Wetsuit Accessories

Wetsuit Accessories

Your surfing gear, like your wetsuit, can be a  major investment. Getting the right Wetuit Accessories allows you to protect and leverage the best out of your wetsuit and your surfing. Whether it’s keeping you surfing in harsh cold or hot UV conditions, keeping your wetsuit lasting longer and staying sealed and supple, or giving you extra warmth and protection, Wetsuit Accessories are the way to go. Wetsuit Wash & Repair, Booties, a Surf Hat & Cap, Wetsuit Bags & Buckets, these are all worthy Wetsuit Accessories.

Let’s check out what we’ve got to maximise your surfing and protect and enhance your wetsuit.

Last Longer

A selection of the Wetsuit Accessories we’ve got ready for you. Each of these can prolong the life and performance of your wetsuit. From left to right: The Ocean & Earth hangar is collapsible so takes up no space when not in use. When in use it gives the fastest drip dry for your wetsuit; Orca also provide an air dry solution with their mesh bag; Wetsuit Wash and Cleaner is vital to use to remove salt from your suit that will otherwise eat away at your neoprene; Wetsuit Repair is easy to achieve with Wetsuit Glue and Cement

We tend to wear our wetsuits in the surf, give them a quick rinse at the shower, and leave it at that. A throw over the shower rail or balcony is the dry off. However what’s not apparent is that salt and biological agents remain in your wetsuit and build up surf after surf.

Salt is Nasty

The salt itself is super corrosive to neoprene. This may not be immediately apparent but over time the salt eats away at your wetsuit. While your wetsuit remains a little moist you can still get a reasonable degree of suppleness. However when it dries out the salt residue makes your suit noticeably stiffer. If you go to put your wetsuit on in this stiff state there’s a good chance you’ll put too much pressure on seams and even the neoprene. With the action of the salt both weakening your suit and making it stiffer, say between seasons, this can easily damage, rip and tear your suit.

Similarly the biological agents in the salt water work on your wetsuit’s sealing. So it’s important that your wetsuit doesn’t remain wet for too long and does dry out frequently. If you have a good look at your wetsuit tape and seals you can see, especially if your suit is kept wet, they’re slowly ‘slipping’, coming apart especially in areas around your crutch and underarms.

We’ve got several solutions. Wetsuit Wash  is good to use after a few surfs or at the mid point or the end of the season. Just put some in a bucket, or in your sink, or the  bottom of your shower with your wetsuit over the drain, slosh it around inside and outside of your wetsuit, and rinse. You’ll find your wetsuit will feel soft and supple, your fit will improve. It will look newer and odours too will be removed.

Air Dry

To dry out your suit there’s several innovative options. Ocean & Earth have a collapsible hangar. It takes up no space, then when needed it expands giving you a great way to drip and quick dry your suit. Another great option is a mesh bag. This can be used to carry gear to and from the beach. The mesh allowing air to pass freely so that even when stowed there will be some drying taking place.

Wetsuit Repair

If your suit does become damaged it’s not a throw away. Wetsuit Glue and Cement will repair even the largest and most substantial rips and damage. It’s super easy to use and gives reasonably long lasting and sealed repairs. The glue can cover large areas as it bonds with itself. So you can start covering a small area then when that dries add more covering more of your hole. If it’s a super big area that needs Wetsuit Repair then get an offcut piece of neoprene and you can glue that over, under or fill the hole with it.

The Wetsuit Glue is fully waterproof so will not leak or degrade in the water. However, with stretching and pulling it can loose its adhesion. In this case just pull the loose piece off and reapply for another period of good use. Wetsuit Repair is easy.

Easy Transport

A Wetsuit Bag and Bucket is a good way to transport your wetsuit when wet or dry, and at the same time protect your car from salty wetsuit water. Some are big enough to step into and allow you to change into your wetsuit. This is a great feature as it keeps your feet and wetsuit interior sand free. Some are fully collapsible so take no space when not in use. The Ocean & Earth High & Dry bucket on the left has a foam base keeping air circulating around your wetsuit so it will dry even while in the bucket

After your surf, most times you have to put your wetsuit in your car. If you place it directly on your car floor or boot the salty water will seep in and can create rust, carpet and seat damage. So an ideal solution is the wetsuit bucket or bag. This comes in a range of sizes and formats from stiff sided buckets to fully collapsible bags. These are great to quickly throw your wetsuit into so you can get on your way.

