Swim Fact Sheets 
Look after your wetsuit and it will look after you!
By Elizabeth Scott
Whether you spent £100 or £650 on your triathlon wetsuit, it's probably one of the largest investments you've made in your swimming career. So it makes sense to look after it, both during the season and over the winter when it's not in use. It won't take long to take a few simple steps which will prolong the life of your wetsuit. Here are our top tips:
1) Don't use Vaseline or other petroleum jelly-based lubricants. Over time, they can perish the neoprene of your wetsuit. Instead, use a wetsuit product always available from triathlon retailers, which is specially developed for use with wetsuits, or try one of the body-butter type cosmetics. Look for petroleum jelly on the ingredients list, and avoid!
2) Be careful when pulling your wetsuit on. Avoid tearing it with your fingernails - either keep your nails short, or make an effort to use the pads of your fingers rather than your nails when easing the suit up your legs and arms.
3) Repair tears with neoprene glue. You can buy it from most surfing or triathlon shops (or online) and a little dab will seal small holes and tears.
4) Rinse your wetsuit in cold, fresh water after every use. We find it easiest to hang the wetsuit on a sturdy plastic clothes-hanger and then rinse the suit under the shower. Direct the showerhead down the wetsuit's arms and legs to rinse it completely. Then leave it on the hanger to dry, making sure the cuffs aren't turned up (you really don't want water to gather there!) You might need to turn it inside out after a while to ensure it's completely dry inside and out.
5) Store your wetsuit for winter. When the open-water season is over, you need to put your wetsuit away properly for the winter. Once it's rinsed and completely dry, fold it flat and store it somewhere cool and dry (under a bed, in a storage box or bag, for instance). Just don't forget where you put it!
6) Check it over before your season starts. It's a good idea to get your suit out a week or two before your first swim of the season. Depending on what kind of Christmas and New Year you enjoyed, it might be a bit on the snug side. Or maybe it's got a nick or tear you didn't spot last Autumn. Take time to look it over, make any repairs, and check the fit before the 2011 season starts.