The wetsuit is a major element in diving gear to which we get attached with time. It protects us from cold waters, hits, scratches and if it is really good it can even hide the belly gives us that halo of adventurer that look so well on your Instagram pictures.
Diving suits are expensive. A good diving wetsuit will cost from € 200 and then up to € 1,000 or more for good dry suits. So ideally the wetsuit should last us quite some time. If you want to use the same diving suit for hundreds of dives you should follow these steps that will keep the suit looking like new for a long time.
1. Rinse your suit immediately after diving
As soon as you finish your dive, if possible, put your suit in fresh water or give it a good hose down to remove the salt. If you do not rinse it well, when the water evaporates, the salt will crystallize, damaging your suit and allowing water into the suit the next time you dive with it.
2. Dry it with the inside out
When you put the wetsuit out to dry, turn the inside out to allow the inside to dry first. That way if you dive the next day it will be dry inside and wearing it would be more pleasant. On the other hand, it is better for the light to hit the inside preventing light damage to the outside which would redice the flexibility of the suit's fabric.
3. Do not expose it to sunlight
Following the above advice, whenever you can, do not expose your wetsuit to direct sunlight. Ultraviolet rays will damage the fibers of your suit (as they do with all fibers, by the way) but in the case of wetsuit, it will decrease the elasticity of the fibers and it can even crack it which will increase the chances of water intake each time you dive.
The sun damages the wetsuits, do not expose to the sun for long periods of time. pic by Froschmann : かえるおとこ
4. Store it on wetsuit hangers
As you may have noticed, the neoprene suit weighs more than your shirts so when the dive suit is going to spend some time stored, hang it on that special hangers for wetsuits that will not damage the suit. Wet suits can also can be folded and stored in a drawer, but make sure it is not strongly bent or badly wedged.
5. Be careful with the washing machine
Do not let your mother wash it unless you want to buy another latest model of diving wetsuit. The residual detergent, centrifugation and hot water are the best friends of the dive shop owners. You may use the machine but be careful to wash it by itself in a cold program without using the spinning cycle.
6. Do not use detergents
Regular wetsuit use will give the wetsuit a particular smell (especially if you’re one of those divers who urinate in the wetsuit because there is no other choice. Yes there is a scientific explanation to the need of peeing once you start diving) which doesn’t go with a simple rinse. Put it in the tub for 15 minutes with a little baby shampoo and rinse well after.
7. Watch the zippers
If you do not take care of them and give occasionally wax zippers can break, ruining the suit. Use special waxes for the care and maintenance of the racks.
8. Beware the heat
Excessive heat is one of the most harmful things to do to your suit. Never wash your suit with hot water or leave it in a car under the sun. The heat damages the fabric causing it to lose elasticity and even breaking.
9. That suit does not need ironing
The last advise because we very much doubt that anyone will iron its suit, but you never know. If you iron the diving suit you will ruin it.
