Dry suit maintenance

[Xan]

So bought my first dry suit today (multi sport 3) and I'm looking for some tips on how to get the most out of it. My thoughts were.

Rinse in a big bucket after every use
Hang up fully extended to dry (with zips open) keep away from radiators or excessive heat
Store in a dry place at room temperature
Put in sealed bag over summer when not in use (again not folded)
wash and treat in Nik Wax every few months

Any of the above a bad idea or excessive? Any other tips

[dirtbiker]

It's worth using talcum powder on the latex seals to stop them from perishing (I do mine after every use)

You'll also want to get some wax for the zips if it's got metal ones. You can get blocks of beeswax from diving shops that are designed for this but I just use a candle and that seems to keep them moving pretty well.

Other than that I think you've got the idea - be careful not to bend the zips too much when putting it in a kit bag.

[ruralweb]

I've got a multi suit:
Use candle wax on zip
Use talc on seals
Every few months use silicon treatment on seals to stop them drying out
Store rolled up starting at feet leaving zip open and folding arms over to maintain shape of zip
Never ever walk without something on your feet
I wash it every month or so tbh

[dpround]

Avoid exposure to UV - ideally dry under cover, not on the washing line etc. Drying on the washing line does help with the smell though! Even rinsing it every use it will probably get pretty whiffy!

Some things attack latex seals - suncream for instance.

Don't panic if/when the seals go. Everything you need to replace them is on ebay and when you fit your own you can choose seals that suit you, which will probably make it much nicer to wear!

David

[tenboats1]

I use mine all year round and hang it up from a hook in the ceiling so that it can hang free its whole length. I use a padded hanger to protect the shoulders.

Depending on the make you can expect 6months to 5 years use if you follow the care-code given by others above.

(Artistic 6 months, Palm 9 months, Gul 5 years, still in use but slighly leaky, NRS looking likely to be 6 to 9 months, Crewsaver going well, 2 years so far)

You might find it illuminating to keep a drysuit log of the actual hours used. I have just started to do this with the event NRS suit, I suspect it will fail at under 100 hours ???

TB

[Luckylu]

I use Grangers cleaner and then once it's dry I paint on Fabsil, I do this with all my cags and dry suit. It's not let me down so far!