Five Tips on Caring for Surfing Wetsuits

Surfing wetsuits will stiffen and shrink as they age. You can slow this process down by taking good care of them. There are a few things you should know to make sure you're caring for your wetsuit properly. This article will give you a few tips on caring for surfing wetsuits.

Sun

You should be careful when exposing surfing wetsuits to the sun. You need to keep it out of direct sunlight anytime you're not wearing it. UV rays will cause the neoprene to age very quickly. This causes surfing wetsuits to get hard and lose their flexibility. The material will eventually start cracking too. If you need to dry these wetsuits, you should find a place to do it in the shade.

Cleaning

You are not supposed to wash surfing wetsuits in a washing machine. You should always do it by hand. Also, you will have to avoid using bleach or strong washing powder to clean surfing wetsuits. It's best to use a mild washing powder made specifically for washing them.

Holes

Surfing wetsuits will inevitably get holes in them over time. This can often be caused by your fingernails. If your wetsuit gets a hole in it, you should get some neoprene glue in order to repair it. You will need to do this as soon as you notice the hole. Over time, holes may become too large and they may not be able to be repaired.

Hot Water

You should always be careful when using hot water on surfing wetsuits. Hot water will cause the material to lose some of its flexibility. Therefore, you should only take cold showers when wearing surfing wetsuits. If you like to take hot showers after a being in the cold water, you will need to make sure you take off your wetsuit first.

Heat

Heat can also damage surfing wetsuits, so you should never expose them to excessive heat. This includes keeping them away from room heaters and radiators. You should especially make sure that you never put surfing wetsuits in a dry because that will really damage the neoprene.