Drysuit repair kit debate: $900 gamble or gear saver?

Back in March I dropped $900 on a full repair kit for my drysuit after a seam split during a job in Port Angeles. I went back and forth on it, thinking I could just patch it up with cheap rubber cement and hope for the best. That kit came with the right glue, patches, and a heat gun that made the fix solid in about an hour, and I've used it twice more since then. But my buddy swears I wasted my money because a local shop would've done the same repair for $150 each time, and he's had bad luck with DIY fixes failing on him. Has anyone else gambled on making their own gear repairs, or do you always send it out to pros to avoid the risk?