For more than 15 years, owners Robin and Dan Moreno of Sonlight Surf Shop in Pacifica have offered their customers a children's wetsuit exchange program, the only one of its kind on the San Mateo County Coast.
This is how it works: you buy a brand-new children's wetsuit at around $140. When your child has outgrown the wetsuit, you bring it back with the receipt and receive a $50 credit toward a new one.
"It has to come back in good condition with no rips or tears," said Philip Jucaban, who has been a Sonlight employee on and off since 2002.
"The store also keeps a log of everyone participating in the program but it is important to keep that receipt," said Jucaban.
When it comes to keeping the wetsuit in good condition, Jucaban recommends caring for it by rinsing it off with fresh tapwater after use or even washing it by hand with a special shampoo that is available in the store.
"This takes the salt off and reconditions the rubber and gets rid of the sea smell," he said.
It is also recommended to let the suit drip dry in the shade and never in direct sunlight. All of the used wetsuits at Sonlight are hanging on a plastic hanger over the bar at the waist like a pair of trousers. This prevents wear through the shoulders.
The brand of wetsuits they carry include Rip Curl, Quiksilver and Hotline.
Sonlight Surf Shop is located at 575 Crespi Drive, Pacifica, and is open Monday through Saturday from 9 AM to 5:30 PM and Sunday from 11 AM to 5 PM.
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