Yes, wetsuit hangers with built-in fans already exist. But the Blawesome Wetsuit Dryer, an ambivalently-named new product (is it a mashup of “blah” and “awesome”?) purports to be a vast improvement. Its makers claim (in what is, perhaps, the most over-the-top epic of videos) it can fully dry and disinfect a winter wetsuit in, wait for it, a mere 18 minutes. Existing models generally take several hours, maybe longer for thick suits or in cool temperatures.
At five-and-a-half inches, the device isn’t much bigger than a beer can, and is about the same shape (it’s three-and-a-half inches wide and deep, and clocks in at 20 ounces). It pops open to reveal a strong motor, hanger arms, a 12-volt power cord adapter for cars, and a magnetic attachment to stick the unit on a car door or shower.
Slap this puppy on your van door, toss your wet, stinky suit on it, and let ‘er rip. A small heater inside warms the air to 85-degrees Fahrenheit, a temperature warm enough to dry the suit but mild enough not to damage it. Blawesome has one more secret weapon: it comes with “pearls” that, when the air passes over them, dissolve and blow disinfecting and deodorizing mist into your suit.
With just over a month to go, Blawesome is looking to raise $180,000. For $67, you can get the fan, a car adapter, and six of the disinfecting pearls, shipped anywhere in the world. Or you can just go back to shrieking and shriveling before chilly sessions this winter.
