How Long Should a Surfer’s Wetsuit Last?

The wetsuit, what an amazing invention. Originally developed in the 50s by Hugh Bradner for the US Navy, wetsuits solved the problem of keeping divers warm without a clunky dry suit.

Since then, it has come a long way. After its inception, the surfing community quickly grabbed hold of the wetsuit, working and tweaking it to meet the needs of surfers.

Adding zippers to make them easier to get on, adjusting the cut for greater arm movement and even finding stretchier material to make the wetsuit better for surfers. To the point where by the late 60s, surfers in wetsuits was a commonplace sight.

From there, the surfing industry has continued making innovations to the wetsuit. Finding better fabrics, experimenting with stitching, fine tuning it for any ocean you may be surfing in.

The wetsuit expanded the areas people could surf in, to places like Ireland or even Iceland, allowing the world to experience surfing.

As essential to surfing as the wetsuit has become, they’re also an investment when it comes to your gear, so it’s important to get a good one and take care of it. But, how long does a wetsuit actually last? Wetsuits for surfing last anywhere from a single season to multiple years, depending on the suit, care, and use. With proper care, a wetsuit can last over 8-10 years.

When it comes to wetsuit longevity, there’s no single answer. Everything depends on the suit you purchase, how you care for it and how often you surf.

High end, high performance wetsuits are made of thinner, super stretchy neoprene. This allows for better overall body movement, which translates to better surfing.

Unfortunately, it also means these wetsuits won’t last as long since the fabric isn’t as durable, probably a season or two.

More entry level suits are made of less stretchy neoprene. While not as comfortable, this neoprene is stronger than its counterpart and will likely last you through a few seasons.

Wetsuit longevity also depends on how frequently you use it. If you surf everyday, your wetsuit will probably last a season. If you surf only a couple times a month, your suit can last several years.

Then there’s care. If you leave your wetsuit in the sun or put it in the dryer, or vice versa, leave it wet to grow mold and bacteria, it probably won’t last long either.

Clearly, there’s a lot that goes into a wetsuit and how long it can last.

Table of Contents

Caring For Your Wetsuit

If you really want to extend the life of your wetsuit, proper care and love goes a long way. First off, try to put your suit on dry.

The neoprene your suit is made of gets even stretchier when it’s wet. It also means the material is weaker at that point and yanking it over your limbs can rip stitching or unnecessarily thin out the material.

After your session, peel off your suit, turning it inside out versus pulling your hands and feet straight through the arm and foot holes. Same logic applies here, your wet wetsuit is more vulnerable to busted seams and tearing when taking it off.

But taking your suit on and off properly is just the first step in caring for it. Keeping your suit clean is huge.

Fresh Water Rinse

Even before taking your suit off, give yourself a good rinse at the showers. Especially if you aren’t headed straight home to finish cleaning it.

Salt water degrades not only the neoprene but also the glue that often holds your wetsuit’s stitching together. Over time this will lead to holes and tears in your suit.

At home, finish rinsing, getting both the inside and outside to get rid of any trapped salt water. Make sure to use cool water, as hot water will also degrade the materials your wetsuit is made of.

Washing

If you rinse your suit well and dry it properly, you don’t need to soap up after every use. However, that said, you should definitely actually wash it every so often, like after a few uses.

This will keep it fresh and free of bacteria. Never put it in the washing machine or dryer. Again, wetsuits are delicate articles of clothing, the washing machine will beat it up and the heat of the dryer will ruin it.

Instead, fill your tub with cool water and wash by hand. Use a wetsuit specific shampoo, or just something super mild like baby shampoo. Don’t scrub, but make sure it gets a good sudsing.

Hanging and Drying

By now you get it, heat is bad when it comes to wetsuits. So don’t put it in the dryer, but also don’t leave it in your hot car, trunk or out in the sun to dry.

Instead hang it up and find a shady place to let it dry. Your shower rod, out in the garage or in the shade outside are all good places.

Be sure to hang it up properly. Don’t hang it like a blazer through the arms. Due to the extra weight from being wet, doing so will stretch out the arms and shoulders ruining the fit, and you guessed it, thin out the material.

Instead, get a hanger wide enough to lay your wetsuit through flat by the waist. You don’t want to bunch it up leaving damp spots all throughout.

Dry both sides. Hang it up inside out first, then turn it back right side in once that side is dry. It’ll help reduce bacteria growth.

