Frozen Wetsuit?

[TMHeimer]

In winter I always hang up my wetsuit (7 mil farmer john) in the shower/bathtub to dry--which is awkward and doesn't dry as quick as outside. I do this if the air temp. is or will go to below freezing. Anyone ever hang it outside overnight in temps. significantly below freezing? Anyone know what damage can occur to a frozen wetsuit when it thaws?

 

[KeithG]

No worries.

Google neoprene temperate rating.

 

[Marie13]

You need one of these...works wonders to dry the inside of my drysuit when it's gotten wet.

Underwater Kinetics HangAir | Dive Right In Scuba - Plainfield, IL - Dive Right in Scuba

 

[TMHeimer]

Neoprene temp.rating says good to -65 (assume F). Another site says freezing of a wetsuit can cause damage.

 

[TMHeimer]

You need one of these...works wonders to dry the inside of my drysuit when it's gotten wet.

Underwater Kinetics HangAir | Dive Right In Scuba - Plainfield, IL - Dive Right in Scuba

Thanks. Seems like this has many uses. I only dive usually once weekly and that's enough time to get the suit dry enough.

 

[KeithG]

Neoprene temp.rating says good to -65 (assume F). Another site says freezing of a wetsuit can cause damage.

Your wetsuit will "freeze" at a temperature below it's temperature rating.

 

[KeithG]

Your wetsuit will "freeze" at a temperature below it's temperature rating.

Just think about neoprene ski boot covers...

 

[TMHeimer]

Just think about neoprene ski boot covers...

I guess my thought is the wetsuit's pores are full of water--that maybe this does something to the integrity of the neoprene --freezing the water then thawing it.

 

[Schwob]

Hmmm.
(it's late and I am not that serious):
Since wetsuits age with many dives and repeated crushing... and loose some of their insulating capabilities due to it
and since freezing water expands
could repeated freeze cycles of completely waterlogged wetsuits (a reverse crusing so to speak and expanding
reverse those effects and rejuvenate old crushed wetsuits...
yeah... sure...

 

[eelnoraa]

I don't water freezing will do any good to the wetsuit. Water really never get into those air pockets in the neoprene. It it does, your suit won't be crush and won't have buoyancy to loose.

As for OP's question, if you really want you wetsuit to dry, you need leave it in place as warm as possibe. if your leave it outside, the water will just freeze. If you put it on the next day, it will probably be worse than just a wet wetsuit