newbie question on wetsuit care

[s.s.seafan]

Hi,

I just got my first wetsuit for a trip to the caribean this weekend. I read that wetsuit could smell bad if not cared for. so I wonder what I should do after each dive in the sea - is a rinse in tap water and hang to dry enough?

I also got a free hanger when I bought the wetsuit. do I need to bring it with me, or is regular hanger from the hotel ok to hang it to dry?

thanks,

Jason

 

[fisheater]

Rinse in fresh water. (Isn't that why they put showers in hotel rooms?) Then hang to dry. (Not in direct sun. Inside out - because you want the inside dry the next day.) I like to use a wide hanger. (You can bring your special drysuit hanger or plan on making one on site, say by putting pipe insulation or pool noodle parts on a regular hanger.)

 

[spectrum]

The fresh water dunk rinse drying out of the sun works for us. When I say fresh water I mean a clean tub. Not one that 50 suits have already been through, just say no to that gig.

For our lighter suits we made hangers from 2 of those molded plastic hangers. I married them with electrical tape then padded them with 3/4" pipe insulation. That made a very lightweight hanger that's economical to pack. it's plenty sturdy for lighter suits and vests. The purchased wetsuit hangers are usually pretty heavy for air travel these days.

You don't want to use any metal or skinny hanger the hotel provides. This will avoid rust stains and creases.

Pete

 

[bleeb]

The fresh tap water rinse will generally get it clean enough, but the key is to get it dry in a reasonable amount of time, before smelly mold or what not have a chance to grow on it. If there's enough air flow, simply hanging it may be enough. You may also want to turn it inside out, after the outsides are dry.

If it looks like it's going to too long to dry out (more than overnight), people do various things to help the process along, such as rolling in towels to soak up water, or using fans to improve the airflow. Air conditioning may also help lower the ambient humidity if it's too wet outside.

BTW, all this cleaning and drying is only necessary after the last dive of the day. I don't think anyone worries about cleaning between dives. Unless you're peeing in your wetsuit.

 

[FrogManMike]

BTW, all this cleaning and drying is only necessary after the last dive of the day. I don't think anyone worries about cleaning between dives. Unless you're peeing in your wetsuit.

Well that can be a quick way to get warm if you are cold
Ya I always let my wet suit dry inside out. I have never had a stinky wet suit Doing it like that.
I usually Shower the outside off good before peeling off then let it soak in cold tub full of water inside out and swish it around a bit before hanging it up.

Can you say Sham WoW? Man these things can soak up some water out of a wet suit with a quickness!
Everyone who has ever tried to put on a wet wet suit knows how much more of a pain it is if you are slipping it on over bare skin... if you are in a pinch lay a sham wow on the inside out suit and roll it up The towel will soak all the water out of it

 

[Wayward Son]

normally just a FW rinse & dry. Occasionally I add Sport Wash, soak it for a bit & then hang it to dry.

 

[kyjellyfish]

in addition to the above comments, i usually prep a bin with freshwater and add a very very small amount of pinesol to dunk/rinse my suit.

 

[FrogManMike]

PineSol is a bit harsh for neoprene and will dry it out causing dry rot a lot faster than normal and will also fade the color in the material a lot faster as well.
Just saying.

your LDS should sell wet suit wash
the best thing to use is a shampoo for oily hair this will keep the neoprene supple body wash works good too.