Wetsuit care: rinsing, drying, smell and small repairs

6 min read

Neoprene is foam rubber full of tiny gas cells. Heat, sunlight and harsh handling break that foam down, and a broken-down suit is stiffer and colder. Most of the care is simple: fresh cold water, shade, and a wide hanger.

After every session

1. Rinse it in fresh, cold or lukewarm water, inside and out, until the salt, sand and dirt are gone. The sooner the better: in the car park if you can, before the salt dries into the neoprene. A tub or bucket uses less water than a hose.
2. Never use hot water. O'Neill call this critical: heat dries out the neoprene and weakens the glue in the seams, and the suit loses stretch.
3. Rinse the zip and work it up and down a few times to flush out sand.
4. Rinse boots, gloves and hood the same way, inside too.

Washing

A rinse is enough most days. Every few sessions, or when it starts to smell, wash it by hand in cold water. O'Neill suggest a wash with a wetsuit cleaner every 3 to 5 sessions.

• Wetsuit shampoo is made for the job. A mild, non-detergent soap or baby shampoo also works, according to evo; O'Neill say a little natural soap does no harm.
• Avoid household detergent, bleach, solvents and 2-in-1 shampoos with conditioner. O'Neill say chemicals damage the neoprene.
• Soak and swish it in a tub, inside out, then rinse it clean in fresh water.

In the app: No washing machine, no dryer. O'Neill, evo and Finisterre all advise against them: the drum and spin stretch the neoprene and damage the glued seams, and the dryer's heat does the rest. O'Neill also rule out an iron, bleach and dry cleaning. Some general guides say a cold gentle cycle can work on a thick suit; no brand we checked recommends it. Check the label inside your own suit.

Drying

1. Inside out first. The lining holds most of the water and is the side against your skin, so it should dry first. Drying inside out also keeps the outside out of the light.
2. In the shade, somewhere airy. Sunlight and ozone break down neoprene: O'Neill say always keep it out of direct sun. A shower stall, a covered balcony or a garage with a window works.
3. Turn it right side out once the inside is dry and let the outside dry fully. Wait until both sides are dry before you put it away, or it will grow mould and smell.

Hanging and storing

• Use a wide, thick hanger, a wetsuit hanger or a padded one. Never a wire hanger: evo say the metal makes the neoprene stiffen and crack at the shoulders.
• Wet suits are heavy. Hung by the shoulders, the weight of the water stretches them. A horizontal hanger with the suit folded over the waist spreads the load; Seea and O'Neill both describe this for drying.
• For storage, hang it or lay it flat. Sources differ on folding: O'Neill's European blog says hang it over the waist to drip dry and also says do not fold it; their New Zealand and Australian pages say roll rather than fold if you cannot hang it. evo say avoid folding to stop creases that lose warmth. The safe choice is a wide hanger, or flat, or loosely rolled.
• Somewhere cool, dark and dry, away from heaters, damp corners and the boot of a hot car.

The smell

The smell comes from bacteria feeding on sweat, skin oils and urine trapped in the neoprene. Urine is the hardest to get out, says evo. Rinsing straight after every session and drying fully stops most of it.

• If it already smells: soak it inside out in cold water with a wetsuit cleaner. Enzyme cleaners (for example Gear Aid Revivex Odor Eliminator, formerly MiraZyme) break down the bacteria instead of covering the smell.
• Peeing in the suit happens, especially in cold water. evo's advice is simply not to; if you do, rinse it thoroughly as soon as you can and wash it with an enzyme cleaner now and then.

The zip

• Sand wears zips out. Rinse the zip after every session and move it while you rinse.
• evo suggest beeswax or a zip lubricant so the zip runs smoothly and does not snag and tear the suit. O'Neill say to oil zips every few months.
• Do not force a stuck zip. Rinse it, lubricate it, and work it gently.

Small tears and holes

Fix small cuts early; they grow. Neoprene cement such as Aquaseal Neo or Black Witch glues neoprene to itself. The steps evo give:

1. Clean the suit, let it dry fully, and turn it inside out.
2. Clean the tear with rubbing alcohol and let it evaporate.
3. Brush a thin coat of glue on both edges of the tear. Keep the edges apart for 1 to 3 minutes until tacky.
4. Add a second thin coat to both edges and wait about 10 minutes.
5. Press the edges together firmly and straight, and put a weight on it.
6. Let it cure. The glue sets in a few minutes, but evo say the bond forms more fully after at least 6 hours, and overnight is best.

• Gear Aid list Aquaseal Neo with a cure time of about 20 minutes, applied at 15 to 27 °C. Glue it somewhere airy: the product contains solvent (toluene).
• For a long split, a missing chunk, or a seam or stitches coming apart, evo suggest a professional repair. Some brands run a repair service (O'Neill and Zone3 among them); check yours before you glue a suit still under warranty.

When a suit is finished

Neoprene compresses with use, loses its stretch and stops keeping you warm. Estimates for how long a suit lasts vary from about a year and a half for someone in the water most days to several years for occasional use. Signs it is time:

• You are cold in it in water where it used to be fine.
• Water flushes in at the neck, wrists or ankles because the seals have stretched.
• Seams are peeling apart or letting water through.
• The neoprene feels hard, cracks at the knees or under the arms, or the outside has gone rough.
• A worn-out suit can still be a spare or go to a wetsuit recycling scheme rather than the bin.

Travelling

• Rinse before you pack if you can, ideally before you leave the beach.
• A wet suit goes in a waterproof bag or tub, away from the rest of your gear. Open the bag and hang the suit up as soon as you arrive: a suit left wet and closed in grows mould.
• Do not leave it in a hot car. Heat is what kills neoprene and the glue in the seams.
• Pack it loosely rolled rather than tightly folded.

Sources: O'Neill: wetsuit care instructions, how to wash and clean your wetsuit · O'Neill NZ: wetsuit care · evo: wetsuit repair and care guide · Finisterre: how to wash a wetsuit · Seea: Yulex wetsuits warmth, fit and care guide · Gear Aid: Aquaseal Neo neoprene contact cement · Sharkskin: how often should you replace your wetsuit? · Fourth Element: wetsuit care guide (PDF)

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