Is it easier to put on a wet or dry wetsuit? Both can be good if you and your wetsuit are both wet or dry. So if you try to slip in a dry wetsuit with a sweaty or wet body it will be harder than if you and the wetsuit are both wet. The same goes for when you and your wetsuit are both dry.
My personal preference is to slip in my wetsuit dry. A wet wetsuit is mostly a bit cold 😉 but hard to avoid if you had a session for 1 hour or a day ago. Rip Curl says they have the fastest drying wetsuit that is dry and warm to the touch within 30 minutes. A side note to this is that only the inner lining feels or is dry.
What helps with putting on a wetsuit?
Here are some tips to help you get in your wetsuit easier.
1. Scuba socks or normal socks
Putting on some scuba socks or normal socks helps you with gliding the feet to the end of your wetsuit legs.
2. Plastic bag trick over your feet and hands
This is an old-school method that still works see video below. There is a company that has figured out a better solution for a plastic bag. The company is called “The Slippy“, they have made a special sock to slip into your wetsuit.
3. Water or natural bases lubricant
Using some lubricant is common around spearfishing, freedivers, and scuba divers. The open cell neoprene structure inside the wetsuit will make it even harder to put the wetsuit on. That is why a lot of divers use a lubricant on their bodies to make it easier. You can buy this natural lubricant for wetsuits at amazon.
4. Dive skin or a pantyhose
Putting on dive skin can help you glide in the wetsuit easier. This extra (mostly lycra) skin prevents the wetsuit from sticking to your skin. You can buy dive skins at amazon
5. Try putting it on in the water
For some people, it is easier to put the wetsuit on in the water. When you are in the water and the wetsuit still sticks to your body, pull the wetsuit away from your body letting the water flow between you and the neoprene. Just make sure the water is not too deep (you can still stand) otherwise it will get more difficult.
6. Blowing in the wetsuit
When using the blowing technique you might need an extra hand. Once your arm is in the sleeve, get your buddy to lift the edge by the wrist and blow into there (like blowing up a balloon) it makes an air pocket between the wrist and the upper arm and allows you to adjust the arm nicely.
7. Buy a wetsuit with extra zippers
If you still have problems getting in a wetsuit you can buy a new wetsuit with extra zippers. This wetsuit has extra zippers at the arms and legs and they call it “The easy on wetsuit’. This wetsuit is the only suit that is easy to get into with expansion zippers in the arms and legs and a slanted rear zipper. The easy-on wetsuit is the only suit that a diver can get into in under a minute, they say. If you want to see all the zipper entry systems read the blog: What type of wetsuit entry systems are there?.
What will not help putting the wetsuit on?
1. Soaps and shampoos as lubricants
This will still help you get easier into your wetsuit but it will harm your wetsuit. Eventually, your wetsuit will dry out and crack if you use these liquids.
2. Oil-Based lubricants
This will also help put on the wetsuit more easily but is also bad for your wetsuit. Never use oil for your wetsuit in any way. This will destroy the neoprene after some time and your wetsuit will get cracks and lose flexibility.
