How to Put on a Wetsuit

By Rose Kivi

morgueFile free photo / kconnors

The first time you attempt to put on a wetsuit, you might think that it is too small. However, it probably is not too small. Wetsuits are designed to fit snugly against your body. If your wetsuit feels too snug, you have not put it on correctly. To put a wetsuit on correctly, you have to work on one section at a time.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Step 1

Unzip the wetsuit and unfasten any Velcro closures. Turn the wetsuit so that the zipper faces toward the back. Make sure the wetsuit is turned right side out. (The zipper should be on the outside of the wetsuit.)

Step 2

Put your feet though the leg openings of the wetsuit. Put one foot through at a time. Point your toes and slide the wet suit over your entire foot. Once the wetsuit is sitting at your ankle, put your second foot through the other leg of the wetsuit.

Step 3

Pull the wetsuit up to your waist, working in sections. First pull the wetsuit up to your knees, then to the top of your thighs and finally over your rear end. Grab the bunched-up areas of the wetsuit and pull up. Pull on each bunched-up area until the wetsuit sits smoothly on your legs and fits snug against your crotch.

Step 4

Put your arms through the wetsuit armholes. Wait to pull the wetsuit over your shoulders until both arms are through the armholes. Pull on the bunched-up areas on the arms of the wetsuit until the wetsuit sits snug against your underarms. Pull the wetsuit over your shoulders.

Step 5

Reach over your shoulder with the opposing arm and grab the zipper. Arch your back and pull the zipper up. Fasten the neck Velcro, if applicable.

Tips & Warnings

There are several methods that people use to make the wetsuit slide easier over the body. You can try putting the wetsuit on while you are in the water. You can apply lotion or body lube onto your skin before putting the wetsuit on, to make your skin slippery. Some people find it useful to put a plastic bag over their feet so that the feet slide easier though the wetsuit leg holes. A proper fitting wetsuit will fit snugly against the body without feeling like it is restricting your blood flow.

A proper fitting wetsuit will fit snugly against the body without feeling like it is restricting your blood flow.

Wetsuits are made from soft neoprene, which can tear or become punctured. Be careful not to puncture the wetsuit with your nails or other sharp objects.

Resources

About The Author

Rose Kivi has been a writer for over 10 years. She has a background in the nursing field, wildlife rehabilitation and habitat conservation. Kivi has authored educational textbooks, patient health care pamphlets, animal husbandry guides, outdoor survival manuals and was a contributing writer for two books in the Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader Series.

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