My wetsuit (Xterra Vector, if that matters) has been sitting folded on the closet for the last five years. Any thoughts on the best way to revive it? Or is it toast? I was thinking I’d pull it out, soak it in water, let it dry, and then try to pull it on.
Thanks,
-Colin
Soaking it in water is the only thing I’ve heard of.
A TIP FROM EMILIO: WET YOUR WETSUIT
It is the start of the season. Just before your first race you pull out your wetsuit. You have not worn it in months. You put it on and it just plain feels tighter than you remember.
Did it shrink?
Is the rubber less flexible?
Do you need a new wetsuit?
…well, the answer are: sort of, sort of, and yes, unless you already own a T1 (just kidding).
The Tip: Soak your wetsuit a few days before the race. Soak it in a tub with 3 inches of water for about 5 minutes a few days before your race.
The Reason: All Wetsuits are kind of like sponges. When they are moist they are supple and flexible. Believe it or not, your wetsuits stay moist for days, even weeks between uses, though they appear dry… just like a sponge. Over time, as it gets really dry, it gets stiff and not-so-supple, thus feeling like it shrunk…like the way a sponge shrinks up. More wetsuits rip at the start of the season, than any other time of the year. Good if you are me, bad if you are you. Your wetsuit will last longer and be more comfortable if you wet it before you wear it!
Live well,
Emilio De Soto
A bit too late now, but leaving your wetsuit folded for 5 years is, unfortunately, not a great idea. The folds will kill the suit.
The best long-term storage that I have heard of is to to leave the wetsuit fully hanging, but not on a typical clothes hanger, instead on a really wide/fat plastic hanger sort of like this:
While a wide hanger will help, it still risks stretching thin neoprene at the shoulders. Flat on the ground or a shelf, not folded, is best.
Blown closed cell rubber does degrade over time, but it has nothing to do with water loss. When your car tires become old and cracked, do you guys soak them in a tub of water to rejuvenate them?!
Yeah, I’ve used those in the past. When I was racing I would either use those or store it lying flat. Then I took a break, had a kid, needed space… you know how it goes.
While a wide hanger will help, it still risks stretching thin neoprene at the shoulders. Flat on the ground or a shelf, not folded, is best.
You might be right, but two things: a suit laying flat will have a fold created all around its perimeter, which will also cause issues over time. Also, if space is somewhat limited, few of us have enough shelf space to lay a whole wetsuit full suit flat …
A bit too late now, but leaving your wetsuit folded for 5 years is, unfortunately, not a great idea. The folds will kill the suit.
The best long-term storage that I have heard of is to to leave the wetsuit fully hanging, but not on a typical clothes hanger, instead on a really wide/fat plastic hanger sort of like this:
I just cut some of the foam pipe insulation I use for packing my bike and taped it over a hanger like that. It’s more rounded and doesn’t leave creases in the suit.
It’s OK that suit wasn’t hanging. Even with very good hangers, the weight of the suit does stretch out the thinner rubber in the shoulders over time. In my QR days, we used to advise customers not to hang the suit for longer than 2 weeks at a time.
Definitely fill the tub with water, and soak suit for a few hours. Depending on the brand of neoprene, (Yamamoto tends to hold up very well) and conditions of storage (cool, dry, out of sunlight and no leftover lotion, grease or sunblock on the neoprene,) it may not have degraded too much. The lining fabric, depending on its composition, might have broken down some. After it’s “reconstituted”, then give the suit a soak in a wetsuit shampoo bubble bath. The shampoo will help condition the smooth rubber, the spongy neoprene, and the lining fabric. Then rinse suit w fresh water, then hang suit to dry with the fat hanger, or a hanger done up with foam as per other suggestions.When it’s dry, you can inspect for dings, tears, etc. Gently stretch the rubber to see if feels supple. If you hear crunchy or crackly sounds, then suit might need to be recycled and you buy a new one. If it stretches, then try it on, being careful not to pull too hard. Depending on the brand/grade of rubber, the folds might not all come out right away. Post some photos of before and after!
Karen
Slowtwitch Concierge
Queen of Neoprene
What’s the point of soaking? Are you envisioning the water penetrating into the closed cell neoprene somehow, or is the idea that it interacts with the surface of the neoprene or the interior synthetic fabric in some helpful way? What sort of interaction are you suggesting occurs? I’m genuinely puzzled by the soaking suggestions, but you hear them a lot.