Repurposing/Upcycling Your Old Wetsuit
A wetsuit can last several years, but there comes a time when you just have to let it go. You can only patch your wetsuit so many times.
Wouldn’t it be great if you didn’t have to throw it in a landfill though? Neoprene isn’t exactly eco-friendly.
I don’t know of any wetsuit recycling facilities, but this post will show you a lot of options for upcycling your wetsuit.
If you’re not very crafty, at least put your wetsuit up on Craigslist for free before throwing it away.
But if you like to get down and dirty with DIY, check out the following upcycling projects for your old wetsuit.
Beach Wallet
The craftysurf blog is exactly what you would think it is. Crafts and surf.
This beach wallet is just one of 5 wetsuit upcycling projects from their blog. Not a bad idea, and pretty easy to make.
All you need is some neoprene from your old wetsuit, fishing line, and velcro.
Passport Pouch
Even simpler than the wallet, this pouch will protect your passport while traveling to your favorite international surf spots. (If you’re lucky enough to be a traveler)
Neoprene and velcro is all you need!
Surf Fin Heel Protectors
This is actually a pretty cool idea. If you’ve ever bodysurfed with fins, you might have noticed that they really dig into your heels. Maybe this doesn’t happen if you have Cinderella feet and they fit into your fins perfectly, but I’m not as perfect as Cinderella.
These “heel protectors” will add some cushion to the back of your heel/achilles.
Adventure Backpack
This is a more challenging project, but it could be useful if you want a backpack that you can take anywhere. You won’t have to worry about getting this one wet or dirty!
Sea Specs Case
Ok I wasn’t even going to include this one because I think it’s pretty weird and borderline useless, but maybe someone reading this has Sea Specs and wants to make a custom case for them.
Luckily this project doesn’t even require any sewing, if your wetsuit has the right kind of knee pads.
Camera Case
No instructions for this project, but I thought the image might be inspiring for someone with more advanced sewing skills.
Laptop Bag
I love this project!
They don’t actually use a wetsuit (they just use a sheet of neoprene) but I’m sure you can get it to work with a wetsuit. You might have to sew a few pieces together, because it looks like it requires a fair amount of neoprene.
Beer Koozies
I couldn’t find instructions for koozies, but it can’t be too hard to figure out. Use the following photos for inspiration.
