Take care of your wetsuit: do's & don'ts

Yak! No one wants to be a stinky water-rat. Next to avoiding being smelly benny of the sea, a wetsuit is probably one of your big(ger) investments. Pulling on your precious soft and luxurious rubber, is necessary for some good old cold water fun. Proper, obsessive maintenance will extend the lifetime of your wetsuit.

NO WASMACHINE. No. You don’t.

Freshwater rinse. Please. Do a fresh water rinse after every session. Even if you have only a few hours in between your sessions. You can store a big bottle of water in or on your car/boat/sup.

Storage. This doesn’t mean stuffing in your bag, but hanging them in the garage or shower (out of direct sunlight). Use a broad plastic hanger and hang it, inside-out and doubled-up.

Wohoo shampoo! Just like you, stinky, once in a while your wetsuit needs a shampoo too. Especially salt can destroy your wetsuit if you do not flush it out. So: Fill a bucket with cold water, put in the wetsuit cleaner of your choice and rub it baby! After cleansing, rinse it again with fresh water.

Slow down, mister. If you need to take of your wetsuit, please do it slowly. Put pressure on it evenly, and carefully peel back your suit. Peel off your suit instead of pulling at the arms or legs. Try to undress on a towel or floor, instead of sand.