Elite wetsuits way too fragile???

May 30, 18 9:46

Post #1 of 25 (6017 views)

Hi there,

Taking advantage of the new Archimedes III coming out, I bought an Archimedes II which was on sale in Wiggle.

After 1 single try on of the suit (the suit fits well fyi), I already have 3 nail tears in one of the suit legs... The worst thing is that, I do not even know how I could have avoided them. I used plastic bags, used the knuckle thumb technique, even watched the instruction video from Huub with Varga.

Any tips on how to avoid this in the future? Handgloves? I just cannot imagine what I could have done different (which is exactly the same they show in the Huub video).

Anyways, until now Wiggle seem to be helpful, will see whether they can apply warranty or somehting. In my view this is just not normal for a product of this price range. Are other elite models from other brands also this fragile? If so, are those tears avoidable or does everyone go around in suits made of a mix of yamamoto and black witch glue...

Best,

Luis

Last edited by: TriLuis04: May 30, 18 9:47

Re: Elite wetsuits way too fragile??? [TriLuis04] [ In reply to ]

May 30, 18 9:57

Post #2 of 25 (6001 views)

TriLuis04 wrote:

Any tips on how to avoid this in the future? Handgloves?

Are other elite models from other brands also this fragile? If so, are those tears avoidable or does everyone go around in suits made of a mix of yamamoto and black witch glue...

Yes all high-end wetsuits are this fragile. You have to be very careful. Some others tips:

- Cut your fingernails prior to wetsuit day
- Bags on your feet to get the suit far up your legs easily
- Thick gloves
- Never pull from the outside if you can avoid it - grab the inside jersey material
- Stand in a cool shaded place while putting on

You will still get a tear someday so pick up some black wetsuit glue now and it is a very easy fix.

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Re: Elite wetsuits way too fragile??? [Thomas Gerlach] [ In reply to ]

May 30, 18 10:11

Post #3 of 25 (5967 views)

Thank you Thomas, any kind of special gloves?

What about suit lube, does that make a difference? I just feel these tears were totally out of my control and don't want to end up with a collection of tears after 3/4 swims...

Last edited by: TriLuis04: May 30, 18 10:11

Re: Elite wetsuits way too fragile??? [TriLuis04] [ In reply to ]

May 30, 18 10:25

Post #4 of 25 (5929 views)

any kind of special gloves?
================================================================
i've had the best grip and luck (no nail tears) with the type of dish gloves that have a sort of matte finish on them. so, not the slick ones, although those certainly can work. just not as well for your purposes. no special brand---i just go for the thicker, non-slick type. on the housecleaning products aisle.
peggy

Re: Elite wetsuits way too fragile??? [TriLuis04] [ In reply to ]

May 31, 18 7:02

Post #5 of 25 (5601 views)

TriLuis04 wrote:

Thank you Thomas, any kind of special gloves?

What about suit lube, does that make a difference? I just feel these tears were totally out of my control and don't want to end up with a collection of tears after 3/4 swims...

The thicker the better. You just want something that removes pressure from a sharp edge like a fingernail. I just use a spare pair of winter gloves that I keep in bag tri bag. They double as cold morning hand warmers ;)

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Re: Elite wetsuits way too fragile??? [Thomas Gerlach] [ In reply to ]

May 31, 18 7:10

Post #6 of 25 (5594 views)

Thanks a lot Thomas, appreciated

Re: Elite wetsuits way too fragile??? [TriLuis04] [ In reply to ]

May 31, 18 8:25

Post #7 of 25 (5540 views)

My Roka has lots of fingernail pinches on the legs but I've never really given them much attention. It's hard for me to believe they make any difference in performance.

Re: Elite wetsuits way too fragile??? [TriLuis04] [ In reply to ]

May 31, 18 8:32

Post #8 of 25 (5528 views)

the wetsuits i currently wear never have fingernail tears. the reasons are:

1. my fingernails are fairly short;
2. i know how to put a wetsuit on.

this isn't an indictment on the techniques of others. just, putting on a wetsuit is a bit of a learned skill. once you learn it, your wetsuits will have have fingernail tears.

Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

Re: Elite wetsuits way too fragile??? [Slowman] [ In reply to ]

May 31, 18 9:29

Post #9 of 25 (5486 views)

Dan, do you see any red flags on the manner I put the wetsuit (I described it on my first post).

Cheers,

Luis

Re: Elite wetsuits way too fragile??? [TriLuis04] [ In reply to ]

May 31, 18 9:39

Post #10 of 25 (5469 views)

TriLuis04 wrote:

Dan, do you see any red flags on the manner I put the wetsuit (I described it on my first post).

the gloves are used because people don't know how to put on wetsuits. i don't ever use gloves. what i do use are socks, or plastic bags, so that the wetsuit will go easily over my feet. otherwise, putting the wetsuit on in SECTIONS is the key here. that allows you to pull on the wetsuit with no great force.

Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

Re: Elite wetsuits way too fragile??? [Slowman] [ In reply to ]

May 31, 18 9:40

Post #11 of 25 (5463 views)

Thanks, that is exactly what I tried, but the thigh section was a massacre...

Re: Elite wetsuits way too fragile??? [TriLuis04] [ In reply to ]

May 31, 18 9:44

Post #12 of 25 (5457 views)

TriLuis04 wrote:

Thanks, that is exactly what I tried, but the thigh section was a massacre...

when monty and i were young we used to think: get the tightest wetsuit we can slide into. the older we got, the less we believed in this.

Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

Re: Elite wetsuits way too fragile??? [Slowman] [ In reply to ]

May 31, 18 9:50

Post #13 of 25 (5450 views)

Yeah, I think that may be a good takeaway lesson...

Thanks Dan

Re: Elite wetsuits way too fragile??? [TriLuis04] [ In reply to ]

May 31, 18 9:52

Post #14 of 25 (5445 views)

I've never used gloves either. Tried on HUUB, Roka, B70, etc. Just gotta be careful. That said, a friend recently had a HUUB sleeveless, was really careful putting it on (I was watching), and the thing split wide open in two spots. He was able to return it.

I've been using a DeSoto wetsuit for 6 years that has been treated like crap, yanked on quickly, dragged across pavement, it just doesn't tear! :)

Re: Elite wetsuits way too fragile??? [SBRcanuck] [ In reply to ]

May 31, 18 10:01

Post #15 of 25 (5425 views)

I hope to have the same chance as your friend, still waiting on the final say from Wiggle...

Re: Elite wetsuits way too fragile??? [TriLuis04] [ In reply to ]

May 31, 18 11:17

Post #16 of 25 (5343 views)

The Zoot Wiki Wiki has arms and shoulder material so thin the wet suit comes with gloves to wear while putting it on.

-Of course it's 'effing hard, it's IRONMAN!
Team ZOOT
ZOOT, QR, Garmin, HED Wheels, Zealios, FormSwim, Precision Hydration, Rudy Project

Re: Elite wetsuits way too fragile??? [pmcdc] [ In reply to ]

May 31, 18 14:57

Post #17 of 25 (5253 views)

'Just my experiance'

I get surgical style gloves from work. I don't grab the suit, I use a flat / open hand and kind of stick it to the suit to slide it up into position. The glove kind of sticks to the surface and the friction pulls it up, no grabbing or nails needed.

We switched to nitrile gloves (green) recently at work and they are crap and don't grip. Use the latex (blue) type ;-)

For reference, I have a four season old orca predator with no nail marks - shame about the shoulder wear though ... lol

WD :-)

Re: Elite wetsuits way too fragile??? [TriLuis04] [ In reply to ]

May 31, 18 15:04

Post #18 of 25 (5248 views)

I had problems with my Huub suit as well when I first got it until a learned a trick.
Try turning the wetsuit inside out while you are putting it on. Keep your socks on so that it goes on easily over your feet. To put it on, lie it down with the feet pointed towards you, stick your feet in and then start pulling it up. This way you can pull on the inside of the suit and avoid getting any tears.

Team Every Man Jack

Re: Elite wetsuits way too fragile??? [Slowman] [ In reply to ]

May 31, 18 15:50

Post #19 of 25 (5212 views)

when monty and i were young we used to think: get the tightest wetsuit we can slide into. the older we got, the less we believed in this.

Ya, the way most wetsuits fit these days with tight enough necks, I dont know why I ever wanted a tight suit. I now go with at the very least a 1/2 size big, and if it is the choice between a tighter perfect fit and a whole size bigger, I just go bigger now. Not only have I not found any swim penalty for a slightly bigger suit, it is actually faster to have that extra rubber for me, as the more I float, the faster I swim.

Now not talking about a wetsuit that fits like a Xmas sweater, it is still water tight. Just have to pull the arms up to the shoulders a bit, and the legs into the crotch, both areas that feel better less tight fitting material..

Re: Elite wetsuits way too fragile??? [Thomas Gerlach] [ In reply to ]

Jun 1, 18 5:56

Post #20 of 25 (5125 views)

Thomas Gerlach wrote:

TriLuis04 wrote:

Any tips on how to avoid this in the future? Handgloves?

Are other elite models from other brands also this fragile? If so, are those tears avoidable or does everyone go around in suits made of a mix of yamamoto and black witch glue...

