Wetsuits are made from neoprene, a type of foam rubber that was developed in the 1930s and is generally laminated on either side with various materials to produce varying degrees of stretch and durability.
How long a wetsuit lasts depends largely on how well you take care of it, and the quality of the wetsuit in the first place. On average, a good wetsuit from a quality manufacturer should last anywhere from 400 to 1,000 dives on the type of diving it does. You can maximise a wetsuit's life by taking proper care of it.
How To Care For Your Scuba Wetsuit
Taking five minutes to take proper care will maximize your wetsuit's life expectancy and help maintain its quality and flexibility.
Before The Dive
When donning your wetsuit be careful not to snag the inner skin materials of the suit with fingernails, rings, bracelets etc as this can affect the sealing performance of your suit.
After the Dive
Prior to removing your wetsuit be sure to unzip all the zippers completely. Once all the zippers have been unzipped, make your way out of the wetsuit one section at a time taking care not to damage the suit by excessive pulling or snagging with fingernails, rings, bracelets etc.
Washing Wetsuit
Saltwater and chlorine can reduce the life of your wetsuit by drying out the neoprene. To keep your wetsuit looking good and maintain its health, after the dive you should let your wetsuit soak in warm freshwater for 30 min. To maximise the life of your wetsuit, add a couple of caps of wetsuit shampoo to the soak water as this aids in removing the salt from the neoprene paws. To remove residual odours and bacteria from your wet suit, add 2 capfuls of Revivex Odour Eliminator an Enzyme-Based Deodorizer to the second container. Hang suit to dry on a flexible, padded wet suit hanger. As the suit dries, MiraZyme does its work as well as algae, bacteria, pollution, waste matter, and urine, leaving your suit odor-free.
Storage of Wetsuit
After washing your wetsuit and hang on a wetsuit hanger (a thin hanger will stretch the suit) in a ventilated area but not in direct sunlight. Be sure to pull the back zipper down all the way. Avoid placing your wetsuit on hot surfaces and storing it in the trunk of your car for extended periods of time. Ideally, dry it inside out for one day and then turn it back the right way so that it dries thoroughly both inside and out.
Wetsuit Repair
Sometimes, contact with rocks underwater is unavoidable. Because of this, it is not uncommon to get rips and tears in your wetsuit. If you rip or tear your wetsuit you can usually repair it using neoprene glue by filling in the hole or tear. Liquid Aquaseal is a common neoprene glue that can be used for wetsuit zipper repair.
If you would like to know more, then do a PADI Equipment Speciality Course:
