Care and Feeding of Drysuits?

Any helpful hints in terms of storage, use, cleaning, etc.? What kind of things should you NEVER or ALWAYS do?

Clean meticulously especially if it’s been near salt water, avoid sunlight and keep it on a nice wide coat hanger not folded up.
Isn’t this the time of year you should be getting the dry suit out not storing it away.

I heard NEVER put it on a coathanger :-) As far as starage, I meant like we used it today, and won't again for two weeks...

I’m still using a Typhoon dry suit I’ve had for over 15 years and it’s lived on a nice wide coat hanger (not one of those nasty wire ones that dig in) for all of those 15 years, except when I had it on.
Its far better than folding it up and cracking all the wielded seams your only other option would be to have it flat on the floor (nice talking point in the living room).


(Message edited by dbjts on October 12, 2004)

I've been told to keep the zipper zipped up to prevent damage to it and to spray all the seals with 303 .

I keep mine in the ice chest. Kepps the UVs out, humidity consistant.

I got a new one last year and the directions said to fold up and keep in an airtight bag to keep the latex seals from drying out.

But mine is in the closet on a big fat plastic hanger.

Bees' wax on the zipper. Food grade silicone on all latex seals. Wide plastic hanger in the closet. All items available at any dive shop.

Barefoot International has the zipper wax & seal spray, so you do get the wrong thing trying to get something at Wal-Mart.

www.barefootinternational.com

i store mine on a hanger with the zipper open, like the little booklet that accompanied it suggested.

check out this page for wetsuit/drysuit storage suggestions: http://waterski.about.com/library/weekly/aa092897.htm

Thanks for the help guys. Sounds like there's a little black art to it. I thought the hanger might damage the neck seal, but that folding it might cause creases/holes.