Hey shorties, what's your wetsuit?

[colby]

I'm pretty well set on getting a new full suit for Ironman this year (which means, soon, though the water is still quite chillacious). But, with that of course comes all kinds of thinking and decisions and hemming and hawing and debating. If by some sheer miracle of earthly lake warming the water is over 65 degrees I can probably wear my sleeveless suit, but I'd rather not risk it and freeze or sink for 2.4 miles if the water is cooler. (I did wear my sleeveless in a 58 degree oly swim last year and it wasn't as bad as I thought, but I'd rather not do that for twice the distance if the water is anywhere near as cold - I could tell where the arm support would have been a benefit on my cold muscles)

I got a Zoot Fuzion sleeveless suit last year, which fits awesomely awesome in a large short (their suits sure are sized for thin people). The Fuzion is somewhere between an entry level and mid range suit, but this is one of those areas where fit might lend itself to better function in the end even if it's not super-uber-hydro-nano-pants technology. I didn't have to mess with the suit or shorten it, and most importantly I didn't get as frustrated getting into and out of it as my blue seventy unisex (ahem, mens) full suit which is now probably 4-5 years old (this will be my 3rd year in it and I bought it used from someone on TE, so I'm betting 4 years). Technology and fit changes a lot in 4-5 years.

Frustratingly, Zoot's higher end suits do NOT have short sizes and tend to favor the taller/slimmer. 2XU's charts look a little better. Blue Seventy, Orca, back to the taller/slimmer zone. Aqua Sphere has a "universal fit" and we know how well that works out. ;)

So, as I peruse size charts and attempt to puzzle this out again and probably end up just buying the Fuzion again in long sleeves because I love the fit so much, I thought I'd see what you other shorties out there are wearing. I know we're not all 5'6" and 120 lbs. :)

[Susan Otcenas]

Colby,

I'm 5'4", 131 pounds. I wear the Blue Seventy Womens (:D ) Helix. It is not too long on me. Seems to me you're having to get short suits because you're buying men's. Women's should fit you better and you won't need a short.

http://www.teamestrogen.com/prodIM_HFS.html 2009 version on sale - limited sizes left.

http://www.teamestrogen.com/prodIM_HELIXFS.html 2010 version

My tall friend in the photo is 6'1'. Obviously, the suits fit a wide variety of body types! :)

Susan

[Susan Otcenas]

Helps if I add the photo....

[colby]

Colby,

I'm 5'4", 131 pounds. I wear the Blue Seventy Womens (:D ) Helix. It is not too long on me. Seems to me you're having to get short suits because you're buying men's. Women's should fit you better and you won't need a short.

http://www.teamestrogen.com/prodIM_HFS.html 2009 version on sale - limited sizes left.

http://www.teamestrogen.com/prodIM_HELIXFS.html 2010 version

My tall friend in the photo is 6'1'. Obviously, the suits fit a wide variety of body types! :)

Susan

Well, I'm shopping womens size charts, and my Fuzion is a womens size, too. I weigh 148 lbs and am 5'4" - so basically the same height but more "dense" ;) than you are. That extra 15 lbs pushes me way up into the large sizes even in the womens size charts. Maybe I should worry less about the weight range?

[GLC1968]

Colby - where is the suit too long for you? The legs?

I ask because I have very short legs for my height (5'4", 160 lbs) and while I'm no expert, the one wetsuit I have was surprisingly not an issue in leg length. In fact, I ordered it in a women's L based on the size charts and my bigger concern was length in the body (also turns out, not an issue). I did not order 'short' as I don't think that was even an option for this suit. Mine is sleeveless, but it's by Xterra (Vortex3). I have not yet worn it in a tri, but I plan to in 3 weeks (eek!).

Have you tried any Xterra suits? Maybe they run shorter and I just got lucky? They do have a 30 day return policy and they allow you to wear it for a swim to test it out before you decide.

[Susan Otcenas]

Well, I'm shopping womens size charts, and my Fuzion is a womens size, too. I weigh 148 lbs and am 5'4" - so basically the same height but more "dense" ;) than you are. That extra 15 lbs pushes me way up into the large sizes even in the womens size charts. Maybe I should worry less about the weight range?

The opposite, actually. Weight works better on the size chart. Height is less important. Blue Seventy suits are "trimmable" if they're too long in the arms or legs. When you flip the suit inside out, you can see that the last couple inches are seam taped. As long as you don't trim shorter than the tape, the seam won't open up.

However, we ALWAYS recommend trimming less than you think you need to. There's no going back. :eek:

BTW - in the photo, I'm wearing a medium small. Katie is wearing a medium (Interestingly, she is the same weight or slightly less, and 2 inches taller, but our shapes are different and she preferred the medium fit) and Lauren, my tall friend, is wearing a medium large. She's just over 150#, 6'1"

Susan

[colby]

Generally replying to everything that was said and thinking out loud. Thanks for entertaining me, ladies. ;)


Colby - where is the suit too long for you? The legs?

