Here are some tips to keep your wetsuit in good health:
Packing / Transportation / Storage
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When packing it for any length of time (to travel, to take it to dive etc), fold it neatly and keep it on the top of your bag, don’t put things on top of the wetsuit. The fewer the folds, the better. If traveling, make sure your wetsuit is the last thing that goes in your luggage and the first thing to come out.
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Always store flat if possible. Lay the pieces out on the floor – not one on top of the other – when your suit is completely dry.
Before / after diving
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Never dig your nails into the suit when putting it on or taking it off. It’s best to make sure your nails are smooth and not too long in general.
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If you have a suit that is lycra or fabric inside, you can slide it on provided your skin is completely dry. So make sure to put the suit on when you’re completely dry and then get in the water slowly so as to not get water in the suit and stay warm and once in, open the neck a little bit to remove any excess air that will float to the top.
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If you have a suit that is open cell inside, use cold (not hot!) soap water to get the inside of the suit wet. Then use some of the same soap water to get your skin wet. This makes it easier to put on and take off an open cell suit. Again, no nails!
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To take off the suit, fold the bottom of the jacket over and put some water in the fold. Take a deep breath, pull the neck up so your nose is inside the suit and pull the suit up. The water in the fold will help it slide off easily and your nose being inside the suit will not snag as you take it off.
Drying
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After having taken the suit off, it is now inside out. Rinse it with some water to remove the soap and/or pee 🙂 Fold it as is (neatly again) into your bag and when you take it home, rinse it again with some lukewarm water. Lay it flat on a clothes rack and let the inside (that is now out) dry completely before turning it round so that you have the outside out again, repeat the process until the outside is dry and store.
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Do not dry in the sun under any circumstances. Once you have done the first rinse, put it in your (preferably dry) bag until you get to where you can dry it out, always in the shade.