Most wetsuit damage doesn't happen out in the surf. It happens in the six months your wetty spends folded in a cupboard while you're out chasing summer swells in boardies. At Flatrock Surf, we see the same story every autumn: a suit that looked fine in August comes out in April with a cracked knee, a stiff zip or a musty smell that won't wash out. UV light and heat do more damage than saltwater ever will, and how you store your wetsuit this spring decides whether it's ready to go straight back into a 4/3mm the moment Sydney's water cools down again.
Why does most wetsuit damage happen after the season, not during it?
Neoprene breaks down fastest when it's hot, dry and sitting still, not when it's wet and moving through the lineup. Heat softens the glue that bonds wetsuit panels together, so a suit left in a hot garage, car boot or shed over an Australian summer can come apart at the seams before you've even paddled out. UV light attacks the rubber itself, so it turns brittle and starts cracking at stress points like the knees, elbows and underarms. This spring, Sydney's water is still cool enough for a 3/2mm right through to October before it swings back to swimwear temperatures for summer, and that's exactly the stretch where a wetsuit sits idle longest and takes the most damage.
How do you get a wetsuit ready for storage?
Step 1: Give it one last proper wash
Rinse thoroughly in cool fresh water to get every trace of salt and sand out, then wash with a wetsuit-specific cleaner if you've got one. Skip the washing machine, skip hot water and skip fabric softener: all three break down neoprene and seam tape over time.
Step 2: Check every zip, seam and stitch line while it's still wet
Run the zip up and down a few times and feel for grittiness or stiffness. Then run your fingers along every seam, checking for glue that's starting to peel or stitching that's come loose, and check the knees and seat for thinning neoprene. Spot a small issue now and it's a cheap fix; ignore it and you're looking at a bigger one come autumn.
Step 3: Dry it properly, out of direct sun
Turn the suit inside out first so the lining dries completely, then flip it back the right way. Dry it on a wide hanger or draped over a rail in the shade, never on a thin wire hanger (it stretches the shoulders) and never in direct sun or near a heater. A fully dry suit is what stops mould and that lingering damp-wetsuit smell.
Should you fold or hang your wetsuit for long-term storage?
For the few days between sessions, hanging is fine. For six months of off-season storage, folding wins. Left hanging that long, gravity slowly stretches the neoprene at the shoulders and can throw the fit out by the time you need it again. Fold the suit loosely along its natural seam lines rather than jamming it into a bag or creasing it sharply in one spot. A sharp fold held for months is exactly where neoprene cracks first.
What should you check before pulling your wetty back out in autumn?
Before your first cold-water sesh, give the suit the same zip, seam and stretch check you did before storing it, plus a sniff test. If the glue lines have lifted or the neoprene's gone stiff and won't stretch back, that's your sign to look at a replacement rather than risk a torn suit on a good swell. Our guide on which wetsuit thickness is best for Australia is a solid place to start if you're due an upgrade, and what to look for in a wetsuit covers seam construction and zip types in more detail. If it's time for something new, our men's and women's wetsuit ranges are ready whenever you are.
Store it right this spring and your wetsuit will still be doing its job the day the water turns cold again and you're back in a 4/3mm. Wreck it in a hot shed over summer, and you'll be starting winter with a shopping list instead of a wetty.
