Have you ever been in the parking lot, trying to pull on your wetsuit, only to find it near impossible to slip on?
You are not alone. Wetsuits are notoriously difficult to get on for most surfers. It only makes sense that experimenting with different ways to make it easier to get a wetsuit on would be tried, including whether or not it is easier to put on a dry wetsuit or a wet one.
Neither a dry nor wet wetsuit is easier to put on. Instead, a wetsuit that is mostly dry but still retains a little bit of moisture is easiest to put on compared to it being completely dry or saturated.
Even then, a wetsuit is still difficult to put on. Itʻs form fitting feature makes it difficult to slide into, but it shouldnʻt be an impossible task. Lucky for you, Iʻve put together this post to help make it easier for you to put on a wetsuit.
After all, the quicker you get that wetsuit on, the more waves youʻll be able to catch!
Is the Wetsuit a Right Fit For You?
Before we get into the ways you can make wearing the wetsuit easy, it’s essential to know whether your wetsuit is even meant for you or not. So how will you know if your wetsuit is your size or not?
A wetsuit should be tight because this helps to keep the water out and allows you to be more agile while surfing. However, this doesn’t mean that your wetsuit should be so tight that you find it hard to breathe. Not at all.
Here are some ways you can know if your wetsuit is too tight:
You Have Difficulty Breathing
If you find it hard to breathe in the wetsuit, it’s a sign that the wetsuit is too small for you. In fact, Iʻm surprised you were even able to put it on. Your first warning it would be too small was that it felt impossible to fit your feet through.
Its important to remain comfortable while surfing, and thatʻs not possible if you cannot breathe properly.
Your Blood Flow Is Restricted
Sometimes when the suit is too tight, people start to feel lightheaded and dizzy. This dizziness is a sign that your blood is being restricted and cannot flow as it usually does.
Maybe the cuffs around your wrists are too tight or you start to feel tingling in your extremities because the suit is too constricting. Pay attention to signs the suit is too small.
It’s Uncomfortable Around Your Neck
Your wetsuit has to be tight around your neck, wrists, and ankles. This is because these are the main opening points that can control the water movement. But tight does not mean it has to choke you up around the neck.
You should be able to fit at least 1 finger between the wrist an ankle cuffs and 2 fingers between the wetsuit and your neck.
If you feel discomfort, that’s a sign for you to go a size up.
It Doesn’t Match Your Body
The wetsuit is supposed to conform to your body, which means it has to match every curve and bend of your body.
But if your wetsuit is not your size, or if itʻs a menʻs suit and you are a woman, you’ll notice that it leaves gaps and hollow areas, allowing water to gather there.
And, It’s Stretched Thin
Another way to tell that your wetsuit is too tight is if there are places where the cloth will be so thin because of it being stretched so far.
These stretched areas will prevent you from being warm and refers to your wetsuit as too tight.
To learn more about picking out the right sized wetsuit, be sure to check out this post.
How to Get Into a Wetsuit
Getting into a wetsuit doesnʻt have to be a chore. In fact, it can be pretty easy once you know a few tricks. So here are some tips that might help you:
Cover Hands and Feet With Plastic
Have you never tried this before? If you cover your hands and feet with plastic bags, you can easily slide into the wetsuit. Of course, it would be best if your wetsuit is ever so slightly moist for this to work.
All you have to do is cover your arms and feet with plastic bags and get into the wetsuit. Then, once you have pulled it over those places, you can take off those plastic bags without any struggle.
Pack on the Vaseline
Since the arm and the leg part are the hardest to get into, you can use any water-based lubricant. One of the top recommendations is vaseline since it’s so smooth and readily available.
But there is one thing to be careful of: wash your hands once you’re in the wetsuit; otherwise, you might just slip off the surfboard. Also, it’ll make it hard to keep a firm grip since it’s so smooth.
Blow Air Into the Suit
You’ll need a friend for this trick. First, put your hand through the wetsuit to make it work, then get them to blow air into it. By doing this, you’ll be able to slide the rest of your arm into the wetsuit much more quickly.
Wear a Diving Skin
Yes, that’s right, many people wear a diving skin like this one on Amazon underneath their wetsuit to protect their skin further. By wearing these, you can make it so easy to slip into the wetsuit too.
It ensures that your skin doesn’t stick too much to the wetsuit, as that can be painful at times too.
A Wet Or Dry Wetsuit?
A wetsuit that is mostly dry, with just a hint of moisture is the easiest wetsuit to get into. To ensure that it gets to this stage, hanging up your wetsuit is key. But ordinary hangers are too flimsy, instead, try out this one from Ho! Stevie on Amazon. For some people putting on their wetsuits dry is easier than when it’s wet, and for some, it’s the opposite. But the question is, what works best for you?
If you want to put on the suit when it is completely dry, then wearing diving skin would help you a lot. But if you prefer getting into the wetsuit when it’s wet, try using the plastic bags over your hands and feet.
Since every person is different, there can be no wrong or right in this. It’s totally up to you how you want to wear the wetsuit. If your skin is sensitive, then wearing the suit wet would help you more, or you can lather on some vaseline and get into a dry suit too.
So you should try some ways out and then decide which option works for you.
Takeaway
There are many ways you can get into a wetsuit without making yourself uncomfortable or your skin feeling any discomfort. You cannot know what works for you till you try it out.
And while weʻre talking about wetsuits, have you ever wondered why most of them are black? Well, wonder no longer by checking out this post that gets into it all.
