How to Store Orca Wetsuits

Orca wetsuits are made of high-tech, quality materials, and both amateur and professional athletes look to Orca for wetsuits to help them compete in water sports, especially triathlons. Chlorine and salt water are hard on materials, so it's important to know how to store an Orca wetsuit if you want it to stay in optimal condition. It's not difficult to properly store an Orca wetsuit, but you should follow these tips to keep it looking new.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Step 1

Soak your Orca wetsuit in clean, warm water for 15 to 30 minutes immediately after use. A bath tub is ideal because it gives the wetsuit enough room to stretch out. Soaking the wetsuit helps chlorine, salt, and other impurities to leach out of the material. The water should be slightly warm to the touch but not as hot as a cup of coffee.

Step 2

Drain the water, and turn on the faucet to the same slightly warm temperature. Hold the wetsuit under the faucet, giving each part of the wetsuit a turn under the stream of water. This helps to wash out any remaining impurities. If you don't have a bathtub, you can take the wetsuit outside, lay it on a tarp, and rinse it down with a garden hose.

Step 3

Hang the wetsuit over a rod or on a thick wooden or plastic hanger. Unzip all zippers, and allow the wetsuit to dry completely.

Step 4

Store your dry Orca wetsuit in a dark, dry, cool place. UV rays and damp conditions are terrible for wetsuits. The two best places to store your wetsuit are flat under your bed or hanging in your closet. Don't fold your wetsuit if you can avoid it because creases in neoprene can become permanent.

Tips & Warnings

Look for heavy duty plastic hangers at dive shops. Average plastic hangers are not strong enough to hold a wetsuit over time.

Article Written By Rachel Terry

Rachel Terry has a Bachelor of Arts in English from Brigham Young University. She has been a freelance writer since 1998, authoring literary study guides, as well as articles and essays.

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