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Post deleted by Bigbird
Re: Roka Maverick Comp ripped during try on [Bigbird] [ In reply to ]
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I have owned the Xterra Vortex since 2010/11 and it is has withstood some heavy use and abuse over the years of racing. I bought the Roka Maverrick X last year as a "splurge" because I felt I could use an upgrade. The Roka is way more delicate than the Xterra and I don’t see it lasting more than 10 races. Every time I touch it I feel like I am going to rip it. It does hold on to creases too. I have pulled and tugged on the Xterra forcefully and I never felt like I would damage it. I also cannot feel any real advantages from the Roka over the Xterra while racing. I am more conscious of how I put on and take off the Roka because I fear I will rip it, and this is hard to do when I am disoriented and rushing coming into T1. I prefer a more bulletproof suit I can yank off and on. I'll be racing in my Xterra this weekend. A company should stand by their product especially if they come with a big price tag, but I am sure they deal with this issue often. They would go out of business if they offered full refunds for everyone’s rips. This may be a "lessoned learned" situation. It is how businesses fade away over time due to loss of repeat customers.
Last edited by: Jimbotri: May 1, 19 8:54
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Re: Roka Maverick Comp ripped during try on [Bigbird] [ In reply to ]
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Sounds like it wasn’t there when you first tried it on and you caused it with the second try on (which would make sense, getting a wetsuit on over a sweaty body is not easy). Not sure why Roka should take that hit

In the 15 years I’ve been using wetsuits ive used xterra and Roka. Roka is IMO far superior and to be honest I’ve found that the longevity and condition of the wetsuit has more to do with the way I treat the wetsuit, from storage to putting it on.
Last edited by: ChrisM: May 1, 19 8:51
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Re: Roka Maverick Comp ripped during try on [Bigbird] [ In reply to ]
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IMHO you are worrying too much about this. Wetsuits are fragile and that is just the way it is. Most of the companies use the same underlying materials from the same manufacturers. Ironically the more expensive the wetsuit, and more flexible the rubber, the less durable it is but other than stitching I don't really see a fingernail nick in the suit being a big deal. You patch them up, it is what it is.

If people are worried about rips and durability I highly suggest using things like plastic bags on your feet and arms and gloves to mitigate the risk.


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Re: Roka Maverick Comp ripped during try on [Bigbird] [ In reply to ]
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i'll hazard a guess that i've swam in, tried on, sniffed, tasted more wetsuits than you. i'm very familiar with the entire ROKA line, and the specific issue with which you're concerned is something you'd have dealt with regardless of wetsuit.

here's the dirty little secret. everybody (have you seen the thread on deboer wetsuits?) talks about their unique rubber. how their rubber uniquely does this and that. however, in point of fact, almost everyone uses the same rubber. there are different models of, say, yamamoto rubber (#38, $39, #40, #45) and there are different things that you can do with that rubber (aerdome) and different jerseys you can adhere to it and surface treatments you (literally) paint over it (like SCS, or metal cell). you can stamp it with a die, to make ridges, indentations. you can silkscreen on it. but rubber's rubber. so...

you very likely would've had the same thing happen in any wetsuit you bought. the one thing i've found is that soft rubber (like yamamoto #39) untreated with a surface coating (like SCS) is more prone to fingernail tears. but that is not the case with your wetsuit.

what i would do, were i you, is not engage in this debate, in public, on the very first few days you begin posting here. rather, just ask very nicely for a replacement suit or for a refund. and then, from now on, do what i do: bring socks with you to your triathlon. wear your socks when you put the suit on over your legs. take your socks off, put them on your hands, and then push your hand through the arm. beyond all of that, then, you have a choice to make: cut your fingernails, choose another sport, or swim only in wetsuit-illegal races. and i'm not trying to be snarky here. you, me, we all have decisions to make when we take up an activity like triathlon, and in the case of fingernails it's not unlike the choice you make when taking up the guitar or the violin. you choose your fingernails or you choose your avocation.

i mow my hair down to just this side of bald. my wife, reluctantly, made the same choice (except now she wonders why she didn't do it years ago, and she's just as beautiful and elegant). these are the choices we make.

Dan Empfield
aka Slowman
Last edited by: Slowman: May 1, 19 9:46
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Re: Roka Maverick Comp ripped during try on [Bigbird] [ In reply to ]
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Honestly...

You caused the fingernail tear.

Roka is being very generous with their partial compensation offer.

Wetsuit materials don't vary that much, and the more flexible the rubber, the more readily it tears. If you really want to be careful, your finger nails should never be touching the outside of the wetsuit while you're putting it on. Just pull on the inside of the suit and when you need to pull on the outside, put your swim cap over your fingers.

I'm surprised wetsuit companies don't include a pair of cheap dishwashing gloves with their suits for try-on purposes, that would entirely prevent this rather frequent situation from occurring.
Last edited by: niccolo: May 1, 19 10:16
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Re: Roka Maverick Comp ripped during try on [Bigbird] [ In reply to ]
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I have the Maverick X. Supposedly the most fragile of the line from what I read online

I’ve worn it at least 20 times. So far so good. No rips or finger nail slashes.

