Wetsuit Care – 13 DO’s And DONT’s To Make Your Wetsuit Live Longer

Some wetsuit care can make you wetsuit last longer and can be the difference between one season or a good couple of years of use, of course depending on how frequently you use your wetsuit. So take good care of it and it will keep you warm. Here are the do and don’t of the wetsuit care.

1. HOT WATER RUINS NEOPRENE

In really hot water neoprene looses some of its flexibility.  Getting out of your wetsuit under a really hot shower after a cold water session might feel like the best thing ever, but not for your wetsuit. So take your wetsuit off first, then soak yourself in warmth.

2. SUN & UV RAYS AGE NEOPRENE

If you remember one thing from this wetsuit care list this should be it. Do not leave your wetsuit exposed to the sun when not necessary! Sun is the neoprene’s worst enemy. UV rays cause the neoprene to age quicker. Old neoprene gets harder and looses its flexibility. Dry your wetsuit in the shadow if you can.  If you dry it in the sun at least put it away as soon as it is dry. Even more, I think it is better to store your wetsuit in the dark place (closet) when you are not using it.

I know lots of people just want to dry their wetsuits as soon as possible before the next session because not many things in life suck more than putting on a cold wet wetsuit.  And that’s perfectly fine. Just know that your sun dried wetsuit might not last as long as it otherwise would.

3. HOT TRUNK IS NOT A GOOD PLACE FOR A WETSUIT

Do not leave you wettie in the trunk of your car in a parking lot on a hot day. Cooking wetsuits is the last resort only for when you are really hungry:).

4. DRY YOUR WETSUIT INSIDE OUT

Dry your wetsuit inside out. So you will keep the flexibility of the outer side and if the wetsuit is not completely dry when you are putting it on – you will still crawl into the drier side.

5. STORE IT NICELY, USE A WIDE HANGER

Store your wetsuit on flat surface or wide coat hanger. Why a wide hanger? A narrow one can make permanent indents into wetsuit shoulders. Actually, I think the best way to hang it is over the waist like in the photo (and use a wider hanger than in the photo:)!). Anyway – do not smash the wetsuit into a small drawer all wrinkled. It says so in the wetsuit instructions for a reason.

6. SURF WAX ON NEOPRENE PROBLEM

Surf wax sticks to neoprene, get over it! There is no elegant way to get it off and it will rub on quickly again anyway.

7. HOW TO TAKE OFF YOUR WETSUIT WITHOUT GETTING SAND ON IT (MISSION IMPOSSIBLE)

A wet wetsuit full of sand and dirt is loads of fun to put on (not really) and even if you will have a chance to rinse and dry it before next use, you will save time if your wetsuit is not completely filled with sand and dirt (also saving your shower of bathtub…). This all sounds great in theory but in real life it is almost mission impossible. There are two ways to do this:

• Easy way: when taking off your wetsuit get off the sand and stand on grass, on a rock, on pavement, on the car mat… just not in the middle of the sandy beach. If it doesn’t work, wash it out in the sea after you change.
• Thinking ahead way: get yourself a wetsuit changing mat or a big flexible plastic bucket and then stand on the mat or inside the bucket when changing. Then use the mat/bucket to transport your wet wetsuit home. This works if your car is not filled up with your friends gear or you own surf trip luggage, otherwise the half closed mat and a big bucket are always in the way.

When you get the wetsuit off, don’t throw it on the floor or in the back of your car to drip all over other things. The best way to store a wet wetsuit is inside a dry bag, a 15L dry bag will comfortable fit on wetsuit and 30L dry bag will fit two.

8. CLEAN AND DRY YOUR WETSUIT QUICKLY

Once the wetsuit is off, do not leave it to rot inside a bag, box wherever… all messy and sandy. Clean it and dry it. Regular care ads quite some time to the wetsuit lifespan. Here you can find a few tips on how to rinse and dry your wetsuit. Rinsing your wetsuit with fresh water will remove sand and dirt but what is even more important it will remove salt. Salt crystals are also one of the enemies of neoprene. So make sure you always rinse your wetsuit with fresh water before you start drying it!

If you use a plastic bucket to change/store your wetsuit of if you throw your wet wetsuit inside a dry bag (even better, you will need less water) you can use these two to rinse your wetsuit right away. Have a jug of water in your car and then pour it inside the dry bag. Push and pull your wetsuit a few times through the water  and then take it out. It’s ready for drying.

9. WASHING MACHINE NO NO

Do not wash you wetsuit in the washing machine and dry it in a dryer! So keep you mum, wife or girlfriend away from your dirty wetsuit. Clean it yourself. OK, if you are a surf school and have a ton of wetsuits that different people use daily then from time to time it’s ok to wash them in a washing machine. You don’t expect a 600$ wetsuit when you go too surf school but if it’s clean and it doesn’t smell you feel better right away.

10. IRONING? YOU ARE KIDDING, RIGHT?

It is not very wise to iron your wetsuit. Duh! Just by the look of it you can assume that rubbery stuff is not the place to put your hot iron. But still, this is the standard warning in the wetsuit instructions and is there for a reason.

11. BLEACH? ANOTHER NO BRAINER

You should never use bleach or strong washing powder on your wetsuit. But there are some mild washing powders made especially for washing your wetsuits.

12. MY WETSUIT STINKS

Does your wetsuit stink so much that your neighbors knock on your door to check if someone died? Did your wetsuit became your cats favorite place to look for fish? There are a few reasons for the smelliness.

Basic reason is our sweat and body oils that our skin produces. These are breeding ground for the bacteria which are in fact the thing that smells bad in a wetsuit. You can of course make your wettie extra stinky if you are lazy – you leave your wet wetsuit in a bag for a while instead of washing it right away.

The other reason for odor is your urine. Try not to pee (as much) in it, because pee also deteriorates the neoprene and leaves a funky smell. Then there is dirty and stinky water, algae etc… Fortunately there is a solution to wetsuit odor.

How To Get Rid Of Wetsuit Smell

There are special soaps for washing your wetsuit and removing the stink. One of the brands for instance is called PISS OFF (made by Rip Curl). Then recently I came across another easier way of getting rid of the smell. Once every couple weeks, throw your wetsuit in a tub of fresh warm water (not hot) with a couple of caps of dishwashing detergent. Wash it and the detergent will break down the body oils and wash away the bacteria that leads to smelliness. Rinse your wetsuit in fresh water so you get all the detergent off, then dry your wetsuit in the fresh air. Try to repeat this every few weeks (of course depending on how much you use it) and your wetsuit will be odor free.

Also – check this article dedicated to fighting the stink.

13. LENDING YOUR WETSUIT

Never lend your wetsuit to your friend if he is heavier than you, your wettie will stretch and soon it will be to big for you.

What to say in the end? After all the sport is what really matters, don’t let worrying about your equipment get in the way of your enjoyment:)

PS: Also check WMS for more tips.

If you find these tips helpful please share them. Thanks!