Finding a wetsuit that fits perfectly is no easy task. As with most Triathlon clothing, it’s important to try a wetsuit on before buying. During my first Tri season (’06), Orca seemed to be all the rage and came highly recommended by my swim coach, so I bought the Orca Apex wetsuit. That summer I think I spent more time in open water than I did on the land and the Orca was fantastic apart from being too tight around the neck, which meant I was permanently sporting what looked like a large love bite. So when it came to my next Tri season, I thought I’d invest in a new wetsuit that was as good as the Orca but didn’t rub around my neck.
I flicked through all the Tri mags and spoke to everyone I knew in the Triathlon world and found that there was even more choice than I’d initially realised. I was even tempted to get a suit tailored to my exact dimensions by the famous Newquay based company Snugg Wetsuits.
In doing my research, everyone said the same thing, ‘go somewhere where you can try on all the suits and find the one that fits you the best. And, ideally take it for a test swim in open water!’ Wise words indeed… I went to a fantastic Triathlon & Bike shop called Sigma Sports in Kingston-Upon-Thames and tried on an array of suits by the likes of Orca, 2XU and Blue Seventy. I was in there for ages, nothing felt quite right and without having a pool of water to jump in to properly test out the suit, this dry fitting wasn’t doing it for me. Luckily Sigma understood and told me I could bring the suit back if after a quick try in the water it didn’t feel right. I left the shop with a fantastic looking suit, the Blue Seventy Helix – a Triathlon classic worn by the likes of GB Elite Triathlete Stuart Hayes.
At the lake, I did my inaugural swim in my new £300’ish Blue Seventy suit. The buoyancy was amazing with my legs almost lifted out of the water (I could tell why it was a top suit). I loved it apart from the fact that after a few hundred metres it began to feel tight around my chest and neck. I was gutted. Everything else felt right about the suit and I could tell I was swimming quicker in the Blue Seventy than my Orca. But I couldn’t spend that much money and go another full season in a suit that didn’t fit me properly. Luckily, the lake that I swim in (Open Water Swim at Datchet) had just started to do free 2XU wetsuit trials. In the shop, the 2XU suits had been a strong contender but the Blue Seventy had felt a tad better in the dry fitting. Lakeside, I tried on the new 2XU E:1 Elite wetsuit and took it for a swim around a 750m loop in the lake… it was light, fitted like a glove, didn’t rub around the neck, was flexible around the shoulders, wasn’t tight on the chest and most of all was faster than both the Orca and Blue Seventy! Plus it cost about the same as the Blue Seventy. It takes me a little longer than the Orca or Blue Seventy to get into as it’s such a snug fit but it comes off fast in transition. My thanks to Mike and the team at Open Water Swim for the trial. I’ve used the suit ever since.
In short, there really is no substitute for trialing your wet suit in open water before you buy it, if you can.
Manufacturer’s Features
- Nano SCS coating
- Seamless Shoulder/ArmPanel
- Rollbar – Industry first Roll Bar region improves the buoyancy in the core of the wetsuit. Better body position is delivered through maintained buoyancy when the body rolls off the front panel. This ultimately maintains higher body position (speed in water) and derives power from better positioned hips – enhancing the pull phase of the stroke.
- 39 Cell Front Buoyancy
- 520% Stretch Lining
- Transition Panel Seam Overlap Technology
- Floating Zip
Stockists
Price: around £300. All good Triathlon shops. Stockists include Sigma Sport and www.activinstinct.com.
Rating: 9/10
Pros: A very fast and great fitting wetsuit.
Cons: As it’s such a snug fit, it can take a little bit longer to get on (but comes off rapido in transition).