Yes all high-end wetsuits are this fragile. You have to be very careful. Some others tips:

- Cut your fingernails prior to wetsuit day
- Bags on your feet to get the suit far up your legs easily
- Thick gloves
- Never pull from the outside if you can avoid it - grab the inside jersey material
- Stand in a cool shaded place while putting on

You will still get a tear someday so pick up some black wetsuit glue now and it is a very easy fix.

Thomas mentioned something that's really important and I didn't know until I experienced it - Standing in the shade! For some reason, the hot sun beating down on a wetsuit's surface makes it really fragile. I have a pretty standard Xterra suit and have never nicked it putting it on. However, I did a mid-day summer swim at the beach and tore it 3x just because I stood in the hot sun to put it on.

Re: Elite wetsuits way too fragile??? [TriLuis04] [ In reply to ]

Jun 1, 18 13:05

Post #21 of 25 (5062 views)

I have the same suit, the 4:4, I bought straight from Huub as it was heavily discounted because it was a demo suit. It arrived with no tears or fingernail gouges. The inner liner was a little roughed, though. In the two months I've had it, I have three tears in the armpits, both sides. I've been patching them. Soon, the entire armpit will be this thick, rubbery patch glue. And, the last time I removed it, the rubber split from the liner down at the leg opening, tore away and is now a 2" by 3" flap, just hanging there. I really want to like the suit because in warmer waters, my DeSoto is just too hot. The Huub is tolerable in 65 to 70 deg waters where I literally sweat in my T1. I'll probably cut the legs to capri length and just keep patching the armpit tears.

Proud member of FISHTWITCH: doing a bit more than fish exercise now.

Re: Elite wetsuits way too fragile??? [Slowman] [ In reply to ]

Jun 1, 18 13:13

Post #22 of 25 (5056 views)

I've got a year 1 generation Helix from Blue Seventy--pretty dang old. I do not have a single finger nail cut from all these years & the only minor cuts are from walking into a few things (which I patched using a Quintana Roo wetsuit patch kit). I will admit it is almost time for a new suit as the neck by the zipper has developed a dry rot hole, but I'm sure it'll hold this season just fine. I've never used bags, gloves or anything to put on the suits--I just know how to put a suit on. Lee Nicholson (owner of Blue Seventy) herself, showed me how to put a suit on correctly years ago when the "Stealth" model came out.

Re: Elite wetsuits way too fragile??? [TriLuis04] [ In reply to ]

Jun 5, 18 1:48

Post #23 of 25 (4857 views)

Just as an update, Wiggle got back to me stating that Huub will apply the warranty as a good gesture towards me, for which I'm more than thankful to be honest.

Additionally, they sent over a video on how to correctly put on the wetsuit on their view (bit weird that they used a tutorial from another brand though). Anyways, the recommended way seems to be to use baby powder and pull from the inside (no gloves, bags, etc.). The last part of the video where they put the arms in seems a bit risky though...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xV5zrBpPG98

Last edited by: TriLuis04: Jun 5, 18 1:49

Re: Elite wetsuits way too fragile??? [TriLuis04] [ In reply to ]

Jun 5, 18 2:14

Post #24 of 25 (4841 views)

In lieu of gloves, a silicone swim cap over your hand works exceptionally well, it both protects from fingernail tears and grips nicely, and you'll most likely have one handy anyway. That plus pulling on the inside where you can makes for an easy, tear-free wetsuit entry

Re: Elite wetsuits way too fragile??? [Thomas Gerlach] [ In reply to ]

Jun 5, 18 9:25

Post #25 of 25 (4737 views)

Thomas Gerlach wrote:

Yes all high-end wetsuits are this fragile. You have to be very careful. Some others tips:

- Cut your fingernails prior to wetsuit day
- Bags on your feet to get the suit far up your legs easily
- Thick gloves
- Never pull from the outside if you can avoid it - grab the inside jersey material
- Stand in a cool shaded place while putting on

You will still get a tear someday so pick up some black wetsuit glue now and it is a very easy fix.

To avoid nicks in the legs of the suit, I highly recommend to pulling from the inside of the suit. Once you get your feet through, roll the suit down on your legs inside out and pull the legs up that way all the way to your waist. The liner is much more durable and gives you something to grab onto.

Otherwise, focusing on using only the pads of your fingers is a big key. What I have found is that typically, the thicker sections of neoprene are much easier to pierce with your fingernails. This is where pulling from the inside can really help.

I wouldn't say that they are "way too fragile". Yes, the materials are delicate, but with experience and the right techniques, you can generally avoid tears.

jake

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