How To Prevent Wetsuit Chafing
Lauren Collison August 31st, 2018 Posted In: How-To
Ouch! Here’s How to Prevent Wetsuit Chafing
Let’s face it, chafing is never, ever enjoyable for anyone. And nothing’s worse than when you’re wearing your wetsuit while doing a watersport activity and notice the irritation taking its toll on your performance and your fun. Maybe your skin is just super sensitive or the seams of your wetsuit are causing the discomfort and chafe. Either way, nobody has time for chafe. Luckily for you, this post is talking all things on how to prevent wetsuit chafing.
BodyGlide can become your new best friend to prevent chafing.
Whether you’re paddling waves or swimming in a competition, chafing shows no mercy. So here are a few tips to prevent chafing caused by your wetsuit:
1) Glide on or lube up. That’s right – don’t be afraid to use formula geared towards preventing chafing. And by that we mean, use BodyGlide which was specifically created to act as an anti-chafe and anti-blister balm. How do you use this little magic balm? Simply just rub it over spots prone to chafing – neck, arms, etc. and then put your wetsuit on.
2) Check the seams of your wetsuit – hence why we’re talking about ‘wetsuit chafing’. It’s a bummer when your wetsuit seams are the culprit of those chafed areas. So check those seams on the inside of your suit, maybe there’s something sticking out or something that’s loose. It could even be the type of wetsuit seam. For instance, flatlock seams are great for warm water temps and are on the affordable side, but, due to their design, they may be causing some chafing. If you think flatlock seams could be the reason for your wetsuit chafing, check out sealed wetsuits or sealed and liquid taped seamed wetsuits.
3) Wear a baselayer or a rashguard underneath your wetsuit. Rashguards aren’t called ‘rashguard’ for nothing – they prevent rash AND irritation (as well as sunburn). A rashguard is thinner, so it doesn’t add warmth but it definitely helps prevent chafing. Meanwhile, baselayers can add a little bit of extra warmth thanks to their thermal linings while also preventing chafing. Both are great options at warding off chafe and irritation.
Now, if you already have chafing, take care of the existing irritation before it gets worse. Using lotion or gel and giving it some time to heal will definitely help.
Using just one or all of these methods to prevent the dreaded chafe is super easy; you’ll thank us later. Got a method of preventing wetsuit chafing that we didn’t mention? Let us know in the comments section!
