It's Torture, I tell ya...

[trucker girl]

Putting on my wetsuit has got to be the most difficult, painful (to my fingertips at least...), and EMBARRASING experience ever!

I'm not talking a 3 mil (I WISH!) but I am such a wimp even in WARM water, I wear my 7-6-5 xcel! I pretty much NEED it in the Quarry- I don't go below the thermocline long enough for the temp to register- but it's definitely cold!

So, there I am at the dock yesterday- straining, stretching, soaking, swearing...

It's all worth it in the end but the first dive of the season (yes, I'm a late starter) is just the pits until I'm in the water! I know people SAY that a skin makes it easier to put the wetsuit on... but is that really, really true? I just can't get past the mental barrier that I'm putting on another layer to make my already skin tight wetsuit go on better...

And the extra inch or two I put on since last summer ain't helping none!

Can no one come up with something you can lather up with to make the wetsuit glide on like a dream? There has to be some slippery substance out there that won't hurt the neoprene or the fish!

I have unusually large calves (as my dive instructor always likes to point out ever since I pointed it out to him ) in relation to the rest of me, so the bottom of the legs are sometimes difficult. But yesterday I swear I couldn't get my forearms all the way in! How do you get FAT forearms! I am NOT buying another wetsuit no matter HOW nice the zippers would be!

Well- all the effort was worth it. My buddy and I put in 3 dives at Gilboa Quarry while his two kids snorkled above us. But I sure was glad to peel that sucker off of me!

 

[SueMermaid]

I use one of those plastic grocery bags. Put it on your foot, put foot in wetsuit, pull it out of the foot hole when you are done, lather, rinse, repeat. It really helps a lot.

 

[Wildcard]

Cheap hair conditioner works wonders! Big handfull on all the points that stick out. Feet, knees, hips, shoulders, ect.
Good luck.

 

[merxlin]

I've heard a layer of generic hair conditioner mixed 50/50 with water helps a lot. Creates just enough lube to slip the suit on easily. If you are environmentally sensitive, get an organic one.

 

[Web Monkey]

It's all worth it in the end but the first dive of the season (yes, I'm a late starter) is just the pits until I'm in the water! I know people SAY that a skin makes it easier to put the wetsuit on... but is that really, really true? I just can't get past the mental barrier that I'm putting on another layer to make my already skin tight wetsuit go on better...

Some people say that a squirt bottle full of baby shampoo and water helps, although a drysuit helps a lot more. Terry

 

[trucker girl]

Conditioner... I'll have to try that! And it will make my leg hair oh so silky soft...

I may try the trash bag too! I'm not afraid of looking wierd

And a drysuit... ahhh... someday...

That was really fast responses- thanks guys (and gals)

 

[El Orans]

A simple plastic bag will do the trick.

 

[fire_diver]

If your wetsuit is that hard to don, maybe you need to move to the next larger size. I know that the suit should be "snug", but if it's that tight, you may be compressing the suit through stretching and reducing it's effectiveness. If the next sive suit is obviously too big, then you might check into having one custom made.

FD

 

[trucker girl]

If your wetsuit is that hard to don, maybe you need to move to the next larger size. I know that the suit should be "snug", but if it's that tight, you may be compressing the suit through stretching and reducing it's effectiveness. If the next sive suit is obviously too big, then you might check into having one custom made.

FD

NO NEW WETSUITS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Okay, actually, it fits me fine- it's just my "unusually large" calves and apparently now the forearms... If I'd have just spent the extra $ and ordered a new suit with the zippers (instead of buying what was already in stock and slightly cheaper...) I probably wouldn't even HAVE this problem...

It's not my fat A-- it's my fat STRANGE parts...

 

[FredT]

Old panty hose helps a lot. Being female you won't even need to cut the crotch out.