We all love our wetsuits especially when the weather and water turn cold. Maybe you’re warm blooded and can get by with a 2/2 or 3/2 but if you’re like me, I need my long/long 4/3 and at times I wish it was warmer. The challenge with thicker suits in the winter is how to dry them. The air is cold and it can even be raining outside, so what to do? Below is the best way we have found to get wetsuits dry in the winter month.
1) Start out by giving your wetsuit a good rinse after getting out of the water or getting home. I’ll assume since you took it off, it’s inside out.
2) Then wring out the suit and get as much water out of it as possible. I roll it up on the tailgate of my truck and squeeze and twist it to get the water out. I’ve also done this on the garage floor or anywhere you can roll and get pressure on it. Some people recommend rolling it up in big fluffy towels, but we have not seen this make a big difference in drying time.
3) Hang the suit folded in two so the air can circulate around the outside and inside. We recommend using the Malo’o DryRack as you can mount this in the garage, shower or any covered area in addition to its usual car use. (see pics below) The rack allows air flow and protects your suit. DO NOT hang it from the shoulders on a wetsuit hanger as it will take forever to dry. The moisture needs to travel from the top of the shoulders all the way to the bottom cuff in order to expel the water. Folding in half creates two drip processes making it go much faster.
4) After an hour or two, flip the wetsuit over in the rack. You can keep the top on the same side and bottom, you just want to expose the other side to the major air flow of the room. This is also an excellent time to wring any additional water you can get out from the arms and legs.
5) If you have the ability to place the drying rack and wetsuit in a location near an open window with good air flow, or you can place it near an extractor fan or dehumidifier these can help improve the drying time.
6) When the wetsuit feels dry to the touch, turn it right side in and place it back on the drying rack. It won’t be long and you’ll be able to put it back on.
Follow these steps and you’ll never have to experience putting on a wet wetsuit. We’ve probably all experienced it at one time or another, and I can safely say, I never want to again.
Please do not place your wetsuit in the dryer, even on a low temperature tumble dry setting. I know a lot forums may say this is ok, but it’s not. Temperatures above 80°F can damage seams by weakening the glue. Follow the steps above and you’ll be golden!
