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.
And when you’re ready to buy a new wetsuit, we make a Premium Men’s Fullsuit for $199. Warm, stretchy, and it will last you a lot of surfs.
If you’re not very crafty, at least put your wetsuit up on OfferUp or Facebook Marketplace 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.
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.
Wetsuit 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!
Neoprene 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.
Wetsuit 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!
Neoprene 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.
Wetsuit 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.
Wetsuit 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.
Hello, I struggling with wetsuits now I’ve got FND which effects my coordination and mobility, despite once someone has dressed me, my body loves the cold lakes and I’m happy to kick my legs and float.
Could there ever be a wetsuit which doesn’t hurt the shoulders when you try to get the top part on.
My body boats and gets sore and stiff, wrestling a wet suit on and off is really hard.
Also, in the UK most wetsuits are black, why traditionally are they black.
I prefere to stand out from the crowd with colour or patterns.
Could a wetsuit be large printed colours or text in it?
Hey Bethy, if you’re struggling with shoulder issues a back-zip wetsuit would be your best bet. You’ll sacrifice some quality, warmth, and flexibility but it will definitely be easier for you to get on and off. Plenty of folks are happy to make that compromise. There’s a new company called “Wetsuit wrench” they make a tool that helps people take wetsuits off. Also, wetsuits are black to add extra protection from UV rays and they attract more heat naturally. Plenty of companies offer funky color schemes and perhaps some of the custom wetsuit brands could add some text. But expect to pay for it $$$.
Hey Bethy! As Justin said, a back zip wetsuit will be easier to get in and out of, especially around the shoulders.
As far as wetsuit color, we just give the people what they want 😉 Black is the most popular color option for any of our products, by a long shot. It’s also usually cheaper to make than any color/design. I always ask our customers to vote on colors for new products, and that helps us decide which color to go with.
There is a company that makes iron-on decals for wetsuits… I can’t think of the name, but that way you could add any custom logo or graphic that you would want.