Do old wetsuit loses their ability to insulate over time?

[BaNZ]

I didn't look after my first wetsuit, it is 3mm and I always throw it in the washing machine with gentle wash only. No spinning and I know you're not suppose to put in the washers.

My second 4mm wetsuit, I soak it in warm water and stamp on them in the bath tub to get rid of the dirty. They are now 4-5 years old and either they have lost their ability to insulate or that I'm getting older and less tolerate of cold water?

[dtc]

Yes, primarily three reasons

1. The biggest weakness for wetsuits are the seams. Over time the stitching gets looser, the glue stops working etc and so more water gets in (probably you could solve this by re-gluing all your seams, but it’s a hard job). If you have a chest zip then the neck may also stretch

2. The neoprene itself also stretches. Wetsuits don’t actually warm by warming a thin layer of water, but as water gets in anyway it’s essential that the water stays put and can be warmed. As the suit stretches the layer of water becomes thicker (harder to warm) (ie effectively distance between skin and wetsuit is wider) and may even allow the water to move around (so the warm water gets replaced by cooler water all the time).

3 Finally wetsuits actually warm by trapping your body heat through bubbles in the neoprene. As suits stretch they compress (stretching makes them thinner) and they compress and breakdown etc through normal use. Thus less/smaller bubbles and less heat retention

There isn’t much you can do; just move your older wetsuit to be the spring/autumn suit and get a new winter suit. If you have 2 or 3 suits then they will all last for years

[Lebowski]

5 years is pretty good going. I had an Xcel Drylock that was leaking badly after 3 months (not that it is normal - I won't be buying them again)!

I'd say get a new one and enjoy being warm again. Nothing dampens my enthusiasm like being freezing cold (except maybe crowds).

My new O'neill Hyperfreak turned up yesterday. I'm looking forward to testing it

[jaffa1949]

A really obvious thing wetsuits do in response to couch surfing they proportionally punish the less frequent surf by becoming more dimensionally challenging. Sort of like fitting a Hulk into a neoprene anorexic skin!
What on girth are we doing it like this!

[LostAtSea]

5 years is pretty good going. I had an Xcel Drylock that was leaking badly after 3 months (not that it is normal - I won't be buying them again)!

I'd say get a new one and enjoy being warm again. Nothing dampens my enthusiasm like being freezing cold (except maybe crowds).

My new O'neill Hyperfreak turned up yesterday. I'm looking forward to testing it

Just had the same experience with my Xcel Drylock. Leaky in a matter of a month or two.

[Lebowski]

5 years is pretty good going. I had an Xcel Drylock that was leaking badly after 3 months (not that it is normal - I won't be buying them again)!

I'd say get a new one and enjoy being warm again. Nothing dampens my enthusiasm like being freezing cold (except maybe crowds).

My new O'neill Hyperfreak turned up yesterday. I'm looking forward to testing it

Just had the same experience with my Xcel Drylock. Leaky in a matter of a month or two.

Unfortunately their customer service was abysmal. I ended up giving that suit away rather than it being replaced or repaired, such was the amount of time they messed me around for (~9 months).

[LostAtSea]

I'm going with a Needs Essentials 5/4 Hooded Steamer for my next suit.