drying out wet suit and booties

[Dave Kay]

I've bee diving 50 years. I came up before wet suits were common and never needed one down to 74 degrees F. I have avoided anything colder. This year I bought a Henderson fleece vest and dive booties for new fins. When I flew to my destination my bag weighed 49 lbs but even with 24 hours off diving before I flew, everything was still damp. The airline bitched about 3 lbs and I had to take stuff out of my suitcase to avoid the extra fee. My next trip is very far away and I need to stay under 50Lb on the way home.

Does any one have any ideas/tricks/tips to get this equipment to dry out in 24 hours or less? Thanks.

 

[RayfromTX]

This won't help you but may help others. HangAir® Drying System - Electronic Hanger » Underwater Kinetics
We actually have one that we store in Cozumel and we put one suit on it after the dive and switch to the other at bedtime. If you wait till the suit stops dripping you can go back and put the booties under the leg holes and the air will dry them out pretty well too.

When travelling without a hangair, air flow is still your friend. Hanging them in a doorway can help if there is cross ventilation. Fans can help too but air movement is critical.

 

[Kharon]

I never go (at least so far) anywhere that I would need a wetsuit. Booties, socks, and skins I hang outside and they dry overnight. At home I hang my wetsuit outside and it's very nearly dry in a few hours.

If I was traveling to a destination where I would need a wetsuit, I think I would rent rather than drag my own.

 

[Marie13]

Hang Air is excellent. Works on drysuts, too.

 

[rongoodman]

The fact that your luggage will be a little heavier on the return trip is just something to take into account when packing, like remembering to put your knife and tools into your checked bag. Three pounds sounds about right.

 

[stuartv]

I have had my HangAir for about 15 years. It still works great. It doesn't weigh much. I take it with me on trips, even when I fly to dive.

It is just about useless for dying the inside of my drysuit - particularly the inside of the feet or even legs. Air just doesn't circulate in there. But, for a wetsuit, it is awesome.

 

[emoreira]

This won't help you but may help others. HangAir® Drying System - Electronic Hanger » Underwater Kinetics
We actually have one that we store in Cozumel and we put one suit on it after the dive and switch to the other at bedtime. If you wait till the suit stops dripping you can go back and put the booties under the leg holes and the air will dry them out pretty well too.

When travelling without a hangair, air flow is still your friend. Hanging them in a doorway can help if there is cross ventilation. Fans can help too but air movement is critical.

This device is powered with a DC electric motor.
Though I guess that the air flow goes in the down-up direction, DC motors produce sparks. Sparks produce ozone. Neoprene has a Fair resistance to Ozone (Ozone Compatible Materials, Material Compatibility with Ozone, Ozone Fittings, Seals, Compatible Materials).
Perhaps I'm too obsessive.

 

[Marie13]

Product literature specifically says something about no-ozone produced by motor.

 

[emoreira]

Product literature specifically says something about no-ozone produced by motor.

Wow. can't believe that they could make a brushless motor running with DC power in such a small enclosure. Normally brushless motors are AC with squirrel cage. Brushless DC motors rely on electronic inverters.
I did my own dryer with an AC fan, some plastic tubes and scrap metal. No hot air. Too bulky for a travel by plane. The idea came from here.

 

[Marie13]

At least I think it does. It definitely says "safe low voltage." I'd have to dig into the manual. But given the ozone issues with neoprene, I can't believe people wouldn't be reporting issues.