A swimming wetsuit is a special item. They can be hard to get on and uncomfortable and hard to swim in. Hear are a few simple tips for how to put on a swimming wetsuit.
It takes time – so don’t do it in a hurry! I can quite easily end up in a hot sweaty mess before I’ve even had a swim! This is normal and going slowly helps!
Zip goes at the back!
Wear a plastic bag over your feet so that it slides on better.
Gloves on your hands to avoid putting finger nails through and damaging the neoprene
It’s like putting on a pair of tights. You don’t just yank them up as they’ll tear. So take a little bit at a time and roll it up inch by inch. Feeding it up gradually, nice and slowly with patience.
Put it on straight. The logos and lines are there to help make sure you’ve got it on straight. If you’re
twisted that’s going to be uncomfortable and pull your legs or arms out of position.
Make sure there’s no creases behind your knees and bring it right into your crutch area so fitted snuggly. Pull it all the way along your arms up to your arm pits
Make sure your neck is sealed properly at the back with the velcro so you don’t fill with water. Adjust to fit the size of your own neck and use lube to avoid chafing.
Once you’ve got the wetsuit on ask a friend to help. Lean backwards slightly and a friend can help to pull extra length up your back. Then lean slightly forward and friend does the same at the front. This helps to give a bit of extra length so that you don’t feel tight and restricted round the neck and chest.
It takes a few strokes to get the water down your wetsuit and to loosen up so take your time and enjoy your swim!