How to Take Off a Wetsuit
Lauren Collison August 28th, 2023 Posted In: How-To
How to Take Off a Wetsuit
So you’ve gotten into a wetsuit and now you’re stuck. Don’t worry! We’ve got you covered!
Trying to take a wetsuit off that is… well… wet, can make things a little tricky since the wetsuit is basically suctioned to your skin. Heck… it’s even tricky when it’s dry! But listen…it’s totally fine… just follow the steps listed below and you should be able to get out of your suit without needing to phone a friend or call the fire department. (And yes, it’s happened before to folks we know!)
Zipper
The first order of business is to start at the top. The zipper is the starting point, so undo the zipper (whether it be a back zipper, chest zipper or even zip-free) first. After that, pull one arm out of the wetsuit sleeve followed by the other arm. Now you’re on a roll – pretty easy, isn’t it?
Pull
Pull the wetsuit towards your waist, almost like you’re peeling off a piece of clothing. Peeling it off inside out (as shown in the picture below) makes it much easier to get off. Word of advice, though, to those who are doing this in public: As you start pulling the wetsuit down your body and past your hips, hold on tight to those skivvies (if you’re wearing ‘em) or else they’ll be coming off, too!
Continue to pull the wetsuit down towards your ankles and then take one foot out of the suit followed by the other foot (Try not to fall over in the process).
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- Undoing a back zipper.
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- Pulling wetsuit off of arm.
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- Pulling wetsuit down body.
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- One leg at a time.
Easy as 1-2-3
There you have it. Now you can take that wetsuit off like a champ! Pretty liberating isn’t it? Just make sure to prevent any tears or snags in the neoprene and/or the smooth skin panels by taking your time and just being gentle with the suit.
We even put together this handy video to help you see it action!
Editor’s Note
This article was originally published in 2018 and has since been reviewed and updated. (8/23)
