Does drysuit underwear shrink?

[Gombessa]

As in, when washed, if it can be washed? I happen to be right on the cusp of a perfect size for a particular ug I'm looking at, and I'm afraid if it shrinks at all it'll be a tad too short. Are you supposed to take into account cleaning when sizing the undergarment?

Thanks!

 

[Captain12Pk]

I wear the Pinnacle Evo 2 with the Pinnacle Evolution undergarments. I do machine wash the undergarments (after a weekend on a boat you'll likely wanna do the same) and tumble dry, no heat. To date I've seen no noticeable shrinking or any other problems.

 

[TSandM]

Whether something shrinks depends on what it's made of. Polarfleece is a synthetic and doesn't shrink. Wool may.

 

[orangelion03]

How about using dryer sheets? I air dry my DUI u/g after single dives, wash it in very mild laundry detergent every 10 dives or so (when it can stand by itself), and tumble dry. Still, it has a certain "air" about it after it has been stored for a week or so. Will the dryer sheets hinder any of the thermal properties?

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I've found that after a mild wash I let mine hang outside for a day or so, weather permitting. That seems to take care of any odors. Next best is letting it hang in my computer/dive gear room with the ceiling fan on and circulating the air.

 

[jbb]

How about using dryer sheets? I air dry my DUI u/g after single dives, wash it in very mild laundry detergent every 10 dives or so (when it can stand by itself), and tumble dry. Still, it has a certain "air" about it after it has been stored for a week or so. Will the dryer sheets hinder any of the thermal properties?

Usually the manufacturers warn about using any "softener sheets" on wicking thermal gear. Probably builds up on the fabric. If you want it to smell better just take the used dryer sheets from your regular laundry and store them with your undergarment. I usually wear at least a t-shirt and underwear with mine that can be washed more often and keep the odor causing bacteria from getting to your thermal layer.

 

[jim T.]

I dive a Diving Concepts thinsulite strectch and it does shrink very slightly after tumble drying lightly. It's a bit tight when I lst put it on but stretches out adequately if I wear it on the drive to the site or at least while gearing up and doing my valve reaching stretches. Zipping a pillow or something into the belly area while gearing up works great too! Hah, they don't show ya that trick in the manual

 

[Baconated]

Does drysuit underwear shrink?

Based on what I read on other threads they are likely to shrink if you hang them in your closet for too long.

Nathan

 

[ronbeau]

How about using dryer sheets? I air dry my DUI u/g after single dives, wash it in very mild laundry detergent every 10 dives or so (when it can stand by itself), and tumble dry. Still, it has a certain "air" about it after it has been stored for a week or so. Will the dryer sheets hinder any of the thermal properties?

You should NOT use dryers sheets or fabric softeners on a lot of the dry suit underwear products. For Malden Mills Polartech and PowerStretch it is recommended that you wash the gear in cold water with powdered laundry detergent and NOT use dryer sheets or fabric softener.

Apparently the liquid laundry detergent oil-based and is are not kind to the insulation properties of the material. The same is true for the dryer sheets and fabric softeners. Apparently the powdered laundry detergents are not oil-based.

The following URL points to a video on a manufacturer's web site which discuses this issue as part of the video. Be aware that the video is 33 MB which downloads somewhat slowly even over a broadband connect (suspect problem is due to bandwidth at manufacturer's site).

https://www.cdsportswear.com/webfoots.rm

 

[Thalassamania]

Drysuit underwear seems to shrink as the winter passes and then mysteriously expand whilst being stored for the summer, it is odd that wetsuits seem to shrink when stored in the winter.