I wrote a response to each one of your comments below in bold. Most of your caveats and additions I actually already talked about directly in the blog post. Maybe you missed them. Otherwise I added some more color in a few places. Ultimately when I write I am already verbose enough and I am trying to be more terse and simple. Complexity isn't good in this day of age and sometimes I have to make generalization but I can assure you anytime I put out a recommendation it is going to be well thought out.
My experience with the low-end TYR suits is the shoulders are pretty restrictive, have you thought about a sleeveless at all as an option? I wrote 10 Tips for Purchasing a New Wetsuit last month. This most important thing is that it fits, so a good return policy is key. This is all discussed in the post. Hope it helps.
Some useful tips from TG, but a few caveats/additions:
- A number of companies, in addition to BlueSeventy, have liberal return policies that allow you to swim in a suit and exchange or return it if it's not a good fit.
I am sure there are more companies that offer a good return policy. Unfortunately I am not in contact with any other wetsuit company other than BlueSeventy. Also with BlueSeventy, I am naturally more familiar with their business practices as a sponsored athlete of theirs.
- The generalization that top-tier wetsuits offer thicker rubber is only partly accurate; what they definitely offer is more flexible (and therefore also more fragile) rubber.
I more or less said that top-tier wetsuits tend to be thicker in places you want them thick (legs) and thinner in places where you want you them thin (shoulder). The cheaper suits tend to be the reverse. While this may not be 100% true in all cases, it is often true. I also mentioned that the more expensive wetsuits are easier to tear.
- There are very good non-top tier sleeved wetsuits available, so I don't think you necessarily need to get sleeveless if you can't afford the super premium stuff.
My position was more or less buy a top tier sleeved suit, buy a sleeveless, and if you can't afford top-tier suit shop eBay, you would be surprised how cheap you can get a used wetsuit. I do think that majority of newbies or one-and-done triathletes are better off with a sleeveless. That is unless the water is going to be really cold. While there may be some ok non-top tier wetsuits I don't see it as a better option than a sleeveless or eBay
- Wetsuit tears do seem to happen to most people, but honestly aren't that hard to avoid. Pull from the inside plus slip a swim cap over your hand and pull on the outside using that and there's really no reason you should tear your suit. Yes, tears are repairable, but that repair won't be flexible like the original neoprene was (though the stretch of the surrounding material should mostly make up for that).
Yes, I mentioned to pull up from the inside, see number #4 of putting on wetsuit tips. And yes the jersey is what provides a lot of the stretch. I haven't tried to quantify how flexible the repairs are. My experience is the black rubber cement is actually pretty flexible but again I haven't attempted to quantify that.
- One reason not to get a used suit is that neoprene ages and becomes more brittle with time, just like any other rubber. This "drying out" effect has nothing to do with the presence or absence of water, though some people will tell you otherwise.
I swam in the same 2XU suit for a couple of years for over 30 races, then I relegated it to the backup suit which I swam in at least once a week OWS in Florida, but I lived in Tucson AZ where it is dry dry dry for much of the previous years and it was dormant. I have had no problems with brittle suits. Could it be an issue, I guess, but that is where it is the duty of the seller to provide an accurate condition. eBay is extremely favorable to buyers, and if something doesn't live up to the description you are going to be able to get your money back. I highly suggest buying top-tier suits used. You can get $800 suits for less than $200 and often times they have been used once or twice
But in general, some great tips in that write-up.
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Quote:
My experience with the low-end TYR suits is the shoulders are pretty restrictive, have you thought about a sleeveless at all as an option? I wrote 10 Tips for Purchasing a New Wetsuit last month. This most important thing is that it fits, so a good return policy is key. This is all discussed in the post. Hope it helps.
Some useful tips from TG, but a few caveats/additions:
- A number of companies, in addition to BlueSeventy, have liberal return policies that allow you to swim in a suit and exchange or return it if it's not a good fit.
I am sure there are more companies that offer a good return policy. Unfortunately I am not in contact with any other wetsuit company other than BlueSeventy. Also with BlueSeventy, I am naturally more familiar with their business practices as a sponsored athlete of theirs.
- The generalization that top-tier wetsuits offer thicker rubber is only partly accurate; what they definitely offer is more flexible (and therefore also more fragile) rubber.
I more or less said that top-tier wetsuits tend to be thicker in places you want them thick (legs) and thinner in places where you want you them thin (shoulder). The cheaper suits tend to be the reverse. While this may not be 100% true in all cases, it is often true. I also mentioned that the more expensive wetsuits are easier to tear.
- There are very good non-top tier sleeved wetsuits available, so I don't think you necessarily need to get sleeveless if you can't afford the super premium stuff.
My position was more or less buy a top tier sleeved suit, buy a sleeveless, and if you can't afford top-tier suit shop eBay, you would be surprised how cheap you can get a used wetsuit. I do think that majority of newbies or one-and-done triathletes are better off with a sleeveless. That is unless the water is going to be really cold. While there may be some ok non-top tier wetsuits I don't see it as a better option than a sleeveless or eBay
- Wetsuit tears do seem to happen to most people, but honestly aren't that hard to avoid. Pull from the inside plus slip a swim cap over your hand and pull on the outside using that and there's really no reason you should tear your suit. Yes, tears are repairable, but that repair won't be flexible like the original neoprene was (though the stretch of the surrounding material should mostly make up for that).
Yes, I mentioned to pull up from the inside, see number #4 of putting on wetsuit tips. And yes the jersey is what provides a lot of the stretch. I haven't tried to quantify how flexible the repairs are. My experience is the black rubber cement is actually pretty flexible but again I haven't attempted to quantify that.
- One reason not to get a used suit is that neoprene ages and becomes more brittle with time, just like any other rubber. This "drying out" effect has nothing to do with the presence or absence of water, though some people will tell you otherwise.
I swam in the same 2XU suit for a couple of years for over 30 races, then I relegated it to the backup suit which I swam in at least once a week OWS in Florida, but I lived in Tucson AZ where it is dry dry dry for much of the previous years and it was dormant. I have had no problems with brittle suits. Could it be an issue, I guess, but that is where it is the duty of the seller to provide an accurate condition. eBay is extremely favorable to buyers, and if something doesn't live up to the description you are going to be able to get your money back. I highly suggest buying top-tier suits used. You can get $800 suits for less than $200 and often times they have been used once or twice
But in general, some great tips in that write-up.
Save: $50 on Speed Hound Recovery Boots | $20 on Air Relax| $100 on Normatec| 15% on Most Absorbable Magnesium
Blogs: Best CHEAP Zwift / Bike Trainer Desk | Theragun G3 vs $140 Bivi Percussive Massager | Normatec Pulse 2.0 vs Normatec Pulse | Speed Hound vs Normatec | Air Relax vs Normatec | Q1 2018 Blood Test Results | | Why HED JET+ Is The BEST value wheelset
Last edited by:
Thomas Gerlach: Jul 2, 17 15:46