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wetsuit drying/care

Created by

gogogo > 9 months ago, 20 May 2016

gogogo

54 posts

20 May 2016 9:56am

Now that I hopefully have surfer's ears covered for the winter, wondering about best system for wetsuit drying. Unfortunately, I don't have the required capital for a 'alternate wetsuits' system (sounds brilliant though), so been thinking about best way to dry the one suit I have.

I've read and heard arguments that one should never hang up a wetsuit." If you hang it on a hanger by the shoulders, you'll stretch it out". "If you fold it in half over a hanger, you'll crease it". Do they arguments still hold if you have a nice wide, rounded hanger? For example,

Shoulder saver hanger:
www.amazon.com/dp/B001OAH4RW/ref=cm_sw_su_dp

Or, we could get fancy, and have a hanger with a fan in it:
www.amazon.com/dp/B0011G1F8S/ref=cm_sw_su_dp

(some complaints that you need to stretch suit to get it on the hanger, and also that the fan is pretty loud) (if you want to DYI a fan, apparently you want a brushless fan, so no ozone? damages material?)

I used to just tie the back zip string onto shower which worked pretty well (and no damage to zip or stretching), but I now have a front zip.

I read that Taj says leaving the wetsuit flat on the deck is the way to go, but winter is coming and that's not going to work for me.

What have you folks worked out?

kitemantim

148 posts

20 May 2016 11:12am

Check seventh wave website they cover much of what you want

HGFish

NSW

148 posts

20 May 2016 1:16pm

Been hanging all my suits on decent hangers (similar to the shoulder saver hanger in your link), turn them inside out, for over 35 years, never had any issue. The one thing I try not to do is hang in direct sunlight. My suits typically last between 3-5 years (surf between 3-6 times a week) depending on where they fit in the wetsuit scale as far as flex comfort go (the higher the flex / comfort the less they last). Last wash / rinse before summer is with wetsuit shampoo and then they hang in the cupboard for summer.

I've had many mates that don't rinse or take any particular care and mine don't really outlast them by much. Cool rinse in fresh water and dry out of direct sun is more important than what hanger you're using IMO.

Gorgo

VIC

5108 posts

20 May 2016 1:50pm

I slipped a couple of lengths of plastic conduit over the clothes line and hang my suits over that. I also have a rectangular frame made out of conduit hanging from the garage ceiling for drying other stuff.

Unlike HGFish I have had the ends of coat hangers go through the shoulders of wetties so I am now particularly careful with them. I use suit hangers (like the shoulder saver ones) for storage when dry, or for airing the suit after it has dripped dry overnight. The problem with shoulders came about in the past 15 years with the super stretch suits. It never used to be a problem.

If you want to dry a wettie for quick use, pop it in the washing machine and run it through the spin dry setting. Obviously, don't run it through the wash setting.

I rinse my suits in fresh water after each session and hang them over the clothes line to dry in the shade. Mid-late morning I move them into the garage to dry in the shade before the afternoon session.

I just went through my records and I am still using a Rip Curl Fireskin 4/3 I bought in 2005. It's had a couple of repairs but is powering on nicely. I must be doing something right.

I have a RipCurl Flashbomb that "feels" dry in 20 minutes. That is normally my alternate winter suit but the weather has been so warm the old suit dries overnight.

The worst thing for wetsuits is mishandling. Stuff like dragging the suit on and putting your fingernails through it or pulling on the legs to get the suit on or off. All that causes tears and damages the fabric.

gogogo

54 posts

20 May 2016 12:30pm

Select to expand quote

In case you're lazy like me, here's what seventh's wave says about wetsuit care:
seventhwavenz.blogspot.com/2013/09/wetsuit-tip-3-how-to-dry-your-wetsuit.html

>>

No one likes putting on a cold, wet, wetsuit. It's an uncomfortable experience, but necessary if you want to surf more than once in a day.
To get your wetsuit drying faster we have a few simple tips to follow:
1) Rinse and hang wetsuit - inside out
Rinsing your wetsuit is good practice and will give your wetsuit a longer life. After rinsing, hang it up on a wide plastic hanger, inside out (a ventilator hanger is ideal).
Hang it in a breezy well ventilated area out of the sun. Extended exposure to UV rays will damage the neoprene in your wetsuit.

