How do you store your wetsuit?

[misterlizard]

I've just bought a lovely new wetsuit and I'm not sure how to store it. For 15 years I've been diving in surfing wetsuits (not recommended, brrr) and I have finally bought a proper apnea suit. It is great and I was toasty and warm in 9 degree water a few days ago. Lovely.
I usually hang my surf suits on a coat hanger in my wardrobe, but my freediving suit has a hood attached and is a two-piece suit, so it doesn't fit easily on a hanger. I don't really fancy folding it up as I imagine that'll weaken the neoprene.
How do you recommend storing a suit to keep it in good condition?

 

[foxfish]

Well different folk have different opinions! (or attitude's! )
http://forums.deeperblue.com/wetsuits/83742-wetsuit-storage.html

 

[misterlizard]

Thank you! I'll read that thread; sorry, should've searched before posting.

 

[podge]

Not really sure what happens to my suits, after I get back from spearing my whole dive bag seems to go missing from the utility room and a day later and as if by magic reappears with the suit all nice and clean and hung back in my spearo corner of the spare room.
Whatever happens tis all good.

 

[Cornholio]

We all know that it is not good to fold a suit, so don't do it.

However, I have a 5mm Mares one piece that must be about seven or eight years old now. It's too long to hang in my wardrobe, so it's rinsed and dried after use, then loosely folded and put in the top of my dive bag. To be honest, it doesn't seem to have done any harm and I'm still using it.

Not sure I'd fancy risking it with a nice new bespoke Elios or similar though...

 

[Old Man Dave]

I had a buddy who never looked after his suit. He seldom rinsed it or dried it or hung it up. His suit always seemed to last longer than mine. He said keeping it wet was the secret.

Personally I wash my suit using a garden hose both inside and out before hanging it to dry in the shade. I store it in a shed out of direct light. Sometimes I'll store it in winter when I don't use it folded inside a black plastic bin sack.

Despite what I said in the first paragraph my suits do last fairly well. Depends a lot on how often you dive. Remember though it's only a tool not some precious heirloom. Look after it by all means but use it to do a job then when it breaks repair it or get a new one. A few too many gear tarts about along with armchair spearo's telling the world that "my Elios is bigger/better than yours".

Dave.

 

[HEDS]

I rinse and hang dry everytime after use - and then anything really , sometimes it stays on the line for days - somtimes it gets chucked in the shed , and sometimes folded in a bag.
As said is a lot to do with how its used - neoprene on my diveskin has gon a bit dodgy around the knees and where my weight belt buckle rubs.

 

[strangelove]

On my since it is rubber on the inside I toss some talcum powder, leave it in the closet on a hanger.

 

[Erik]

Usually crumpled in a ball, wet, and in a plastic bin. No problems.

 

[rxcnc2]

Not sure I'd fancy risking it with a nice new bespoke Elios or similar though...

I keep my Elios's mostly folded. Don't think it's doing them any harm. Only thing I am careful about is to rinse-dry them after use.

If you don't use your wetsuit for months, it's probably a good idea to keep them well stored, hanging, some people coat them in talc powder... but if you use it in the pool every week or more often, I think the damage is coming from that not from how you hang it.