dry, it actually penetrates the material on a molecular level and changes its chemical composition. Its made not only for plasticene solids like dashboards, etc, but also for carpets and fabric upholstery. When sprayed on, say, fuzzy fabric door panels, it recolors them but adds no stiffness nor changes the natural feeling in any way. As i said, it changes the color as a chemical reaction, not a surface coating, and there is virtually no drying time to speak of. If sprayed on a solid plastic/vinyl surface you could then gouge that surface to a certain depth and the gouge will still be the new color!

This stuff is specifically intended to be used on fabrics in the family of acrylics, nylons, acetates, polypropolenes, etc.--in other words-- your wetsuit laminate! I'm no DuPont engineer but my theory is that caution is still in order as I speculate that this dye has some degree of solvent properties meaning it penetrates the fabric by dissolving it for the nanosecond of penetration after which it resolidifies into its original consistency, becoming part of the fibre in essence. So the right technique is to avoid concentration of spray to the degree that the fabric ever becomes wet. So what you would do is mask off the rest of the suit then begin spraying several inches beyond the piece you are dyeing, then sweeping across evenly until fully past the suit, then sweep back and forth moving clearly beyond the suit with each pass so to avoid overlap when reversing direction. You will lose half the paint that way but the suit should be covered with several very light "coats" making sure each is fully cured before applying another on top. I have used this stuff on solids and it is wonderful--it does not "build up" with multiple coats, just gets deeper in color.

Well all this is theoretical, but in a few days I will actually do the suit. If anyone is interested in the results, just post a reply letting me know and I will report back. If its a disaster I'll just send it back to the shop for another new sleeve.

[cow109]

OK, today I did the deed but since no one's interested....I'll tell you how it turned out anyway! The vinyl paint/dye sprayed on smoothly and evenly, dried pretty much instantly, and turned the electric blue sleeve a perfect shade of black to match the new black sleeve on the other side. (This stuff comes in glossy or flat, so you have to be sure to use the flat). Now that its dried & cured the painted side feels slightly abrasive (like maybe #000 super fine emory cloth) compared to the cushy softness of the rest of the suit, but still maintains all of its stretch and flexibility. Well, I'm pleased with the result and would definitely recommend this to someone thinking about the Rit method.

[BatRay]

Have you tried it in water yet?

[cow109]

Hi BatRay! Water? What's that? Seriously, I can't afford a tropical trip, and I don't mind cold water...as long as it's hot outside--which it isn't, so I probably will be dry-docked until May. But I don't expect water to be an issue for this "paint job" because this vinyl paint stuff is sort of like a plastic dissolved in acetone and when it dries it becomes a form of plastic. It's definitely not going to come off in the water. The only negative I can imagine is that the laminate may have been weakened for the split second it is exposed to the solvent. Hopefully my strategy of spraying several light coats has prevented the solvent from ever reaching the level of the bond between neoprene and nylon. To sum up--in theory, a heavy spray could weaken the bond under the surface, and a light spray might actually have the effect of reinforcing the exposed surface (like a super-Scotchgard). Ask me in a year : )

[Pastor]

Hey, yes we're interested just missed the thread that's all, it's more of a hunting topic and it's in the freedive section where we don't look so often. Have you got any pictures to show us, that would be cool

Welcome to deeperblue by the way, it's a pleasure to see you here

[cow109]

I'm sure I posted this under hunting, but something's weird because when I select "Hunting/Wetsuits" on my computer, it takes me to freediving. ??? I'm going to post pictures now of the "before" showing the bad sleeve & side panel that had UV damage and a resulting tear. These bad parts were replaced with new black ones, so it is the other good blue side of the suit that I sprayed black. You will have to give me a day or two to take the "after picture" then I will post it. I will try to make it better quality than these.

[cow109]

Here's the painted/dyed wetsuit. In the extreme closeup you can see that the weave pattern is not coated over, but rather the color is absorbed into the fabric. You can also see flecks of blue still showing and that is due to the fact that I sprayed it with a breathtakingly light coat (trying to play it conservative since this was a lab experiment). In the upper left you can see a patch of electric blue that I mostly missed with the spray. Now that its cured for 3 days it's mellowed somewhat from the emery cloth feel, but the new surface still feels more "plasticky."
I have to say this is definitely the way to color a suit. Much simpler than hot/soak dye, and will definitely be colorfast. Plus no dye on the inner lining against your skin. If I were diving in a group no one would notice anything unusual with this suit.

[paddyc23]

P.S did the dye work out in the salt water

[James Jay]

Hi cow109

Nice write up on dying wetsuits. I did a quick search on vinyl paints and came up with this.
Vinyl Car Interior Paint and Styling Spray

I'm sure there is other brands out there, but is this the type of paint you used.

I've read different opinions on camo for wetsuits and it's effectiveness while hunting but your application seems to have it's own merits. Thanks.