2) Leave for 20 minutes
Leave it for about 20 minutes. The water in the wetsuit will start to pool in the lower arms and legs.

3) Squeeze
Now squeeze the pooled water out of each arm and leg. Start at the shoulder and squeeze your way down to the wrist.
On the leg, start at the thigh and squeeze your way down to the ankles.

Repeat this step after waiting another 20 minutes.

4) Leave to dry
Leave your wetsuit hanging in the breeze for another hour or two. After this time it should be dry enough to put on comfortably. Drying time is dependent on the type of neoprene and lining your wetsuit is made of.

Yamamoto neoprene (used in Seventhwave wetsuits) is made from Limestone and is 94% hydrophobic so the majority of the water is absorbed in the nylon lining only.
Most other brands are made from oil-based neoprene which is less hydrophobic - between 60%-70%. These wetsuits absorb more water and therefore take a lot longer to dry.

Extra tips

During Winter or in cold conditions, drying your wetsuit will take longer especially outside or in a garage (it might not be totally dry by morning). Bathrooms are generally well ventilated rooms - perfect for drying a wetsuit. Hang your wetsuit in the shower or over the bathtub and squeeze the water out of the arms and legs a few times in the first two hours.

<div class="separator">

Ventilator Quick-Dry Hanger These extra wide hangers allow lots of air to flow through your wetsuit - speeding up drying time. The large width of the hanger also reduces strain on the shoulders and keeps the wetsuit from stretching out. Check them out

cantSUPenough

VIC

2131 posts

20 May 2016 4:01pm

I had trouble getting my steamer dry in winter and resorted to your fan hanger (on a timer) www.amazon.com/dp/B0011G1F8S/ref=cm_sw_su_dp in combination with a boot dryer like this: cozywinters.com/shop/dg1.html also on a timer. It can blow warm air or normal air. I stick two of the uprights up the legs of the wettie and the other two into my booties.

I always have a dry wetsuit the next day.

Seventh's wave's instructions sound like way too much work! With my set-up you hang, click and forget.

gogogo

54 posts

20 May 2016 2:18pm

The greensurfshop point about using a dry towel to soak up a bunch of water right of the bat is something I hadn’t thought of before. Seems like the ideal solution would be something that allows you to fold wetsuit in half (very thick and round hanger to avoid folds), which would avoid stretching of shoulders, but then somehow also use fan to dry.

Given how much wetsuits seem to losen up over time, I’m slightly paranoid about stretching out neck / shoulders by hanging up wet by the shoulders. However, I currently do just that, and have it in the sun for a couple hours to boot. I never rinse with fresh water. I do rinse and dry my board though (priorities)

I don’t use boots or gloves (although maybe it would have saved me from breaking a toe last winter), but that glove/boot dryer seems cool.
Kitemantim - do you own a seventh wave suit? The idea of custom fit wetsuits sounds awesome, as well as an annual maintenance check. I’ve never really owned a suit that fit me very well.

kitemantim

148 posts

20 May 2016 2:43pm

I have got 2 customs (now about 4 years old) still going strong and this year got one for my son. can't question the quality and service for the last one I bought was 10 days from order to delivery.

They are prefect if you are not standard size like me eg short and rounder than the model most wetsuits seem to be based on, gone are the days of endless roles on the legs etc.

I have no affiliation with 7th wave apart from been a happy customer.

Foam

768 posts

20 May 2016 2:51pm

Agree x 3 suits for me all custom fit
Use to use flash bomb but the crap things last 1 season if that and with the flash lining are very heavy when wet

Clarky

QLD

295 posts

20 May 2016 5:10pm

I've got a double towel rack installed inside my downstairs shower that is purely used for showers after a surf. I shower with the wetsuit on and then hang up draped over the two bars. Wetsuits are dry ready for the early surf next day.

Gorgo

VIC

5108 posts

20 May 2016 6:00pm

I do the seventh wave thing when I am away for winter surf trips. It's not a specific process. It's more something I do.

Cook the bbq dinner. Feel the wetsuit as I walk past. Give the arms and legs a bit of a squeeze. Eat dinner. Drink wine. Check the wettie. Give it a squeeze.

