Dry Your Wetsuit Right, Honor the Wild

Written by: Doug Wierenga & Zac Backlin

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Published on

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Time to read 2 min

You’re still buzzing from the session—waves carved, reefs explored, or winds tamed. Your wetsuit’s soaked, heavy with the sea’s embrace. How you dry it now decides how long it’ll carry you into the wild. Proper drying isn’t just gear care; it’s a pact with the ocean to keep your adventures sustainable. At SURFDRY, we’re crafting a Smart Tech drying system to make this effortless and earth-friendly. Here’s why drying right matters and how to do it.

The Cost of Careless Drying

A damp wetsuit is a ticking time bomb. Bacteria breed, creating odors that cling like barnacles. Mold and mildew also creep in, attacking neoprene. The Ocean Conservancy warns that neglected gear contributes to microplastic pollution when it breaks down faster. Proper drying protects your suit, your wallet, and the planet.


How to Dry with Purpose

  1. Rinse First : Flush out salt and dirt with cool, fresh water. It’s the foundation of good drying.

  2. Hang Smart : Use a wide or even padded hanger which enables folding the wetsuit at the waist to avoid stretching, especially of the neck. Thin hangers, traditional A-shaped hangers and clothespins weaken shoulders.

  3. Dry Indoors or Find Shade : If outdoors, dry in a well-ventilated, warm and shady spot. Better yet, dry indoors! Sunlight degrades neoprene, as noted by the Sustainable Surf Alliance.  Let the dew point be your guide.  If your drying location isn't at least +10F from the dew point expect protracted drying times. 

  4. Flip It OR SURFDRY : After a day, turn your wetsuit inside out to dry inside and out evenly. Or... better yet, use SURFDRY, which accelerates and completes the drying cycle! SURFDRY dries inside and outside surfaces simultaneously.

  5. Drying Time : Full, unassisted drying even with good conditions can take 24 hours to days, depending upon wetsuit thickness, wetsuit materials, and ambient conditions, with flipping inside to out. If you have SURFDRY and drying @ 65F and up, dry overnight is a good expectation for suits without fur linings and 4/3mm or thinner. Warmer temps and thinner suits enable faster drying.

The Smart Way Forward

Old-school drying works, but it’s slow and weather-dependent. Our Smart Tech drying system, SURFDRY, dries your wetsuit normally by overnight, fights bacteria and other organics by completing the drying cycle. SURFDRY is portable, eco-conscious, highly efficient drawing <1W and built for water lovers who live for the wild.


Why It’s Worth It

Drying right keeps your wetsuit stretchy, warm, and odor-free, ready for every call of the sea. It’s a small act that extends gear life and cuts waste, honoring the planet we adventure on. We’re here to make that easier, with tools that match your passion and our shared love for the earth.


Sign Up for the Journey!

Dry smart, adventure long. Follow us on https://www.instagram.com/surfdryofficial/  for more stories and tips from the water’s edge.


References :

  1. Ocean Conservancy, “Marine Debris and Microplastics Report,” 2024.

  2. Sustainable Surf Alliance, “Eco-Friendly Gear Care,” 2023.

  3. ECOALF Foundation, “Sustainable Textile Innovations,” 2025.

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