Wet suits

[csh_01]

I've got my first tri coming up in a few weeks and I'm starting to get all my gear together. I still need to get a wet suit. I've tried a few different brands on but can't decide on which to get....

What kind of wet suit do you have? love it? hate it? Any advice on what to look for when I'm buying one?

[Wahine]

I have an O'Neal Hydrofoil sleeveless and I love it.

But KSH may pipe in soon, she just finished a whole wetsuit shopping saga that is very information. In fact you may be able to find her thread if you search for it.

[Tri Girl]

I have a QR sleeveless (not sure which style) and think the world of it. I know it's about 5 years old. I bought it used on eBay and it's been a GREAT suit.

[KSH]

Here has been my experience with trying on/testing wetsuits.

----------------------------
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.
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 ended 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.


Good luck.

[csh_01]

Thanks for your detailed report, KSH!

I have tried on the Blue Seventy, Zoot, and Nineteen wet suits. The Nineteen felt very constrictive across my chest. Blue Seventy fit well. The Zoot fit well but was a little long in the arms. There is a store in town that has the Quintana Roo. I'll give that a try before I decide on one of the others.

Thanks for the input!

[roadie gal]

I've got a Promotion sleeveless (the higher end one, I can't remember the name). It fits me great.

Promotion suits run about half the price of most of the other "name" suits. You have to buy it online, I think. They dont sell at any stores or outlets. I called them up on the phone, discussed my measurements and swimming style and they came up with the right size. Because I'm a nervous nelly, I also ordered a size larger than they recommended. It turned out they were right, and they took back the other suit, no questions asked.

[eclectic]

I got the 2xu sleeveless and really like it.

The salesguy on the phone was pretty cute. He said embarassedly "I need to ask what shape you are, like if you are big on top, big through the hips - you know".

I am a typical pear shape and he said "oh good that is who these fit the best"

I liked the configuration of the 2xu and the fact that my height and weight were right in the middle of the size range. I was on the cusp of all the other brands and didn't know whether to go larger or smaller.

I haven't found it constrictive at all while swimming and it has been easy to get out of after the swim ( I take it off right out of the water - I don't wait until i get back to transition)

Good luck - it is challenging finding the one that will work for you.

[beetle]

Just wondering for those who use a sleeveless suit, have you ever tried a long sleeve suit? Why do you prefer one or the other?

[KSH]

I got the 2xu sleeveless and really like it.

The salesguy on the phone was pretty cute. He said embarassedly "I need to ask what shape you are, like if you are big on top, big through the hips - you know".

I am a typical pear shape and he said "oh good that is who these fit the best"

Ah... see... I am a pear... with a big 'ol booty and there was no way in heck that suit was going over my butt. I had to SHOVE it in.

I was making grunting noises and I guess I sounded like I was in pain, because my boyfriend came rushing in to help me out... he thought I had hurt myself.

So... yea... the 2XU was not going on this booty! HA!

[roadie gal]

Just wondering for those who use a sleeveless suit, have you ever tried a long sleeve suit? Why do you prefer one or the other?

I got a sleeveless because I was afraid of being claustrophobic in a full suit. Promotion has what they call "sleeves" which is essentially a thin neoprene shirt that goes on under the suit. I got that in hopes of having the suit do double duty in colder water. It's fine for training, but it doesn't come off fast enough for racing.

The full suits are supposed to be faster than sleeveless because of the boyancy factor. If I were to do it again I'd get a full suit.

[Ladyrunner]

I have a Body Glove one that is half-sleeved and half-legged. (If that makes any sense.) I got it at ****'s Sporting Goods. (I didn't mean to get edited -- that's the name of the store! .)

That said, when I went looking for a wet suit, I went to a local outdoorsman shop. They had wet suits to rent. I didn't know there was such a thing. They were also good about telling me about fit and the benefits of that and also how to "peel" after you're out of the water.

So, see if there is a shop like that in your area. Then you can get a good idea about brands, styles, fit, etc. and decide from there where to get them. They might even have them available for rent also.