I looked at electric dryers but couldn't be stuffed adding all that extra gear to the travel kit. The car is full enough with 5 boards on the roof, 3 kites, esky, missus, etc.

Wrapping your wet wetsuit in a towel is a bit of a waste of time. You end up with a slightly less wet wettie, and a very wet towel. It might make the suit a bit dryer in the morning. It doesn't make the difference between a wet wettie and a dry one. All it really saves is that 20-30 minute dripping stage.

shoodbegood

VIC

873 posts

20 May 2016 9:33pm

I just leave mine in the car and occasionally hang it of the tail gate at work if i remember, not often
Then i just put it on again

gogogo

54 posts

21 May 2016 3:43am

shoodbegood, hope your car doesn't smell as bad as mine does! (I have been known to use the same 'technique')

kitemantim

148 posts

21 May 2016 7:13am

I am sure we have used the drop and walk away technique.

I usually wash my wetsuit with something like

www.splash.co.nz/shop/Scuba/Wetsuits/ATLANTIS+ECO+GEAR+WASH.html

Keeps she who must be obeyed happy when she comes down to the beach with me and the car doesn't stink of old wetsuit.

pumpjockey02

309 posts

21 May 2016 2:04pm

Yes can concur with above have been using wetsuits for years. If you think you are going out again before the wetsuit will dry keep it on for 20 minutes out of the water your body will dry it quicker than on a hanger.
:i have only ever used shower water rinse after every surf use. :i also never hang any neoprene in the sun its just wasting money.
The hanger will work as long as your squeeze the ends out. However i find that the second surf is usually colder than the first when the wind gets up.
I personally use a wetsuit and then have a wetsuit rash vest and wetsuit pants to wear if my first wetty is soaked. This combo is also more flexible and less restrictive which I like.
The other thing to keep in mind is the less thickness and more strechability the quicker the wetty will dry. So maybe get a summer wetsuit with long arms as a second wetty option.

surfershaneA

868 posts

24 May 2016 8:31am

Big thing is a thorough rinse in fresh water before hand?

Never had problems hanging my suit over the shower rod. It's clothes line and hot sun that causes the damage???

Over drying the suit till its burnt isn't healthy either. Better some remaining moisture than crispy?

I have found if my wetsuit starts smelling the easy remedy is to hang it out turned inside out in the rain.

steve p

NSW

26 posts

24 May 2016 1:48pm

I'm as lazy as they come with wetsuit care, but there's nothing like a damp suit on a cold morning to make you pull your finger out.
Usually my wet wetsuit sits in the car at work all day. A towell works pretty good if you do it right. Not perfect but a lot better than nothing. The trick is to roll it up like a jam roll, so that the wetsuit is only touching the towell, not wetsuit on wetsuit. Then give it a good squeeze to get the towell to wick up as much as possible. If you peel the top of your suit off as you leave the water (if its not freezing), the towell doesn't have as much water to wick up. Win for the towell and win the ladies.

colas

5370 posts

24 May 2016 6:40pm

My routine:
- in a basin, rinse the wetsuit inside out. make water go inside (rinsing the outside). From time to time add some mild soap (shampoo)
- change water, re-rinse, put the wetsuit inside in (normal)
- let dry OUT OF THE SUN on a Hangair uwk.com/products/hangair-drying-system
tip: sand the edges of the hangair, they are quite sharp out of the box

- letting it dry inside out will destroy the waterproof seals
- avoid the sun at all costs
- avoid sharp folds: never hang on a clothes line directly: For this is I use some PVC pipe around the line to put the wetsuit over.

steve p

NSW

26 posts

25 May 2016 9:42am

How come hanging inside out destroys the seals? Everyone I know does it.

micksmith

VIC

1701 posts

25 May 2016 1:03pm

Select to expand quote

steve p said..
How come hanging inside out destroys the seals? Everyone I know does it.

I'm struggling to find a reason, providing it's not hung in direct sunlight or on a coat hanger.

I use to have only one steamer now I am a multiple suit owner, so much easier to rotate through cleaning drying process. Buy suits on special.
Next time though think I'll give www.needessentials.com a go. They are a high quality no frills company, or at least that's what they say, check them out.

colas

5370 posts

25 May 2016 4:39pm

Select to expand quote

steve p said..
How come hanging inside out destroys the seals? Everyone I know does it.