Storing

If you’ll be using your wetsuit again right away, fold the arms and legs in on itself and through the middle then lay it on your surfing gear.

If you’re using it within the week, put it in a dark cool spot. Avoid hanging it in a way that will cause permanent creasing over time. Switch it up every time you go to put it away if you can.

How Do I Choose The Right Wetsuit?

There’s a lot that goes into choosing the right wetsuit. A big part of it is dictated by the temperature of the water you’ll be surfing in.

You want to make sure you have the right style and thickness to keep you warm. The other half is making sure the cut fits you properly. An ill fitting wetsuit won’t be able to do its job no matter how good it is.

Style

You can find wetsuits with as little coverage as a vest, all the way to fully covered arms and legs. Picking out your style depends on your preference and what kind of water you’ll be in.

Generally, the more coverage, the colder the water, but that also depends on the thickness of the suit which we’ll also get into.

Vest: Only covers chest. For warm waters, they can also be worn under a full suit
Jacket: Covers chest and arms, good for warm but windy surf.
Short John: Sleeveless wetsuit with short style legs. More coverage than a vest or jacket but not for cold water.
Springsuit: Short legs with either long sleeves or short sleeves. Good for spring or summer where water temperatures stay chilly but not frigid.
Long John: Sleeveless but with long legs. Provides no restriction with paddling but better warmth than shorts styles.
Short Arm Steamer: Long legs with short sleeves. A little more coverage than the long john. Can be worn in cold water.
Full Suit: Long sleeves and long legs. This is the suit for winter surfing and otherwise cold oceans. Also comes as a hooded version for truly cold conditions

Thickness

Neoprene comes in all types of thickness. The general rule of thumb is the thicker the suit, the warmer it will be.

But today’s materials are better engineered for warmth so with a high end suit, you may be able to get the same warmth in something slightly thinner than previously available.

Thinner wetsuits give better range of motion over thicker ones, but it’s important to get the right suit for the water you’ll be in. There’s no point in a thinner suit if you’re still cold.

Wetsuit thickness is measured by millimeters and listed as two numbers, such as 2/1 or 4/3.

The first number tells you how thick the suit is through the body while the second number is how thick it is through the arms. Thinner arms and legs allows for better movement while still keeping your body toasty.

Listed is the recommendations for different water temperatures in Fahrenheit.

65 – 75 degrees: .5 – 2/1
62 – 68 degrees: 2/1 – 3/2
58 – 63 degrees: 3/2 – 4/3
52 – 58 degrees: 4/3 – 5/4
43 – 53 degrees: 5/4 – 6/5
Below 42: 6/5 or higher

Stitching and Seals

Different wetsuits have different stitching and seals to hold it together. While a seemingly minute detail, the type of stitching and type of seal you choose makes a difference in how your suit works, how durable it is and how warm it’ll keep you

Overlock Stitch: The most basic wetsuit stitch. Similar to the stitching on your t-shirt. This allows in the most water so it’s terrible for cold waters. Overlock stitching also provides the least amount of stretch. Usually found in cheaper suits or summer styles. It also creates lumps on the inside of your suit, making this stitch a little less comfortable.
Flatlock Stitch: As the name implies, the fabric lays flat in a flatlock stitch. While more flexible than the overlock stitch, it still lets in a lot of water due to the little holes created by the sewing. This kind of stitching is found in summer suits.
Blind Stitch: For a blind stitch, panels are glued together then sewn flat. The stitching doesn’t pierce fully through the suit, creating a more watertight seal with the glue. It also comes as a double blind stitch, meaning there is a seam on the inside as well as outside for greater strength. This is the stitch in high quality and cold water suits.
Glued Seam: Panels are glued together and then stitched. This keeps water from seeping through the seams, keeping you drier and warmer.
Taped Seams: Taped seals provide extra strength to the seams of your wetsuit. You can find suits with spot taping in needed areas like the armpits. Or fully taped suits where taping is used along all seams. Often made with neoprene tape so it stays flexible.
Liquid Seal: Liquid or fluid taped seams are when a special rubber is used to seal in seams. This is the most watertight option.

Fit

Your wetsuit should fit tight but not too tight. It should be flush against the skin without any bulges, gaps or stretching.

Bulges and gaps will allow water in, defeating the purpose of wearing a wetsuit. Over stretching will thin out your fabric wearing out your suit much faster.

When trying on a wetsuit look at all the critical areas, how the neck fits, the arms and armpits, the hips. It should be snug and fitted without pulling.