You may or may not have seen Wave Arcade’s own upcycled wetsuit koozies. If not, check them out, they’re groovy. And they keep beers real frosty.
They’re also one of the first ideas that sparked the Wave Arcade project.
And the best part yet – they’re a super simple way to upcycle your old surf junk and divert waste from the landfill.
For me, one of the weirdest things about surfing is the fact that it’s probably as connected to the ocean and nature as a sport or activity can get you yet all the equipment mostly winds up in the landfill where it will sit for a long, long, long time.
For some reason I had some old wetsuits with me when I was living in Utah.
They weren’t really seaworthy anymore and they were just collecting dust – and it got me thinking about what typically happens to a wetsuit when you’re done with it.
Believe it or not, Utah is home to some pretty good craft breweries. So while I was thinking about wetsuit waste and old neoprene, I was also thinking about beer.
That’s how the Wave Arcade wetsuit koozie was born. A way to upcycle my junk, keep my beer cold, and spend my time in isolation from the sea.
Materials needed to make your own wetsuit koozies:
- Old, worn-out, retired wetsuit (hopefully clean).
- Light-colored marker or crayon to mark the neoprene.
- Koozie template.
- Sharp scissors.
- Sewing machine or needle and thread.
How to Make Your Own Wetsuit Koozie
Making a wetsuit koozie is extremely easy.
A single wetsuit is probably going to net you at least 20 koozies if you want to use the whole thing in one go – so you’ll either have some to give as gifts or you’ll just have more koozies than you need.
1. Make a koozie template
The easiest way to do this would be to trace and flip a koozie or can you have lying around – you could even freehand it. Just make sure it’s large enough for a can or bottle to fin when you’re ready to fold it over and sew.
2. Cut some neoprene
Trace your template and find an area of the old wetsuit to cut out. I tried to look for interesting lines and color combos.
3. Clean that grimy neoprene
If your wetsuit is real nasty – you should clean it. Otherwise all that smell and grime is going to be right in your face, completely ruining the enjoyment you were planning to get from that cold IPA.
4. Fold & Sew
Fold in half, and sew the edges together.
Make sure to sew the koozie inside out so your finished koozie hides the seams.
5. Customize & Add Art
Flip it right side out – add art if desired.
Screen printing, permanent markers, or plain old old wetsuit works.
6. Enjoy!
Insert beer, drink beer.
It’s a super simple little DIY upcycle project that brings a whole new use to what would have become surf junk.