I am very careful when I put it on

But when taking it off I do it as quick as possible. It feels fragile but so far in my case it’s stood up very well
Last edited by: MrTri123: May 1, 19 10:34
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Re: Roka Maverick Comp ripped during try on [niccolo] [ In reply to ]
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X2. you caused the tear but not using (what I would consider to be) proper protocol for putting on a wetsuit and now you are asking Roka to be responsible for that. I always use plastic grocery shopping bags when I put on my suit--arms slip right through and fingernails are covered. But, as Dan mentioned, socks work. Take your discount and be thankful.
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Re: Roka Maverick Comp ripped during try on [Slowman] [ In reply to ]
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a little off-topic but still wetsuit related, what's an average lifespan of a triathlon wetsuit? I have a couple of entry level zoot wetsuits that are both a few years old. racing mostly in the south I might have one race a year that is wetsuit legal so they don't get much use. I can't say I'm overly cautious putting on the wetsuits as mine seem pretty durable. But maybe I've just been lucky. no tears or anything. Does the wetsuit rubber deteriorate over the years and result in more tears?
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Re: Roka Maverick Comp ripped during try on [mickison] [ In reply to ]
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I have an old Xterra Vortex (4 I think) though I bought used in 2012. I also live in the south so only use it 1-2 times per year but I have only had to make 1 repair the entire time I have had it. It hangs in my closet when being stored. I make sure and soak it for a while in the tub a day or two before I need to use it.
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Re: Roka Maverick Comp ripped during try on [Harbo99] [ In reply to ]
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Roka resolved the problem and went above and beyond as expected.

To be clear: I was not sweaty when I put it on. I do not have long nails. I am not brand new to this sport, and I don't really think suggesting I take up another sport because my wetsuit had a tear is fair.. but I was expecting as much. Thanks for all the input, happy training
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Re: Roka Maverick Comp ripped during try on [Bigbird] [ In reply to ]
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Bigbird wrote:
Roka resolved the problem and went above and beyond as expected.

To be clear: I was not sweaty when I put it on. I do not have long nails. I am not brand new to this sport, and I don't really think suggesting I take up another sport because my wetsuit had a tear is fair.. but I was expecting as much. Thanks for all the input, happy training

Haha, I love ST. To be honest, everyone was about as nice as I've ever seen them on an ST thread (and in reality, very polite). Not sure why you are defensive about any of it. Although I never saw anyone say take up another sport, maybe they deleted it.

So did Roka decide to give you a full refund? If so, hopefully you'll put up a fresh post lauding Roka, seeing as you put one up questioning their business practices
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Re: Roka Maverick Comp ripped during try on [Bigbird] [ In reply to ]
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Bigbird wrote:
Roka resolved the problem and went above and beyond as expected.

To be clear: I was not sweaty when I put it on. I do not have long nails. I am not brand new to this sport, and I don't really think suggesting I take up another sport because my wetsuit had a tear is fair.. but I was expecting as much. Thanks for all the input, happy training

i assume you're a little hide-chapped from my post. but, in my experience, it's impossible to gouge a wetsuit with your fingernail unless you have a... fingernail. that protrudes. so, i don't mean to be snarky. i really don't. but this becomes a thing, a habit, a necessary task. keeping your fingernails very closely trimmed, which i had to do for 12 years, because i dealt with this rubber every single day. i'm trying to help. because you asked for the help. somebody in a post or 2 just above asked how long a wetsuit should last. i had a definitive time allotment for that, which i memorialized into a guarantee. you can read about it here.

what is described in that article is the service you thought you deserved. and in the end (because of this very thread to which you took umbrage), it's the service you got. isn't it?

Dan Empfield
aka Slowman
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Re: Roka Maverick Comp ripped during try on [mickison] [ In reply to ]
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mickison wrote:
a little off-topic but still wetsuit related, what's an average lifespan of a triathlon wetsuit? I have a couple of entry level zoot wetsuits that are both a few years old. racing mostly in the south I might have one race a year that is wetsuit legal so they don't get much use. I can't say I'm overly cautious putting on the wetsuits as mine seem pretty durable. But maybe I've just been lucky. no tears or anything. Does the wetsuit rubber deteriorate over the years and result in more tears?



I suspect it's heavily down to how careful you are and how you care for the suit.

I had a mid-range HUUB suit when they 1st came out (direct from the owner as they are in my area). Lasted 5 years. Used usuaÄşly 2x a week virtually all year round (INC through winter). Eventually it just wore down to bare thread under the arms and between the legs. But I still have it / take it on holidays.
Current suit is 3 years old. Similar use. Pretty much still like new, bar 1 small mark, fixed with Black Witch.
By comparison a training buddy, who prob uses his just slightly less... he's on about his 5th suit in the same time. His usually look like a heard of angry rhinos have stomped all over it and tossed it around transition with their horns after a year.


