A quick question for everyone, I've been wearing my 4/3 since the end of March (don't have a 3/2 yet) and I figure in another week or so I'll be ready to trunk it. Normally I leave my suit folded over a plastic hanger inside out to dry out in my garage, but if I won't be wearing it again till October what is the best way to store it? Secondary question, my suit is a Hyperflexx flow, I notice I have a lot of glue crud coming up through the seams. The suit is still keeping out most water (I get flushing through the cuffs and through the shoulder flaps) and the interior seams/taping look tight, just wondering if the glue is something I should be concerned about since this is my first wetsuit and I'm not sure what to expect over the lifetime of the suit. I got it last November and wore through Jan and started again in March. Rez
in a week. Send it to the company. They will re-glue your seams for free. Almost all major wetsuit companies do that. If its really bad, they will give you a new one. When they send you a brand new one, or re-glue yours, just hang it up in a dark closet. I am not sure how to prevent the neoprene from breaking down because after every summer, all my suits feel older and drier to the touch... Not sure how to prevent that. Guess thats why I have to get new suits each year.
If there is one thing you shouldnt do, it is follow their advice (besides the idea to send in the suit). Take .5 to 1 hour washing it out with cold fresh water. Get everything clean. Next, let it dry for like a week. Takeit inside your house and hang it on a thick plastic hanger, just like a normal shirt. Keep it in a temperature controlled room with good airflow and few if not any windows. Easy. Dont confine it or fold it. Edit: Thus i have a 1 year old ebomb in perfect condition...still as moist as i got it. As well as a 5 year old bodglove 4/3 that keeps me toasty in february
Yeah I have noticed that too in the chest peice in both my 5/4/3 flow and my 3/2 amp. I think it has something to do with the chemicals in the glue and maybe the either the type of water you rinse it with or it just being subjected to the elements. None of my seams are leaking either and all my tape is in place and stiching is good . I have well water here and it is high in iron I thought maybe thats what the yellowing around my seam was .
Once it is TOTALLY dry, hang it in an open closet. Make sure you zip it up so it doesn't create too many stress points on the rubber. I use one of those big, wide, thick, wooden sport jacket hangars so it doesn't stretch out the shoulders.
dont hang it by a hanger like a tee shirt, you will stretch out the neck. if anything hang it by the waist in half.. i leave my suits in my laundry room they dry out quicker in there, and smell like downy every time i put it on.
Gents, Thanks for the suggestions, looks like giving it a good washing when I'm done with it and then folding it over a thick hanger to dry and storing in the house in a closet is the way to go. Should I use something mild like baby shampoo to give it a wash with? So far it doesn't smell at all but I've been very good at rinsing it off with cool water when I'm done with it...and now that the showers are open where I go, I just rinse it off there. Also Matt, I spoke to a shop guy about the glue coming out between the seams on the chest and back piece and through the stitching on the legs and he said that every Hyperflexx he's sold or own does that. Cost saving measure to keep the suit less expensive but ends up not looking as clean. Go fig. One last thing, I noticed the fabric that's glued to the neoprene around the cuffs on the arms and legs has runs in them, small ones kinda like what you would find in stockings. I figure that this is due to me rolling them up to put boots and gloves on. Should I be concerned? Rez
hanger advice: take two old gatorade bottles and shove em on the ends of a regular plastic hanger. that way the suit hangs wider and truly eliminates the shoulder creases
mine are all about to be stored away until hopefully mid october. the boots, and gloves that means if the water miraculously finds itself back down into the 50s looks like i've gotta just grin it, and bear it, and just trunk it.
