What is your routine for cleaning your drysuit?

[Lenaxia]

Hey guys, my drysuit is coming in on Monday so I'm pretty stoked about it.

What is everyone's routine for cleaning their drysuit after a dive session?

Do you soap and talc your seals every time or every other time?
What about your zipper? Waxed every time?
Do you just hang up your suit and hose it down? Or do you make sure to clamp the seals so the inside stays dry?
How often do you clean the inside of your drysuit?
Stored rolled up? (zipper open of course), or hanging in your closet?
What else do you do to make sure your drysuit outlives you?

 

[TSandM]

I wash my dry suit down with a hose after diving, with special attention to the entire length of the zipper (get rid of salt crystals) and the inlet and outlet valves. I hang it with the zipper open until the inside is dry, then close the zipper and store it that way. I use seal saver on my seals when I get into the suit. For a while, I was religious about washing the neck seal after use, but it didn't make it last any longer, so I've gotten pretty bad about doing it.

I turn my suit inside out every couple of months and wash the inside with a mild detergent solution. I have a Fusion, and if I don't do that, the material gets sticky and it gets hard to get into.

 

[burna]

I think it depends on how often you dive. I dive on average once a week, so there is plenty of time for the inside of my suit to dry out in between, so I always wash it and it's like new inside - no smell.

I have an Evo 2, I just give it a good slosh in a tub of warm water, used to use wetsuit wash but have used it all up and don't think it really does anything anyway.

I made a simple clothes horse style rack and hang it on that, let the outside dry for about a day, then turn it inside out for a few days until dry. Then it's back the right way again and lube the seals with seal saver type stuff and check zip and lube if necessary and pack it away in its bag.

Here's a pic, just haven't packed it away yet.

 

[Gombessa]

Not having a yard/garage, I'm bathtub-bound on suit washing.

After every dive, I'll close the zipper and soak the suit in the tub (without getting water inside). I'll use a mild handsoap on the seals (otherwise the seals deteriorate within a year) and then hang the suit to drip. Once it's reasonably dry, I'll open the zipper, flush out the p-valve with alcohol/water, wax the zipper, and cornstarch the seals. When the suit is fully dry, I'll gently roll it up loosely and store it in its bag until the next dive.

Like TS&M, every 10-15 dives or so I'll turn the suit inside out rinse.

 

[ps1mhd]

what are you saying I should clean my dry suit
maybe thats why I can't find a buddy


mike

 

[Peter_C]

My pee-valve gets cleaned at the dive site typically with vinegar and alcohol. Once home I reattach my dry gloves close the zipper and submerse it after all my other gear in my bin. I hold the neck seal closed and just dunk the entire suit. Then it gets hung up for a few days to dry. After it gets put back into its storage bag until its next use. As I put it away I use talc to help the seals along. I didn't use to but found I was getting gummy seals way to fast. The talc seems to help keep that at bay.

Wash the inside? Next you are going to tell me to wash my thinsulate jumpsuit? I do wash my base layer pretty much every time though.

Zipper gets waxed when it needs it. Usually every few dive days.

 

[liuk3]

I have a DUI TLS350 trilaminate drysuit. It gets soaked in warm water in my bathtub after every dive (zipper closed and not allowing water to get inside). I make sure to soak the zipper as well as the dump valve in order to remove salt crystals. I hang dry the suit with zipper open. Once dry, I'll talc the seals and wax the zipper. For longer term storage, I'll fold very loosely with the zipper open per the DUI drysuit manual. When transporting, I treat the drysuit gingerly. So far, over 500 dives on it with no leaks or failures. I've been very happy with the drysuit. Congrats on your drysuit purchase. It is probably the piece of dive gear that has had the single biggest positive impact upon my diving. Have fun!

 

[JollyWaffl]

The guys I went diving with last weekend did a quick 15 min dive in our local quarry after our salt water dive. It wont' necessarily leave it sparkling clean, but it will wash off the salt, and it's more fun than doing it at home in the bathtub.

 

[jbb]

What is everyone's routine for cleaning their drysuit after a dive session?

How often do you clean the inside of your drysuit?
Stored rolled up? (zipper open of course), or hanging in your closet?
QUOTE]
I realize you are very excited to get your new suit but you should just wait for it to arrive, read the directions from the manufacturer and follow thier recommendations.
or
What kind of drysuit are you getting?

If it is neoprene you want to store it hanging (un zipped - no pressure or tension on the zipper) up so it doesn't get folds or creases in the neoprene. You can fold up most laminate suits as other have recommended. Keep it away from all petroleum products, gasses or ozone producing equipment such as some furnace filters.

Depending upon what kind of suit you have it may have a fabric interior that is a bear to get dried out. Most laminate on the otherhand are easier to dry and depending upon what kind of boot (some attached boots have a fabric inside) or sock you have they can easily be turned inside out for drying. There are some premade and diy pvc rigs out there for blowing air up into the drysuit legs to assist drying time.

 

[a22shady]

MOst of my dicing is done in freshwater so After I am done diving ill just give the outside a Hosing rinsing over the Zipper and getting water to flush out the Valve. Or hang it in shower anfd do the same. I use Talc on seals after everydive if i am getting out of the suit to make getting back in little easier. I wax the zipper at the end of day of diving. I do not wash inside I have had no need to. It stays dry inside no smell. I use the thicker hanger and leave the suit hanging . Had it that way all end of last dive season with no issues. Put the shoulders on the Bigger parts wrap the Put the shoulder straps around lower hangs perfect

Underwater Kinetics Exposure Suit Hanger - 4.5 Inc @ Divers-Supply.com