Cleaning wetsuits in Roatan

[WarmWaterGal]

Went diving in Roatan last year and ended up with funk smelly wetsuit. Seemed when I rinsed in the water even with Mirazyme still had the funk. So I started jumping into the chlorinated pool after diving and air dried suit and much less funk- even though chlorine is not great for wetsuits. Heading th Anthony Keys in 2 weeks - anyone have better suggestions to keep the funk at bay?

 

[NDL_Diver]

Jumping in the pool with wetsuit is a no no (hotel rules usually state so). You add salt to the pool plus any pee remnants

Bacteria is causing the funk (pee, dead skin, oils....). Yes chlorine will kill the bacteria but shorten the life.

We take ours to the shower with laundry soap. Lather good, let soak for 10 min and rinse. The laundry soap breaks down bacteria. We also use Quat disinfectant.

 

[CanadaDan]

I pre-treat all my neoprene before a trip (I use Sink The Stink). Soak it, do NOT rinse, hang to dry.
Multiple trips, suit hung inside out for the night but rarely fully dry by morning.
Never a problem... but I don't pee in my suit (seriously... I'm the third type of diver lol)

 

[Doc]

After 60 years of diving, i now must have just accepted the smell of our suits.

In the 60’s i was horrified by the scratches on the tops of my black Head skis. Then I just went skiing.

Jumping into a freshwater pool as a rinse tank is really bad karma.

The OP mentions Roatan, at CoCo View, you can hire the dive shop to perform any directed cleaning services at your discretioin. Springtime fresh.

Or, just smell like those of us who are never asked for C-Cards.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Letting my wetsuit dry fully before packing it for the return trip is all I have ever had to do to avoid the funk. Like dipping it in a chlorine pool, direct sunlight isn't so good for the suit, either, but hanging it in the sun probably helps kill the mold.

 

[Doctorfish]

If you don't pee in your suit, it wont stink. Pee once in it and it stinks all week long.
I find that if I don't urinate in the suit, rinse it out at end of every day with fresh water and if the dive shop has a tank with enzymatic cleaner in it, use that as well. Also try to find a place with a breeze where the suit can dry out daily.
I make a real effort to void before pulling on my suit and if I have to go between dives, either take the suit off or pull the suit down to my knees and jump in the ocean. It may look stupid but by the end of the week, it still doesn't stink.

Question. What's 30 feet long and smells like urine?

Answers. Either a conga line dance at the old folks home,
or a dive boat.

 

[NDL_Diver]

I no longer pee in my wetsuit. I had a 8″ Bladder Relief Zipper installed in my existing wetsuit ($34) Wetsuit Repair & Wetsuit Alterations | Terrapin Wetsuits about middle of page. I just make sure no one can see, Unzip and move my bathing suit to one side and expose myself to the fishes.
She mounts the Zipper on the left side for right hand men and vs versa.

 

[Fishhy]

They make stuff called "sink the stink" that is an enzyme based soak that kills the smell.
Apparently it's the same stuff you can get in a bottle of the Clorox urine eliminator bottles.
I've not tried the Clorox type, but I have used the "sink the stink" and found it very effective.

 

[Hoag]

I rinse it out thoroughly and let it dry thoroughly on site and then when I get home, I throw it in the washing machine with some Wet Suit Shampoo on the Delicate Cycle. After that air dries completely, the suit is good to go.

This seems to work for me, and I am happy with the results. As always, YMMV.

 

[Lorenzoid]

I no longer pee in my wetsuit. I had a 8″ Bladder Relief Zipper installed in my existing wetsuit ($34) Wetsuit Repair & Wetsuit Alterations | Terrapin Wetsuits about middle of page. I just make sure no one can see, Unzip and move my bathing suit to one side and expose myself to the fishes.
She mounts the Zipper on the left side for right hand men and vs versa.

I had this done, too, by Terrapin. What I found was that you really need a particular kind of bathing suit to do this maneuver. Neither board shorts nor jammers were conducive to "exposing myself to the fishes." Maybe a Borat mankini?