Does anyone else feel like a boss when they put on their wetsuit? There’s something powerful about being able to withstand cold temperatures, bypass beauty standards in favour of fun, and float quite buoyantly in water.

In any case, after emerging from a watery adventure, it can be tempting to throw our wetsuits in a bag and forget about them post-session. That said, giving your suit a little care can go a long way. Aside from lasting longer, your wetsuit will smell nicer and be more hygienic for your skin.

We’ve put together some quick and easy tips on how to care for your wetsuit, so you can enjoy your session faff-free:

1. Take it off carefully

It can be a struggle to put on and take off a wet wetsuit, especially if it’s of the thick winter variety. All that pushing and pulling can damage and break apart the seams, so it can be beneficial to grab wider parts of the suit when peeling it off, as opposed to small sections near the seams.

Top tip: Try to avoid standing on one leg as you yank off the other, and even stand on a changing mat to keep it clean in the process.

2. Pre-wash care

Once it’s off, it’s time to wash it. Except, if you’re at the beach or a lake, you might need to travel home first. In the meantime, have a bottle of water to hand to do a pre-wash rinse, and then place in a clean bag.

Top tip: Don’t chuck it on the floor of your car, it’ll only make everything wet and pick up sand and other debris that you’ll only have to wash off later!

3. Making bread!

As soon as you get home, rinsing and kneading your suit at the same time (making bread!) is the golden step to keep your suit fresh, and avoid the build up of bacteria and mildew. Place your suit in a container (bucket, bath, or shower also works fine) of cold water (not hot), and knead at the neoprene for a few minutes, not forgetting the zip areas. Make sure to turn the suit inside out and repeat, before giving a final fresh rinse.

Top tip: Don’t be tempted to put it in the washing machine instead – all that warm water, detergent and spinning will damage your wetsuit.

4. Hang it properly

Almost done! Hang the suit in a well-ventilated area, out of direct sunlight, so that it dries properly. Make sure to turn the suit inside out every half a day or so to make sure that it’s dry all the way through before you store it away.

Top tip: If you’re away from home and changing at school or work showers, make sure to bring a hanger with you in your bag. A wide hanger is best, where you can hang the wetsuit through the middle, doubling over the waist, as opposed to from the shoulder.

5. Occasional shampoo

If you use your suit regularly, and just rinsing in water is not doing the trick, you might want to consider buying a lovely wetsuit style shampoo for your suit. Made especially for neoprene fabrics, these products help remove all of the residues from your suit and leave it smelling nice, while caring for the seams.

Top tip: Use only a little bit, and make sure it’s washed out properly.

6. Pee Patrol

It’s happened to the best of us after a long session in the water, but if you can hold it, try not to pee in your suit. While it might seem that it’ll wash out immediately, in reality neoprene is thick and not very porous, so it will just sit in your suit.

Top tip: If you do pee, make sure to run some water through your suit before you do the ‘kneading bread’ washing trick, and apply some of that wetsuit shampoo.

7. Store it safely

Finally when it’s dry and clean, you’re going to want to put your wetsuit somewhere safe. A hot car is not a great place to store a wetsuit, neither is outside! Either keep it laid out somewhere flat, or hang it on a wide hanger (doubled over the waist), out of direct sunlight. Avoid hanging from the top of the suit, as this will create indents in the shoulders.

Top tip: Try to hang the suit from the middle once it’s dry. If you have to store it in a drawer or box, try to roll it as opposed to folding, to not weaken any areas. 

Wetsuit care equipment check list:

• Dry bag
• Container (bucket or bath)
• Wetsuit shampoo
• Wide hanger

If you can do these 7 steps every time you use your suit, you’ll be enjoying it for years to come, and hopefully saving some money and increasing sustainability in the process.

Do you have any other top tips? Let us know on Instagram!