Aquaseal FD Flexible Durable Adhesive

Likes: It works really well, when attaching D rings to a paddle board. Dislikes: Expensive

I searched Amazon for something to repair the holes my cats left in my Intex air mattress. I had a lot of places to patch along the edges (two-cats, ten-razor sharp claws each...) and I wanted something that was strong and came in a several-ounce tube. I read about McNett's Aquaseal Repair Adhesive-that it was intended for wet suits, inflatable boats, and other water sport gear. What caught my eye was that it is expandable or "elastic" after it dries. Maximum strength kinda popped out at me too. I decided it was worth $25 to give new-life to a $100+ air mattress. Typical Amazon shipping (my experience) and I had the Aqualseal within a day or two. I opted for the .5 oz Cotol as well to prepare the surfaces where I needed to use patches. This stuff is exactly what I was looking for! Initially I was using McNett patch material and using Aquaseal as an adhesive. When the patch dried I put a layer of Aquaseal over it for extra strength. For several repairs (remember all those claws) I just applied Aquaseal and it dried in a nice strong patch-all by itself. I started out using a small paint brush to spread it, but eventually found a wood matchstick to work even easier-because the Aquaseal is self-leveling as it dries. It's pretty easy to manage as you squeeze the tube; it has the consistency of a thick gel so it doesn't drip or run. Aquaseal dries in a clear material that resembles rubber. It's extremely tough. It will bond very securely to whatever you apply it to, so be warned. For clean-up? I haven't quite figured out the best way to get it off my fingers, hands or tools that but I had good luck with GOO GONE. Lacquer thinner might be even better. The GOOD NEWS is that the leaks are history. I used some dish soap and water in spray bottle and found a few small leaks-including around the air pump housing (nice...Intex!) and I used Aquaseal to create a gasket with fantastic results. I have plenty of Aquaseal left for future fixes!

I started buying it in 8 ounce tubes about 15 years ago since I use it for so many things. I don't like to make this sound too good because there will be someone who will try something crazy and then be mad it didn't work but I use this stuff for many repairs: Leather baseball glove where you can't simply re-lace or re-sew it. Repair tears in vinyl. Automobile Dashboard repair. Automobile armrest repair. Glue on the endcap of a composite softball bat. Shoe repair on the leather upper and the man-made sole (now they have a separate shoe repair formula but this works, too.) UGG boot repair on a tear in the lambskin. Leather "Work Glove" repair. Protect a small hole in a drumhead. Fill in where the Anti-vibration grommet wore out on a Stihl 042 chainsaw (they don't make then anymore so I had nothing to lose). Repair a ripped Triple-O water filter. Cut in a souvenir basketball. Small holes/leaks in a Thermarest air mattress. Be careful because Aquaseal is hard to get off your hands. Use the blue "Scotch Painter's Tape" for backing the repair and even on the front of a repair (wait a full day before pulling off the tape). I use a popsicle stick to apply in (or flat tooth pick for small repairs). It is not like Silicon Seal: it will run instead of staying exactly where you put it. Over time, it will start to firm up at the opening of the tube. This sometimes requires using pliers to gently untwist the cap. Then I carefully cut out the firm part with an Xacto Knife (or in really bad cases I use a 3/16" drill bit and cordless drill to open it up).

I used Aquaseal many many years ago to repair some waterproof cold-weather outdoor gear. I was impressed with how durable it was... and that it did not become brittle in the cold. For my most recent use I was trying to extend the life of an old (favorite) outside recliner that had a plastic foam on the arms which, after many years, had begun to degrade and fall apart. By coating the arms of the chair with Aquaseal, it appears that the chair will continue to be pleasant to sit in for many more summers. And as a bonus, I used some of the remaining Aquaseal to repair the soles of my favorite Crocs (the old softer material) which had holes worn in them. The Crocs have been granted a second chance and seem to be holding up well.

This glue is great; fully repairing low-pressure inflatables. It permanently adheres to vinyls and is completely airtight. Once it cures, it’s not sticky at all and will not fall/get scraped off. It also won’t soften the vinyl you put it on, so it maintains the material strength. The glue is minimally runny, but it will stick to your skin for a while, despite thorough washing (try an abrasive soap, or putting your hand in dirt or sand). We’ve taken many patched up inflatables for hours on the water, and the glue has held as good as ever. You won’t need to throw out your floats when they get holes. It works with bigger rips too if you re-attach the inside with a flexible tape. It doesn’t work as well for stretchier vinyls or rubber (don’t over-inflate).

Absolutely LOVE this product. We bought this in hopes of saving our $750 inflatable Bonzai water slide that we purchased 5 years ago. All the seams on the slide were intact but leaking so much air that the ladder part of the slide would no longer support the weight of my 4 year old without half way collapsing. I followed all directions to a tee! Wiped all areas with rubbing alcohol and allowed it to dry. Spread the slide out across the garage floor as flat as possible and applied a thick amount of the aquaseal to all the seams with a popsicle stick (which worked amazingly well) allowed the aquaseal to cure for 12 hours. I wiped the nozzle clean with the rubbing alcohol before capping (which is a must if you have an leftover and want to use it again!) and stuck it in the freezer. We used the slide the following day and it was like a brand new inflatable. Held up with 5 kids using it for 4 hours straight no problems!!!! This product was a slide saver for sure!