Have you tried any Xterra suits? Maybe they run shorter and I just got lucky? They do have a 30 day return policy and they allow you to wear it for a swim to test it out before you decide.

And,


The opposite, actually. Weight works better on the size chart. Height is less important. Blue Seventy suits are "trimmable" if they're too long in the arms or legs. When you flip the suit inside out, you can see that the last couple inches are seam taped. As long as you don't trim shorter than the tape, the seam won't open up.

For general reference, here's the size chart for the Fuzion (http://zootsports.com/spring2010/product/w-fuzion-fs-wetzoot?category=womens%3Awetsuits) - http://assets.k2sports.com/zoot/ftpzoot/products/sizecharts/womens-wetsuits.jpg - I am pretty much smack dab in the middle of the large short on the sizing chart, for both height AND weight.

The earlier-model blue seventy suit (from before they were blue seventy) I have is I believe the precursor to the Reaction, not the Helix. It's too long in the torso for sure and also too long in the legs. Even if I cut it off, which solves the length problem, I think the material from the torso would still have more give into my legs as I move which makes it ride lower and the material gather behind my knees (which makes painful chafing, which brings me to not wanting to wear it again).

It's also much harder to get on from my legs to my torso, probably because there is more extra material to negotiate. I want to be careful to compare technology from 2009 to 2005, though, the materials in the Fuzion are likely entirely different, which could make it seem easier to get on.

I haven't tried any others on... yet? :)

Maybe I should measure the dimensions of the suits I have themselves for comparison? If I am true to the size chart, for the xterra I would also be a large, and for the Helix I'd be a medium-large. If those suits are too long in the torso (from crotch to neck, basically), it will just push the material in places I don't want it (that back of the knee thing hurts something awful, and I feel like I'm wearing a sagging diaper when the torso starts pulling downward). The fuzion is exactly proportional to my size in that regard, so at least using it as a reference seems prudent.

[Susan Otcenas]

The earlier-model blue seventy suit (from before they were blue seventy) I have is I believe the precursor to the Reaction, not the Helix. It's too long in the torso for sure and also too long in the legs.

Men's or women's?

[colby]

Men's or women's?

Very good question. http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=10651 - 2005 womens stealth size medium (wow, it is 5 years old ;)). Size chart looks pretty similar to today, so I'd technically be a large - yeah, that's part of the hard to put on part, so maybe if I sized up I could PUT the fabric where it's supposed to go and it would stay? I just have a hard time believing it wouldn't just have more fabric where I don't want it in the torso. Ever the sizing skeptic. ;)

I will double check the interior of the suit when I get home.

Edited to add, I haven't put it on this year and am lighter and trimmer than last year, so I may need to re-fit and see if it's still all the fit problems I remembered.

[Susan Otcenas]

Colby - a couple of things about their size chart.

They shifted everything one size a few years ago. So your old large is now a medium large in the current suits.

Women's Sizing
Size WML
Height (feet.inches)5.6-5.11
Weight (lbs) 139-154

As you no doubt know from years of experience, putting on a wetsuit is a science, and many people have a hard time with it. The most common problems we see are that people do not pull up the garment into the crotch far enough AND that they don't move the torso material up enough to truly get their shoulders and arms into the right position.

We have a great "how to" pdf that even very experienced wetsuit users could probably get a few tips from. You can find it here:

http://www.blueseventy.com/docs/BS_FIT_CHART__08.pdf

[colby]

Colby - a couple of things about their size chart.

They shifted everything one size a few years ago. So your old large is now a medium large in the current suits.

Women's Sizing
Size WML
Height (feet.inches)5.6-5.11
Weight (lbs) 139-154

As you no doubt know from years of experience, putting on a wetsuit is a science, and many people have a hard time with it. The most common problems we see are that people do not pull up the garment into the crotch far enough AND that they don't move the torso material up enough to truly get their shoulders and arms into the right position.

We have a great "how to" pdf that even very experienced wetsuit users could probably get a few tips from. You can find it here:

http://www.blueseventy.com/docs/BS_FIT_CHART__08.pdf

Thanks, Susan. I checked the suit and it is in fact a Womens Medium (WM) - of that time range's size chart anyway ;)

I feel like it's a lot of effort to get it to sit where it's supposed to, with all of the material gathered up over my hips. I spend a LOT of time when I put it on pulling the material from my knees, to my thighs, to my crotch, up into the torso, and up from there to where it can sit in the body of the suit without making as much pain. I thought that was just how wetsuits fit and were put on until I put on the Fuzion, which didn't require nearly as much futzing to get it on and get the material where it's supposed to be. Maybe I just got lucky and that's how the proper size in other suits fit as well?

That's basically the rhythm I go through to put my suit on, too. It doesn't look nearly as coordinated when I do it, though. ;)