Of note - the Orca I have came with cotton gloves and plastic bag type overshoes to help putting the suit on without damage.
Last edited by: BobAjobb: May 1, 19 15:19
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Re: Roka Maverick Comp ripped during try on [mickison] [ In reply to ]
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mickison wrote:
a little off-topic but still wetsuit related, what's an average lifespan of a triathlon wetsuit? I have a couple of entry level zoot wetsuits that are both a few years old. racing mostly in the south I might have one race a year that is wetsuit legal so they don't get much use. I can't say I'm overly cautious putting on the wetsuits as mine seem pretty durable. But maybe I've just been lucky. no tears or anything. Does the wetsuit rubber deteriorate over the years and result in more tears?

I swim a lot in my wetsuits. Like maybe 6 triathlons, a dozen OWS races, and 3-4 aquathlons a year. Add to this a lot of "practice swims" in the ocean or in a lake, and I'd say my wetsuit typically sees about 30 swims a season. Usually, I get a new wetsuit about every 3-4 years, so I get about 90-120 swims per suit. When I get a new wetsuit, it is usually because the old wetsuit feels like it is getting a little stiffer than before and/or I get convinced that some new feature on the new wetsuit will be an improvement.

Wetsuits, if you care for them properly, can give you years and years of use.
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Re: Roka Maverick Comp ripped during try on [laughingfarmer] [ In reply to ]
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That’s a lot of use. I just wasn’t sure at what point I’d realize or notice some wear and tear. I’m sure that’s a ways off given my limited use
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Re: Roka Maverick Comp ripped during try on [BobAjobb] [ In reply to ]
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I use them so infrequently do there’s very little wear. And I make sure to rinse them off after use and they just hang in a closet until I need to use them again and I make to soak them in a tub before use.
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Re: Roka Maverick Comp ripped during try on [Thomas Gerlach] [ In reply to ]
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Thomas Gerlach wrote:
IMHO you are worrying too much about this. Wetsuits are fragile and that is just the way it is. Most of the companies use the same underlying materials from the same manufacturers. Ironically the more expensive the wetsuit, and more flexible the rubber, the less durable it is but other than stitching I don't really see a fingernail nick in the suit being a big deal. You patch them up, it is what it is.

If people are worried about rips and durability I highly suggest using things like plastic bags on your feet and arms and gloves to mitigate the risk.
T- what do you use to patch them?
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Re: Roka Maverick Comp ripped during try on [Culley22] [ In reply to ]
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Re: Roka Maverick Comp ripped during try on [Thomas Gerlach] [ In reply to ]
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Thomas Gerlach wrote:
I would highly suggest using the following black neoprene wetsuit cement.

You could also use some 2-part epoxy as well but the above is easier to use.
link doesn’t work (BUT I figured it out). Thanks.
Last edited by: Culley22: May 1, 19 18:14
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Re: Roka Maverick Comp ripped during try on [Culley22] [ In reply to ]
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Culley22 wrote:
Thomas Gerlach wrote:
I would highly suggest using the following black neoprene wetsuit cement.

You could also use some 2-part epoxy as well but the above is easier to use.
link doesn’t work (BUT I figured it out). Thanks.

Properly patched, you'll almost never notice it, and I believe the cement is stronger than the other materials anyway. It's no fun finding knicks, but they're typically very fixable as long as they don't go through the backing. đź‘Ť

JustinDoesTriathlon

Owner, FuelRodz Endurance.
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Re: Roka Maverick Comp ripped during try on [Thomas Gerlach] [ In reply to ]
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Thomas Gerlach wrote:
IMHO you are worrying too much about this. Wetsuits are fragile and that is just the way it is. Most of the companies use the same underlying materials from the same manufacturers. Ironically the more expensive the wetsuit, and more flexible the rubber, the less durable it is but other than stitching I don't really see a fingernail nick in the suit being a big deal. You patch them up, it is what it is.

If people are worried about rips and durability I highly suggest using things like plastic bags on your feet and arms and gloves to mitigate the risk.

Should they be so fragile and should they cost so much? My surf wetsuit is about half the price of a top triathlon wetsuit a shitload more development has gone into it and its a shitload more durable. Personally I don't think we should just accept that they're fragile. Or deal with the fragility and have wetsuits priced accordingly i.e 50% cheaper


Slowman wrote:


i assume you're a little hide-chapped from my post. but, in my experience, it's impossible to gouge a wetsuit with your fingernail unless you have a... fingernail. that protrudes. so, i don't mean to be snarky. i really don't. but this becomes a thing, a habit, a necessary task. keeping your fingernails very closely trimmed[/quote]
I've been in wetsuits my whole life, surf, swim, tri westsuits. I know how to put on a wetsuit, I don't have Donna Summer nails. When I got my Xterra Vengeance the 2nd time I put it on it tore from my finger (where the print is) smudging the wetsuit slightly, i.e stretching the material ever so slightly. I've worn it around 20 times since and surprisingly it's actually only had 2 or 3 more slight nicks, but yeah easy to tear these suits even taking a lot of care putting them on. TBH I don't treat it with much care and now put it on like my surf wetsuit with no problems, perhaps there's a specific action that causes the tear. I would have thought a thin coating of something would prevent these slight nicks?
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