So I just bought a West 5/4 neck-entry wetsuit to go kite surfing on Hayling Island just outside london. What an amazingly warm wetsuit it is - almost no water entry at all. It was well below 10 degrees celcius today, and I was toasty.

The thing is, getting the damned thing on was bloody exhausting, and I spent nearly 40 minutes seeing if I could figure out how to take it off myself. In the end I had to ask someone to help me.

I reakon that the secret is getting some leverage somehow, but I just couldnt seem to get the first arm or even elbow out of its sleeve.

Is there a trick to putting these suits on and taking them off?

I wear a neck entry xcel steamer during winter. I find the easiest thing to do is to use my left hand to grasp the right hand side of the neck and peel it down my right shoulder. This then gives me enough leverage to then wriggle my right arm out by basically turning the sleeve inside out. Then its simply a matter of peeling the rest of the suit off. Although you have to stretch the neck a bit to do this, it doesn't affect the tight fit. I'm into my third season with my excel and its as good as new.
cheers
col

So I finally figured out how to get out of this wetsuit on my own.

I peel the suit down off one shoulder, then take my board leash and pass it under my armpit and connect the end of the leash together, making a loop. I can then get my knee or foot in the loop and peel the suit off with my leg power.

Sounds stupid but it really works.

stanley knife

coat yourself in vasaline(spelling?)before entry

Use a plastic bag like most surfer's, place it over each limb until you look like a wrapped up gumby. Then pull them off each limb by being towed from 4 cars at a crossroad going the opposite ways.
JUST A THOUGHT