Winter Wetsuit Care

[SaltWaterHeart]

I have wetsuits for every season in northern New England and they are easiest to clean in the summer when the temperature is relatively warm and well above freezing, however, in the winter the usual method of spraying your wetsuit down with a hose and hanging it to dry outside are not options as it’s too cold to use a spigot outside (freezing) and too cold to hang your suit outside and expect it to dry.

I’ve rinsed my winter suit, booties, and gloves in the shower and hung them up to dry, but it’s such a pain cleaning out all the sand afterward which clogs drains and is pretty much the worst thing you can put down a drain. There’s a liner at the foot of the shower too for traction but it makes it super challenging to clean sand and grit out of.

I usually use a changing mat that cinches into a dry bag to tote gear to/from the beach but a lot of guys use a large plastic tub to change in and out of. Curious if there is a way to clean a wetsuit in the winter (in a freezing or below freezing environment) that doesn’t involve using the shower? I’ve thought about buying a plastic tub and maybe using an empty gallon container to rinse the suit and gear with either over the plastic tub or outside and after it’s been rinsed hanging in the shower to avoid the sand near the drain.

I’ve looked for tips through searching Google about ways to clean your wetsuit/rinse and they all assumed a warm, hot environment versus below freezing weather, so none of the advice applies.

I used to clean my wetsuit more frequently but if there’s a run of swell like we’ve had the past couple weeks, in honesty, I put my change mat/dry bag with all my gear in it in the garage and just take it out every day for 1-2 sessions, and rinse everything when the swell fades. Curious if anyone rinses their wetsuit and gear in the winter if they are surfing every day for a week or two, or if they do the same and rinse between swells as best they can.

[IB_Surfer]

Here are the two things I do:

1) I bring 3 gallons of warm water and a 17gal storage bin, I rinse in the tub and leave the water in to soak the wetsuit on the drive home. When I get home I simply hang my gear on a hanging rack and pour the water down the outdoor drain.

2) I have 2 of everything: I use my gear and hang it up, the next day I wear the 2nd suit and turn the 1st suit inside out to dry the other side, it is ready the next day to be worn. Same with booties, I turn them inside out the next day and they are ready the day after

[SaltWaterHeart]

@IB_Surfer Nice! I’ve used a change mat that cinches to a dry bag for years but decided to invest in a bin. Got a 56qt storage bin with a lockable lid from the hardware store and found a sweet water jug for cheap as an alternative to rinse kit.

I tried initially rinsing off at the beach but everything freezes instantaneously and my limbs get colder than way, so decided it makes the most sense to just as quick as possible change and toss the gear in the bin and cap it and drive home. Then, I can rinse and hang things at home on the dense outside. It could dry outside if left for only a few minutes before freezing or over a chair in the garage is a drying option as well.

I think I still prefer changing in the shower on the coldest days but I’ve avoided it in order to prevent sand from getting in the drain. I’ve also grown more immune to cold and don’t mind changing roadside although if my wettie is still damp for a dawn patrol it sucks, which is typically but worse in a newer 5/4 as it takes longer to put on when wet so that your fingers and toes are cold before being covered.

I heard one guy who grew in Jersey but surfs here now uses a combination of a space heater, a heated mat, and a boot/glove dryer for accessories but doesn’t leave things on too long to keep the neoprene from over drying.

Most guys tend to suit up before making the drive around here and change after their session at home rather than roadside.

[BaNZ]

I think I still prefer changing in the shower on the coldest days but I’ve avoided it in order to prevent sand from getting in the drain. I’ve also grown more immune to cold and don’t mind changing roadside although if my wettie is still damp for a dawn patrol it sucks, which is typically but worse in a newer 5/4 as it takes longer to put on when wet so that your fingers and toes are cold before being covered.

Keep two sets of wetsuit. Worse feeling is getting in a cold wetsuit on cold days. It normally shortens my session if that happens and I'm consistently cold in the water.

When it gets really cold or windchill, I just put on a poncho and drive 20 mins home to get change and jump in a warm bath or a shower.

[SaltWaterHeart]

Yeah, maybe I’ll get a 2nd 5/4 someday. I’ve got so many suits and gear right now, just want to hold down what I got, lol. I’m totally warm in the water even after dawning a wet suit and can be out for 4-6hrs even on cold offshore days. It’s only before and after that’s brutal where cold wind meets damp fingers.

I like rinsing at home and using the bin to toss it in and leave quickly after changing. Only need the 5/4 for a few months, then it’s 4/3 and 3/2 before going back to 4/3 and 5/4 in the fall. I do surf a lot and especially in the winter. A 2nd 5/4 someday would be good to extend their life a bit.

[surf patrol]

@IB_Surfer Nice! I’ve used a change mat that cinches to a dry bag for years but decided to invest in a bin. Got a 56qt storage bin with a lockable lid from the hardware store and found a sweet water jug for cheap as an alternative to rinse kit.

I tried initially rinsing off at the beach but everything freezes instantaneously and my limbs get colder than way, so decided it makes the most sense to just as quick as possible change and toss the gear in the bin and cap it and drive home. Then, I can rinse and hang things at home on the dense outside. It could dry outside if left for only a few minutes before freezing or over a chair in the garage is a drying option as well.

I think I still prefer changing in the shower on the coldest days but I’ve avoided it in order to prevent sand from getting in the drain. I’ve also grown more immune to cold and don’t mind changing roadside although if my wettie is still damp for a dawn patrol it sucks, which is typically but worse in a newer 5/4 as it takes longer to put on when wet so that your fingers and toes are cold before being covered.

I heard one guy who grew in Jersey but surfs here now uses a combination of a space heater, a heated mat, and a boot/glove dryer for accessories but doesn’t leave things on too long to keep the neoprene from over drying.

Most guys tend to suit up before making the drive around here and change after their session at home rather than roadside.

Smart setup! A bin with a lid makes changing quick and keeps your gear protected from the cold. I get the frozen rinse problem—better to get home fast and dry things properly. That space heater and boot dryer combo sounds perfect for early sessions! For changing or handling wet gear, reliable goatskin gloves are a great choice. They’re warm, durable and comfortable even in freezing temps!