The amount of support gear has grown recently. What's the best way to store PFDs and wetsuits? On hangers in a vented area? Trying to use as little space as possible.



Edited by ctcataman on Jul 06, 2017 - 09:03 PM.

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John

Nacra 5.0
CT
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I would say yes. I would hang things up so they can have some air circulating through and around them and this should allow them to dry out faster.

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Marty
1984 Hobie 16 Redline Yellow Nationals, "Yellow Fever"
Opelika, Al / Lake Martin
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With neoprene you may also want to make sure to dry the inside too by turning the suit inside out, or it may stay wet a very long time and smell even better than..............fill in the blank.

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dg
NACRA 5.2 #400
This End Up
Original owner since 1975
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local sail shop owner said this to me recently (when i told him how my 5 year old ronstan spraytop "exploded" in my dryer) - treat this gear like a garment and it will last a long time, store it in your trunk and it will die quickly

I keep my pfd attached to my tramp for my 5 mile drive home on sunday and it gets a good hosing down with the boat, then air dry, then hung up in the garage until friday

rise and repeat

I have 5 different wetsuits, from 2mm shorties, to Farmer john, & an expensive 5mm semi-dry with hood, (toasty warm in 5C water) by Cressi.
We use them every day early & late in the season here in Canada.
The good ones are to expensive to murder.
As said, the inside can stay wet. They need to fit snug to be effective, & so they generally get turned inside out when peeling them off. If it's a 2pc, hang each piece separate, on a "thick" plastic hangar. I always give them a swoosh in the lake before hanging, you can sweat quite a bit in them. If I'm going to be hanging around for a bit, I hang them outside on the dock, they dry quite quickly there. If not hang them inside, but not touching each other. I never hang them in a closet, Satans Spawn breeds there with wet things. I have an 8' dowel under the shelf we store unused sails on. All wetsuits get hung there awaiting use.
If you have to use a closet, leave the door open. Another option is a small block attached to the ceiling, you only need to be 6" off the wall. Hoist & tie off.
Prevention is worth a ton of cure. If the neoprene goes skunky, it's really hard to get it all out.



Edited by Edchris177 on Jul 08, 2017 - 06:16 PM.

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Hobie 18 Magnum
Dart 15
Mystere 6.0XL Sold Was a handful solo
Nacra 5.7
Nacra 5.0
Bombardier Invitation (Now officially DEAD)
Various other Dock cluttering WaterCrap
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Moving air is life, and folding a suit and stuffing it into a drawer is death.
I use a scrap of rope, two chunks of 2" PVC, and a 45-degree fitting to make a burly hangar that prevents folds and keeps air inside the suit.

Randii