Sorry, I was too simplistic:
- this does not apply to non-waterproof seams (entry level suits, the "Pro" line for Rip Curl, ...)
- if you do not have a hanger with a fan, true, it is better to let it dry first inside out rather than keeping it humid.

A good solution for cheap hanging and long term storage is to fold the wetsuit in half at the waist on a bit of PVC tube that you slide on an open hanger like:

fuall

375 posts

25 May 2016 5:13pm

washing machine-spin cycle for a quicker fix

ka43

NSW

3097 posts

25 May 2016 8:28pm

Drink one cup of cement, take off wettie in a 30 knot westerly straight off the snowies, chuck on the ground, light up ciggie, stand around bull****ting about how good you went, get in clothes, no shoes. Put gear on or in car/wagon, pick up wettie & chuck in back of vehicle. Go to work or go home, leave wettie in vehicle.
If going out again, HTFU and scream as you inch wettie on body. If not, get your missus or kids to get wettie out of vehicle and ask them to see if it smells ok.
If they abuse you with "Dad you are disgusting" then you may leave the building.

gogogo

54 posts

26 May 2016 2:38am

ka43, that's pretty much me! (minus the ciggie and kids)

colas - nice DYI hanger. Might have to copy your patented design. Where do I send the royalty cheques/checks?

Confessions - i never rinse my suit. I secretly wonder if t's one of those things that parents told us, like how you shouldn't swim after you eat.

colas

5370 posts

26 May 2016 4:54pm

Select to expand quote

gogogo said..
colas - nice DYI hanger. Might have to copy your patented design. Where do I send the royalty cheques/checks?

Just post here any enhancements you come up with!

cameronil

VIC

97 posts

26 May 2016 7:32pm

My advice is just leave the wettiie on! More likely to get to your next session.

My wettiie goes outside for a few hours til drip dry then inside under the ducted heating vent. Dries in no time there. Extra good if you have upstairs ducted vent as it also acts like a drying room. The key is dry warm air.

Area10

1508 posts

26 May 2016 6:11pm

I add a couple of capfuls of cheap disinfectant (the sort of stuff you'll find for cleaning surfaces or disinfecting cuts) to a builders' bucketful of water to rinse my wetties, then leave for 5 mins and rinse. Wetsuits smell like new. You don't have to do it every time you use it , although once you start getting used to lovely fresh wetsuits, you'll want to. If you want it to smell even nicer, then add some shampoo to the bucket too.

samden

VIC

29 posts

27 May 2016 5:34am

I hang up on a hanger and stick the legs over a shoe dryer:

Blows warm air up the legs, moist warm air comes out the arm and neck holes. Dries the whole wetty in about 3 hours.

Then I fold over a thick pipe. As it's dry it isn't nearly as heavy as when it's wet, so no worries about going out of shape.

mollydooka

252 posts

28 May 2016 4:45pm

Plastic hanger too thin, & no thick conduit on hand, just came up with another way to hang wettie, but only works if you have Velcro straps for your paddle on your sup cover:

colas

5370 posts

28 May 2016 8:11pm

Select to expand quote

colas said..
My routine:
- in a basin, rinse the wetsuit inside out. make water go inside (rinsing the outside). From time to time add some mild soap (shampoo)
- change water, re-rinse, put the wetsuit inside in (normal)
- let dry OUT OF THE SUN on a Hangair uwk.com/products/hangair-drying-system
tip: sand the edges of the hangair, they are quite sharp out of the box

Based on the ideas here, I have changed my routine:

- in a basin, rinse the wetsuit inside out. make water go inside (rinsing the outside). From time to time add some mild soap (shampoo)
- change water, re-rinse
- let most water drip (one or two hours) OUT OF THE SUN, the wetsuit still inside-out, folded around a PVC pipe on an open hanger or any other kind of tube
- pull it inside in, and let it dry on a Hangair uwk.com/products/hangair-drying-system.

This way I avoid the first hours on the hangair when the wetsuit is heavy with water and can put stress on the shoulders, while minimizing the time spent inside-out.

mollydooka

252 posts

29 May 2016 3:53pm

your link doesn't work Colas, try this one: uwk.com/products/hangair-drying-system

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