The Boardshop Guide To Wetsuit Care

Caring for Your Wetsuit

So, you’ve just ordered your new wetsuit from Boardshop, and you’re stoked about taking it out for your next surf. Read on to learn more about how to care for your wetsuit from long-term wetsuit care tips, trying it on and ensuring you get the perfect fit, returning your wetsuit if it doesn’t fit and how to deal with warranty issues.

How Should You Look After Your Wetsuit?

If you want your new wetsuit to last for as long as possible; we recommend following our wetsuit care tips below.

Rinsing Your Wetsuit:

We recommend rinsing it with cool, fresh water after each surf and drying it. Don’t use hot water to rinse your suit as this can damage the neoprene and affect its flexibility. You can always change out of your suit in an outdoor or indoor shower to save time. This will stop it smelling funky over time (especially if you are prone to peeing in your suit – you know who you are!) and protect the suit from damage over time from the salt water.

Drying Your Wetsuit:

When drying your wetsuit, it is best to dry your wetsuit inside out first and then turn it the right way out to ensure it is dried thoroughly. We also recommend you dry your suit out of direct sunlight to make the neoprene last as long as possible and prevent fading.

It is best to use a wide armed plastic hanger, not a wire hanger, we recommend using a wetsuit hanger to dry your wetsuit. As soggy wetsuits can get pretty heavy, it is best to hang wetsuits in half through the middle of a hanger rather than from the neck to avoid them stretching out.

Preventing Damage:

Be careful with your wetsuit to keep it looking as good as new for as long as possible. This means being careful around sharp objects and Velcro from leashes and wetsuit boots – Velcro can stick to your wetsuit easily and cause bobbling and damage. Keep your leashes and wetsuit bootstraps shut to avoid this.

If you find your wetsuit zip feels like it is getting stiff, to avoid it breaking, you can use a zipper lubricant to protect your zip and ensure it lasts for years.

Storing Your Wetsuit:

Store your dry wetsuit hanging up on a wetsuit hanger or laid flat as this will prevent creases.

Repairing Your Wetsuit:

If your wetsuit gets damaged, then check if it is covered under warranty and get it repaired. Chances are, even if your wetsuit isn’t covered under warranty you will be able to get your wetsuit professionally repaired for a small fee and enjoy it for many years to come. If you are handy then you can always repair your wetsuit yourself with the use of a specialist neoprene glue.

Trying on Your Wetsuit for the First Time

Once you’ve received your new wetsuit, chances are, you’ll want to try it on as soon as possible. Be careful and take your time trying it on. As it is a new wetsuit, you will not be used to how it fits just yet and you may find it doesn’t fit you correctly.

Be careful not to tug too hard on the arms or legs of the wetsuit when putting your wetsuit on. Fingernails can catch on wetsuits and create tears so please take care when putting your suit on to avoid this.

Trying to rush will result in you hopping around on one leg, probably falling over, landing on expensive furniture and or injuring yourself! Ensure that you keep the tags on and keep hold of the packaging until you decide you definitely want to keep your wetsuit.

A wetsuit should fit snugly, without any gaping around the neck, wrists and ankles as this will cause your wetsuit to fill up with water. Conversely, you don’t want your wetsuit to be so tight that it restricts movement as you won’t be able to surf and paddle effectively. Ensure your wetsuit fits well around these areas and that you can move freely and comfortably without feeling restricted.

Returning Your Wetsuit if it Doesn’t Fit

If when you try your wetsuit on, you find it doesn’t fit correctly, or you just don’t like it; make sure you reattach any tags if they have fallen off and put the wetsuit back in the bag it arrived in.

If you want to return your wetsuit you to us, you will need a returns number. Please send an email to info@boardshop.co.uk with your order number in the subject line, explaining what wetsuit you want to return and whether you want a refund or want to exchange this for a different size or different wetsuit.

Once you have obtained a returns number and you are packing your wetsuit up to return it to us, please ensure you roll your wetsuit and package it carefully. Please do not fold your wetsuit or screw it up; if you fold or screw up a wetsuit it will create a crease in the neoprene and unfortunately, if this happens and it arrives back at Boardshop creased, it cannot be accepted by us. 

We wouldn’t send out, nor would most people accept a brand new £300 wetsuit with a deep crease across it. So, for this reason, we can’t accept wetsuits returned to us in this condition for refund or exchange.

Please see our wetsuit rolling instructions below to help you return your wetsuit to us crease-free:

Wetsuit Rolling Instructions: 

Place the arms across the chest of the wetsuit

Begin rolling from the legs until the wetsuit is fully rolled.

Your wetsuit is now ready to be placed back in the bag that it arrived in for returning to Boardshop.

As soon as we receive your returned wetsuit, we will contact you by email to let you know your refund or exchange has been processed. 

What Should You Do If You Have A Warranty Issue With Your Wetsuit?

Warranty problems are deemed to be valid when any part of the suits suffer problems, i.e., if the seam fails, stitching comes undone, knee pad peels off, etc. If you gouge a chunk of rubber out of the suit with a fingernail this is not a warranty issue.

If you think you have a warranty issue with your wetsuit, please send an email to us at info@boardshop.co.uk with your order number, some photos of the damage and a brief description of this. Once we receive your email we will review the images and get back to you as soon as possible to let you know if this will be covered under warranty or not.

If your wetsuit is covered under warranty, we will issue you a returns number to send the wetsuit back to us and we will then send this onto a professional wetsuit repairer for repair. We will then check the suit over once we receive it back and send it onto you so you can enjoy it for many more surf to come!

Now you know how to look after your wetsuit, you can surf secure in the knowledge that your extended warranty from Boardshop will cover you for an extra year above and beyond what you get from any other shop.

If you have any questions regarding wetsuit care or if you want some help and advice choosing your new wetsuit, you can contact us via email at info@boardshop.co.uk or via phone on (+44)1243 674250.