Despite their functional benefits, wetsuits are undeniably the most difficult of clothing items to remove from the human body. A task hopefully made easier with these simple pointers. Take heed of the below to avoid giving everyone (yourself included) the ‘ick’ this summer.

Take it slow

Unless you’re competing in triathlons, it’s unlikely that you’ll need to whip your wetsuit off at a speed comparable to Usain Bolt’s 150m sprint. Keeping your movements controlled and steady will help you avoid floundering in the sand. 

Use your thumbs

The ends of a wetsuit can feel like handcuffs for your ankles, locking them in nice and tight. This is ideal for keeping icy-cold water out, but not so great when you want to take it off. Once you have peeled the neoprene off your upper body and have pulled it down to your feet, dig your thumbs between your ankle and the neoprene to create an air bubble, which helps pop the ends of the suit off. 

Location and balance

Taking your wetsuit off in knee-deep water seems like a breathtakingly brilliant idea at the time. There is no sand, grass or car park debris to contend with using this ingenious method of wetsuit removal. The hidden problem lies in the very thing you’re at the beach for. Waves. These tricky beasts are rather adept at causing you to flail about in a mangled mess of limbs before toppling over. The white wash usually thunders onto shore at the exact moment that your wetsuit is around your knees. Unless you possess a cast-iron balance, we suggest you remove the slippery bastard on land, where your car, a kind friend, or even a conveniently positioned pole can assist you in this all too tricky manoeuvre.