fight starter...do wetsuits stretch out over time?

[SharkBoy]

obviously neoprene is stretchy, but if you get one that is tight, in say, the shoulder areas, does it stretch over time?


I always thought neoprene hardened over and that the stretching effect was from the seams not holding it together

 

[LifeOnMars]

yes, I notice that they fit tighter after not being used for a while

 

[mundus]

They sure seem to lose warmth as they get older.

 

[GromsDad]

Thin wetsuits stretch for sure. 5mil suits not so much.........

 

[Littlemistersunshine]

Wetsuits don't get more elastic, they get tears in the material so the get looser, leak more, soak up more water and dry slower.

 

[SharkBoy]

Wetsuits don't get more elastic, they get tears in the material so the get looser, leak more, soak up more water and dry slower.

agreed

 

[chilly1]

Isurus "conforms to your shape" supposedly

 

[waxfoot]

yes, I notice that they fit tighter after not being used for a while

Nothing to do with the lack of calories burnt in all that time off

 

[enframed]

I feel like they get tighter over time, and less elastic. And no I'm not any fatter than I was. I did not catch COVID-15.

Ah! When new, yes, I feel like stretch for a while, then they dry out and contract and get brittle.

 

[oeste858]

Thin wetsuits stretch for sure. 5mil suits not so much.........

This. I think the superstretchy material like ebomb or technobabble will stretch out over time, mostly around shoulders /chest entry.

My old (3-yr) matuse definitely shrunk over the summer. I got a new suit but I Just used it today fir the first time since May and it went from a XL (I’m usually LT) to a L which is now snug and noticeably too short in the wrists and ankles now.

 

[Littlemistersunshine]

I feel like they get tighter over time, and less elastic. And no I'm not any fatter than I was. I did not catch COVID-15.

Ah! When new, yes, I feel like stretch for a while, then they dry out and contract and get brittle.

They do that when they aren't rinsed out well. Full soak in a bucket, with a touch of laundry soap

 

[johnson7]

obviously neoprene is stretchy, but if you get one that is tight, in say, the shoulder areas, does it stretch over time?


I always thought neoprene hardened over and that the stretching effect was from the seams not holding it together

Not if you urinate in it, but it must be done while in the parking lot, before every session.

 

[Maz]

Had a Quiksilver 2mil SS that was great for 2 years, then all of a sudden ballooned at least two sizes. Maybe more the case of breaking down rather than stretching.

 

[sdsrfr]

title is do wetsuits stretch. Aren’t the seams part of the wetsuit?

I think depends on the suit. Ive had some shrink. Or I grew. I had others that ballooned in goofy spots. I surely was not the one that shrank.

 

[surfysurfy1476]

the first 2-3 uses they loosen up a little. then they stay the same

 

[r32]

Yes, mine have definitely stretch over time. You'll especially notice it in the shoulders, chest, and neck areas.

 

[RattimusBeach]

This. I think the superstretchy material like ebomb or technobabble will stretch out over time, mostly around shoulders /chest entry.

My old (3-yr) matuse definitely shrunk over the summer. I got a new suit but I Just used it today fir the first time since May and it went from a XL (I’m usually LT) to a L which is now snug and noticeably too short in the wrists and ankles now.

I do notice Matuse suits shrink especially in the winter...

 

[sdsrfr]

I think the new stretchy neoprenes still shrink but the elastic still stretches making tons of micro holes.

my last old suit turned into a mesh screen in the armpits and is why I had to replace it.

 

[Duffy LaCoronilla]

I dry clean mine so they don’t shrink.

 

[Duffy LaCoronilla]

Isurus "conforms to your shape" supposedly

This is true.

Also true with any other Yamamoto suit that initially fits a little tight.