Which wetsuit for a good swimmer?

Being an openwater swimmer who has never swum in a wetsuit I am a bit overwhelmed with all the choice (and cost) associated with aquiring a wetsuit for triathlon.

I'm doing a HIM in Sept and will need a wetsuit as I know it will drop my swim leg time. But I really don't know where to start.

I am a decent swimmer (technique wise) but won't have time to train to get a better swim time as need to really work on my bike and run legs. So I will do the 1.9km swim in OW in about 30min with no suit to give some idea of my pace.

So, should I go for a cheap suit since I'm not going to be the slowest out there or will that frustratingly restrict my stroke. Should I go for a more flex/thinner suit to optimise time reduction? Has anyone got any experience they can share on this front? I'd really rather not fork out $100s if I can avoid it.

What about sleeveless? They look like they could be a good option for fast T1, are cheaper and may not restrict shoulder movement BUT none of the elites wear them so maybe they are not a good choice.

By the way I don't at all care about it keeping me warm as I can quite happily swim in 55degF water for several hour without a suit - maybe I should worry about getting to hot?

I have a sleevless swim suit for open water swimming that I love. It is a blue seventy ironman. I purchased last year on swimoutlet.com. For mile swims the neck area rubs a little but nothing a little vaseline can't cure.

Well, it sounds like you can go sleeveless no problem. So, that might be your best bet.

For me, I'm a whimp. Any water below 75 is freezing to me. I was also very picky about what wetsuit I was going to get. I am a good swimmer (swam competitively) and I knew that anything on me was going to affect my stroke. I actually do not swim faster in a wetsuit... go figure.

I bought many different brands and tried them out and finally ended up with Zoot Zenith. Luckily, I got it 20% off so the price tag didn't kill me (priced at $600). For this one item, I did go a bit overboard, because I couldn't find another wetsuit that I liked.

Here is my wetsuit saga:
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I have bought, tried on, and swam in the following brands:

Blue Seventy (BS)
QR
2XU
Zoot
Desoto

Yea, I have had a time finding a wetsuit that fit me right, can you tell? I am also being really picky about my wetsuit, because I'm a good swimmer and a cheap wetsuit will slow me down, and I will be bothered by it.

BS is a nice wetsuit. For women, it's good because it's cut for someone with booty and boobs. That is what I needed. The neoprene is nice and I didn't have any issues with the one I rented for a race. Shoulders were flexible. I bought the Energie. It's still a toss up if I'm going to keep this one or not. http://www.trisports.com/blseenfuwe.html

QR is a really nice wetsuit too. Honestly, I liked this neoprene the best. It was just different. Very flexible. This wetsuit is made for someone with beefy legs and a large chest (not necessarily big because of boobs!). The size that should have fit me, was HUGE on me. If you are a beefy guy, this would be a good wetsuit for you. http://www.trisports.com/qr20hytrwe.html

2XU is a nice wetsuit. No complaints really. It was just cut for someone who is very thin without any hips, boobs, or a booty. If you are a thin guy/gal with very little "sticking out" muscle wise, etc. this wetsuit would be good. I think I got this one on sale: http://www.trisports.com/2xueltrwe.html

Zoot Zenith is a VERY NICE wetsuit. Totally different from all the other ones. It has these pieces of boyancy swen into the inside of the wetsuit. None of the other wetsuits are like this one. Unless you see a picture of the inside of the wetsuit, you don't really understand how different it is. I am thinking I will end up keeping this one. It's flexible and I could swim in it just fine.
http://www.trisports.com/zootzenith.html

Desoto is an OK wesuit. Not very innovative. Compared to the other ones, I would rank this one the lowest. The bib john was odd and pulled up into my crotch (fit issue). The top was a pain to get on and then it fit oddly around my boobs. A lot of people love this wetsuit, but fit wise it didn't work for me.
http://www.trisports.com/t1blpebi.html
http://www.trisports.com/t1fiwazipu.html

In the end though, buying a wetsuit is ALL ABOUT FIT. Each brand is cut differently and fits differently. Just because you fit the "size" on the chart, doesn't mean it will work for you in the water.

As you can see, I have been through and returned many wetsuits, until I found 2 that I am thinking of keeping.

Good luck.

KSH - Thanks so much for your comprehensive review, especially the information about fit. I do have big boobs and but so the comments you made will be helpful.

I think I'll only be able to try on a 2XU and Blue Seventy so at least I will be able to try two quite different suits.

Interesting that you find a wetsuit makes you slower, you must have a very good stroke, I can understand why you've been through a few to find one you are happy with.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by beetle

KSH - Thanks so much for your comprehensive review, especially the information about fit. I do have big boobs and but so the comments you made will be helpful.

I think I'll only be able to try on a 2XU and Blue Seventy so at least I will be able to try two quite different suits.

Interesting that you find a wetsuit makes you slower, you must have a very good stroke, I can understand why you've been through a few to find one you are happy with.

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The 2XU... you should have SEEN me trying to get that one on. What a joke. If you got some booty or boobs... forget about it.

The Blue Seventy is cut for a fem figure.

Good luck!

I have big boobs. :o I love the QR's. I am faster in my QR than in my Orca. The Zoot was way too tight in the chest, not built for a busty woman.

Jen L