How to buy a wetsuit

Mike Trees, one of Tri247's coaching and product specialists, himself a former professional athlete, brings us some timely advice about what to look for when buying a triathlon wetsuit. Mike is also the UK distributor of the 2XU brand through his Triathlon Consultants business, and so has inside knowledge on the wetsuit market.

Flexibility and buoyancy

All wetsuits are a trade off between flexibility and buoyancy. The more buoyant the wetsuit, the less flexible it is. The reverse is also true; the more flexibility you have the less buoyancy there is. Unfortunately a triathlete needs both buoyancy and flexibility.

At the entry level, suit flexibility is often gained by making the wetsuit thinner around the chest panel; 3mm or 4 mm are often used. This gives you the flexibility you need at the right price point. An entry level triathlon specific wetsuit is usually between 100-160 GBP.

The maximum thickness that the rules will permit is 5mm. So it would be illegal to use a 6mm or 7mm diving suit. The higher the price point the more flexible materials and more flexible backings are used. This maintains flexibility while increasing buoyancy. The best combination is often said to be 5mm neoprene body panels, 1.5mm on the arms and 3mm for the lower legs. This allows maximum buoyancy and flexibility, to optimise the swimmers stroke. Top of the range suits are usually between 350-400 GBP.

What is the difference in speed?

The quality of the suit is also related to its speed. The most supple materials and most buoyant neoprene's are also the fastest. Top manufactures now coat their high end suits with a silicon coating, called SCS (Super Composite Skin), which helps the suit to slice through the water. The fastest suit will also have a 'nano' coating which also traps more air between the silicon and the suit and is claimed to increase buoyancy by about 4%.

Custom made or made to measure?

Custom made suits are generally more expensive, but they should fit correctly. However, with ready made suits in so many sizes and open water swim lakes now available to test out your suit before buying, it is often easy, quicker and cheaper to buy an off the peg wetsuit, test it out and be confident of the fit. Never buy a suit without wearing it first and if possible try and swim in it before purchasing. 2XU, blueseventy and Orca for example offer between 10 and 15 different sizes per style, which fit most body types. If your body shape is out side of the norm, made to measure brands such as Snugg may be your only option.

Semi-custom

You can customize many off the peg wetsuits. Check to see if the seems on the arms and legs are taped or not. If they are taped, it will mean that, the suit is designed to have arms and legs shortened; typically by up to six inches. This is a useful feature that most triathletes are not aware of.

Men's and women's sizes

You should generally not buy a unisex wetsuit, due to our different body shapes. Always look for male and female specific sizes. Some companies only offer four sizes to cover all the range for both men and women. This will mean that you will most likely end up with an ill-fitting wetsuit.

Test out the wetsuit in open water before buying.

If possible you should test out the wetsuit at one of the many open water swim venues that are springing up around the country. In a shop when you are sweaty and sticky you will be tempted to buy a suit that is too big. Buying a wetsuit that is too big is possibly the biggest mistake made by beginners.

What should the right size feel like?

Ensure that it is a snug fit. The arms below the elbow should be particularly tight, also the neck should be well fitted. If there's a gap the suit will soon fill up with water, which is very irritating when you are swimming.

Floating zips

This is a relatively new technology, but if the zip is bonded in place and not stitched it will allow much more flexibility.

Warranty

These wetsuits are expensive, so check out the warranties. One year is the minimum you should aim for, the best companies offer two years.

Finally, lubrication!

Some people suffer from chaffing around the neck, which can be quite painful. This is another good reason to try out your suit before buying. Products such Bodyglide are very good to prevent this rubbing. It is not recommended to use petroleum jelly based products such as Vaseline as they damage the neoprene.

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