How to clean and care for a wetsuit
A wetsuit is a serious investment, and how you treat it after each session decides whether it lasts a couple of summers or the best part of a decade. Salt, chlorine, sweat and sand are the real enemies — they dry out neoprene, stiffen the seams and leave that unmistakable funk. The good news is that proper wetsuit care takes only a few minutes and keeps your suit flexible, fresh and watertight for far longer. Here is how to do it properly.
Rinse after every session
The single most important habit. As soon as you are out of the water, rinse your wetsuit thoroughly in clean, cool fresh water — inside and out. This flushes away the salt crystals and chlorine that are the main causes of premature neoprene breakdown, along with sand that abrades the lining. Avoid hot water, as heat damages neoprene and the glue holding your seams together.
Wash it properly with a dedicated wetsuit cleaner
Rinsing alone will not shift built-up salt, bacteria and body oils, and ordinary detergents are far too harsh for neoprene. Every few sessions, give your suit a proper wash with a product made for the job. We recommend Gear Aid Revivex Wetsuit & Drysuit Shampoo, a 2-in-1 cleaner and conditioner that removes salt, chlorine, bacteria and organic residue while keeping the neoprene supple. Dilute it in water, soak the suit for around ten minutes, agitate gently, then rinse thoroughly with fresh water. One 250ml bottle covers roughly 16 washes, and it is also safe for GORE-TEX® drysuits.
Tackle stubborn odours at the source
If your suit has developed a smell that washing will not budge, the problem is bacteria living deep in the neoprene — and masking it with fragrance only delays the inevitable. Gear Aid Revivex Odor Eliminator (formerly Mirazyme) uses water-activated microbes to remove the odour-causing bacteria rather than cover them up. Soak the suit in a diluted solution and the microbes do the work; once the bacteria are gone, so is the smell. It is safe on neoprene and handy for the rest of your kit too — tents, base layers and booties included.
Dry it correctly
Always dry your wetsuit out of direct sunlight, as UV degrades neoprene over time. Turn it inside out first so the lining dries fully, then turn it back. Hang it over a wide, rounded surface — a thick wetsuit hanger or a clean rail — never a thin wire hanger, which creates permanent creases and shoulder distortion. Let it dry naturally; never use a tumble dryer or radiator.
Store it flat or folded loosely
Once fully dry, store your suit somewhere cool and out of the light. Folding it loosely over a hanger or laying it flat is far kinder to the neoprene than leaving it scrunched in a damp boot or kit bag, where creases set in and mould takes hold.
Repair small damage before it spreads
A small nick or split is easy to fix and well worth doing early — left alone, it will only grow and let cold water in. Gear Aid Black Witch Neoprene Repair Adhesive is a flexible black contact cement that bonds permanently to neoprene, latex and rubber, drying in around 20 minutes and curing to an elastic rubber that stretches and flexes with the suit. It is also useful for reinforcing high-wear areas like knees and elbows before they wear through.
Looking after the rest of your watersports kit
The same principles apply to booties, gloves and hoods — rinse, wash, dry out of the sun and store dry. If you need to refresh or replace any of your gear, browse our full wetsuits range and watersports collection, or pop in and chat to the team in-store on George's Street, Dublin City Centre. A little care after every session goes a long way — look after your suit, and it will look after you.
