Everyone knows how to dry a wetsuit, but not everyone knows how to dry a wetsuit the right way.
In a way that:
- Helps your wetsuit last way longer.
- Doesn’t trash and stretch the material.
- Doesn’t degrade the seams.
- Dry’s your wetsuit quickly.
It’s not rocket science granted, but doing the basics right will keep your wetsuit smelling clean & fresh, and in top condition for much longer.
Plus, in this post I’ll be sharing a few veteran tried and tested, little known wetsuit drying secrets to rapidly speed up the drying process too.
If you’re ready, let’s go!
But first…
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE FOR WETSUITS TO DRY
The time it takes a wetsuit to dry depends on a few variables:
- How thick the wetsuit is (thinner wetsuits dry quicker).
- The type of wetsuit material (certain materials dry faster than others).
- The ambient temperature (hotter climates will obviously dry quicker).
- If you expose it to the sun (not advisable as it deteriorates wetsuit materials, but definitely speeds up the drying process)
With so many variables it’s hard to give an accurate time, but if you do it the right way (as shown below) in an average climate, drying time will be roughly 24hrs.
HOW TO DRY A WETSUIT THE RIGHT WAY: STEP BY STEP
Alright I’m going to keep this quick as that last thing you want is a lecture about how to dry a wetsuit (with a bit of luck you’ve got better things to do with your time 
).
STEP 1. RINSE YOUR WETSUIT
Not only does rinsing your wetsuit stop it smelling of pee (we all do it, nothing to be ashamed of), it also helps to
a) Prolong the lifespan of your wetsuit.
b) Helps your wetsuit dry faster.
Why does it dry faster?
Salt water contains minerals and salt particles that leave behind residue and retain moisture. Fresh water on the other hand does not – helping the moisture to evaporate more efficiently.
Pretty cool right!
STEP 2. HOW TO HANG A WETSUIT TO DRY
On the one hand it makes sense to use a typical clothes hanger and hang a wetsuit up to dry just like a t-shirt – in through the neck, supported by the shoulders.
But there’s a problem with this method.
Hanging it like this will lead to excessive stretching on the shoulders which is not good.
Instead, use a wetsuit hanger whereby you can fold the wetsuit in half, done like this, the wetsuit will be able to drip dry – without risk of stretching.
STEP 3. HANG IT AWAY FROM DIRECT SUNLIGHT
Anything that’s exposed to direct sunlight decays faster; paint, plastic, wood, everything.
And wetsuits are no different.
So to increase the lifespan of your wetsuit, hang it up to dry somewhere shaded.
STEP 4. FLIP AND ROTATE
To speed up the drying process, flip and rotate your wetsuit periodically.
Exposing the wetsuit material to more air flow will speed up the drying process.
Once the inside is done, flip your wetsuit the right way around and repeat.
HOW TO DRY A WETSUIT FAST
Ok, the above is the best way to dry a wetsuit to keep it good for longer, but there are other dark-art techniques that will speed up the drying process.
They’re not always recommended, but if you’re in a rush, or it’s particularly cold, why not?
Below are five insider secrets that surfers use to dry their wetsuits faster.
HACK 1. THE TOWEL METHOD
Here’s how it’s done:
- Grab a big dry towel and lay it on the floor.
- Lay your wetsuit over the towel.
- Role the towel up like you would a sausage roll.
- Once fully rolled up, stamp and jump on the towel to draw the moisture out of the wetsuit into the towel.
Repeat with a second dry towel if needed.
HACK 2. SPIN IT TO WIN IT
If your wetsuit is dripping wet, throw it in the washing machine on a spin cycle to get the excess water out, then hang it up to dry as per usual.
Not the best for longevity, but it works.
HACK 3. DEHUMIDIFIER
If you’ve randomly got a dehumidifier knocking around, try this out:
- Find the smallest room in your house.
- Make sure all windows and doors are closed.
- Hang your wetsuit on a hanger dripping into a bucket.
- Whack the dehumidifier on, and leave to suck out all the moisture.
Drying time for this method?
About four hours.
HACK 4. TOWEL HEATER CHEATER
If you have a towel radiator in your home, try this method.
- Make sure your wetsuit is drip dry first.
- Place a towel over the radiator as a protective layer to stop your wetsuit from melting.
- Put your wetsuit on top of the towel.
And leave to dry.
Should be dry in about six hours.
HACK 5. THE BLAZE
Not really a hack, but if needs must, just chuck your wetsuit out in the full sunshine and blaze that thing as much as you can.
In direct sunlight you can have your wetsuit fully dry in a couple of hours if you really need to.
WHAT IS THE QUICKEST WAY TO DRY A WETSUIT?
Here’s the quickest – not necessarily advisable – way to dry a wetsuit:
- Rinse wetsuit in fresh water.
- Use the ‘Towel Method’.
- Move into the ‘Towel Heater Cheater’ technique.
- Followed it up by using the ‘Dehumidifier’ technique above to finish.
Drying time about 1 hour.
CONCLUSION
Who’d have thought there’d be so many ways to dry a wetsuit, hey?
Well at least now you know how to do it the right way, that’s going to dry your wetsuit quickly, whilst not trashing it in the process.
Also, you’ve got a few sneaky hacks you can turn to when you really need it too.
You can thank me for it later.
Yew!Rowan 
ROWAN CLIFFORD
Rowan is the technical nerd behind the scenes. A lover of everything entrepreneurial, and living a minimal, simple life. Surf, Travel, Create.
