Changing Mat

The Orca Changing Mat is a round mat, 75 cm across when open, that you stand on while peeling off a wetsuit after an open water swim or a surf. It keeps sand, gravel and car-park grime off the neoprene, folds down to 10 x 10 x 15 cm, and doubles as a way to carry the wet suit home.

What it is

A packable changing mat that gives you a clean patch of ground wherever you get out of the water: a rocky point, a grassy foreshore, a gravel lay-by at the end of a dawn swim. Step onto it, strip the suit down, and keep the neoprene off the dirt.

Who it's for

Open water swimmers, triathletes and surfers who change on the beach or beside the car. Sharp shell grit at Burleigh, red dirt at a dam swim, wet sand that works its way into every seam: all of it chews at a wetsuit's outer skin and leaves marks you cannot wash out. A suit is a big investment, and a mat under your feet is a simple way to protect it from stains and damage on the ground and extend its useful life.

Key details

• 75 cm diameter when open, room to stand and turn while you work the legs off.
• Folds to 10 x 10 x 15 cm, small enough to live in a swim bag or the glovebox.
• Protects the suit from staining and abrasion on the ground.
• Carries the wet gear: bundle the wetsuit and accessories into it for the trip home.
• Black, with the white Orca logo.

Looking after it

Shake the sand off, rinse the mat in fresh water along with your wetsuit, and let it dry in the shade before folding it away. Packing it damp is how mould starts.