Taking Care of your Wetsuit

Taking care of your wetsuit is really simple and it is guaranteed to extend it’s life and save you money! We know this to be true because we do this with all our suits! Our guides often get a couple of years out of their wetsuits and they use them far more than your typical wetsuit wearer!

Here are a few handy tips to make sure your wetsuit lasts for as long as possible

Rinse your wetsuit after every use

At the very least you should rinse your wetsuit as soon as you can after you wear it. This will remove sea water, grime and sand. Make sure to use cold or lukewarm fresh water. If you take your wetsuit off without using a mat or a clean surface you may need to give it a gentle rub where you have stood on it to get that extra grime or grit off.

Why use cold water or lukewarm water to rinse your wetsuit?

The fabrics in your wetsuit will break down if you use hot water – always use cold or lukewarm water. Equally, your wetsuit does not like to be too warm so avoid drying it in direct sunlight; UV rays will quickly deteriorate your wetsuit. Under no circumstances should you try and give it a quick dry in the tumble drier, on a radiator or in a hot press. Just because you forgot to lift it out of the boot of your car and want a nice dry wetsuit doesn’t mean you should damage it with this sort of heat – put it on wet and next time you’ll remember to dry it properly! Leaving it rolled up in the boot of your car isn’t good for it anyway – it will heat up and get smelly!!

Drying your wetsuit

So, you got your wetsuit rinsed thoroughly and now you need to dry it. Chances are it is inside-out already so get it hanging up as it is, this means if you are going to be wearing it soon it will be dry on the inside. If you have more time, turn it out the right way after the inside is dry and let the outside dry properly too. Make sure to check the ankles and wrists are turned out fully. Normal hangers aren’t ideal so look for something that is chunky or one of the funky slide hangers – this will reduce fabric stress. When it is dry you can either leave it hanging or lay it flat but do not fold it as this causes creases that will not come out. Our recommendation is to leave it hanging

My wetsuit stinks!!!!

If you follow the instructions above it is unlikely your wetsuit will get stinky but if does, wash your wetsuit in a bath of fresh, lukewarm water. Reminder: do not use hot water

You can buy special wetsuit soaps or use a small amount of baby shampoo. Rub it gently and when you have cleaned it rinse it thoroughly to get all the soap out. Hang it outside to dry but not in direct sunlight (easily done in Ireland).

Finally, and we shouldn’t have to say it, do not pee in your wetsuit, it can damage the fabric and glue, it will make your wetsuit smelly and most importantly, it’s gross!