Some buckets are big enough and some bags purpose made for you to step into and change from. This is a great feature when both getting into and out of your suit it keeps your feet and your suit free from sand and road gravel that can scratch you and harm your suit. Some buckets have a foam base layer that will keep your wetsuit slightly elevated so that air is able to circulate drying your suit while it’s in the bucket.

Harsh Conditions

Booties give your feet protection. Protection can be from the cold like with the ION Ballistic Booties, or from the reef and sharp objects like the FCS and Far King Bali Reef Booties. Stealth are a bodyboarding brand and their booties help get great fit from the bodyboarding fins and also reduce the chance of chaffing

Foot Protection

Booties are purpose made to give you an advantage over harsh environments.

Reef or Bali booties protect your feet from harsh coral and rocks you experience getting out to the waves. They’re lighter, short at the ankle. Tough rubber protects your toes, there’s a supple sole so you don’t loose touch with your board, an adjustable cords keeps the fit snug and responsive. Reef booties give you a great surf without getting cut.

Winter booties protect your feet from the cold. They leverage the benefit and warmth of your wetsuit. If your body’s warm yet your feet are numb, it’s hard to surf. Your feet can easily get numb from the run across cold sand or pavement to get into the surf. Once in cold water as your feet get cold your surfing performance will reduce. So mid calf booties with thicker neoprene, plush inner surfaces and waterproof sealing give you comfort and warmth. Their sole is supple so you can still surf and perform your best.

Head Protection

Head Gear like a Surf Hat keeps your head protected. Protection can be from the sun like that provided by Ocean & Earth’s Stiff Peak Surf Hat and Surf Cap. For cold water protection ION’s Neo Hood keeps your head super warm, while giving you a visor to reduce salt spray and glare. H20 Odyssey OpenFingerTip Gloves can empower your paddling for getting into bigger waves or paddling your bigger board with ease

To keep your head protected there’s several surf Hat and Cap options to match your personal preference. The Surf Hat shape with 360 degree brim will give shade protection over your face, neck and part of your shoulders and back. It also tends to have a higher crown so the top of your head has air space, the sun isn’t beating down on it. The snugger fitting Surf Caps, like baseball caps, have longer visors, great for keeping low sun out of your eyes. They fit snug over your ears and have ear holes so you can still hear. When you duck dive or wipeout these caps tend to be more manageable. They don’t fill up with water or slosh around. For surfing in the tropics and hot climates a Surf Hat is a must.

Surfing Smooth

When you need these products you’ll need them instantly. So it’s not a bad idea to keep some on hand to proactively prevent a rash from occurring

Wearing your wetsuit, a new suit or a current suit a lot, can give you rash. Common areas are around your neck, under your arms and any place you may find your suit is a little too snug. While it might not sound such a big problem, if it starts to happen it doesn’t just give discomfort. Constant chaffing will break your skin and create a bigger problem with an open cut.

You have to address the rash as soon as it starts and there’s Wetsuit Accessories that you can apply to your skin or to your wetsuit that will allow your suit and skin to move smoothly together. You also don’t have to wait for a rash to start. If you’ve got a new suit and the neck or other area is feeling a little too snug, apply some of the cream ahead of time before you go surfing. You’ll find an application stays on through several surfs.

Stylish Versatility

Wetsuit Accessories can be versatile and add to your style. These wetsuit bags and backpacks are not only great for transporting your wet wetsuit, they’re also great for keeping gear inside dry. From left to right: Creatures Of Leisure Transfer Dry Wetsuit Bag, Day Use Dry Wetsuit Bag, Clear Wetsuit Bag; Ocean & Earth Deluxe Wetsuit Backpack, Mens Wetsuit Bag

Wetsuit Accessories can also be very versatile and give you style. Check our Wetsuit Bags and Backpacks. These are waterproof so you can transport your wet wetsuit in them without getting your car or other gear wet. However they can also be used to put dry gear in that needs to stay dry. For example they’re great for your computer, batteries, drone, cards and phones. If the tide comes up or there’s a freak wave or your boat leaks or someone else’s wetsuit drips water everywhere, what you put in these bags will be kept safe.

Maximise your wetsuit investment and keep yourself warm and comfy, protected from harsh environments and look stylish with our Wetsuit Accessories. From Surf Hat to Booties, wetsuit drying and repair, to a great Wetsuit Bag and Bucket, we’ve got everything you need.