I usually toss my wetsuit into a little bag and store it in the closet for the season, but recently, I started to do some research and learned that if you want your wetsuit to stay fresh and durable for seasons to follow, you must prep them for the winter.
Here’s how to store your wetsuit for the winter:
Step 1:
Buy special wetsuit/drysuit hangers and wetsuit/drysuit shampoo. Some people use regular “people” shampoo but I would prefer to use a special shampoo suitable for the wetsuit. I bought Gear Aid Revivex Wetsuit and Drysuit Shampoo, Cleaner and Conditioner on Amazon and paid $7.95.
I also bought special hangers on Amazon for storage. (You can’t use regular hangers because they can put a hole in your wetsuit.) The hangers cost $8.98 each. I bought two for my long sleeve and no sleeve Roka wetsuits.
Step 2:
Fill up your tub with water and put a cap full of the shampoo in the tub. It will get soapy and foam up. You don’t need to fill up the tub all the way, just about a quarter to a half.
Step 3:
Soak the wetsuit in the solution. Make sure to get it soapy clean. You don’t need to scrub. Just gently slosh the suit in the water.
Step 4:
Rinse the suit off with cool water. Make sure all the soap is out.
Step 5:
Hang to dry. I put them over my shower curtain.
Step 6:
Once dry, hang them on the hangers, zip them up and put them in your closet for the season. It’s that simple!
By doing this, the wetsuit should last for years to come! Happy “off-season!”
