It’s time to upgrade my cheap and trusty Orca S2 wetsuit and after doing a bit of research I have narrowed it down to three westuits - the BZ Helix, BZ Axis and the Aqua Sphere Phantom. I have found alot of information on the BZ wetsuits but not alot on the Aqua Sphere and in particular comparison against the two BZ suits would be really useful. I am an intermediate level swimmer ~32-33min HIM swim without a wetsuit and suffer from weak kick and heavy cycling legs so body positioning features help me alot. The Phantom appears to be very flexible and the core stabilization and arm positioning features look very appealing (also two weaknesses I suffer from) but it would be great to hear real life experiences about whether they actually make any difference. Cheers!
i have just bought and used at ironman florida the aquasphere racer and its a fantastic fit,flexible,soft and great to race in.
Thanks for the feedback. Out of interest how did you find the sizing of the Aqua Sphere compared to the fitting charts and your old wetsuit? No aqua shere dealers in my area for me to try them on but according to the fitting charts I am in the middle of the charts for size M and bottom of range for MT. I have worn Blue Seventy and Orca I am a medium in BZ and MT in Orca.
What is your height and weight?
The size charts are accurate. I’m happy to help with any questions you may have. The sizing differs from other companies suits, but the fit is on point.
jake
I’m 71 inches/178cm tall and weigh 167pounds/76kg. Chest 41 inches and waist 32 inches. I currently wear an Orca S2 in size 7 but it’s a little loose on me since I’ve lost some weight. I’ve recently tried on a Blue Seventy Axis and Helix in medium size and they were both very snug and perfect fit (also tried the medium tall size that fit everywhere except for some excess material on my lower back).
Many thanks for your help!
The Med should fit you just fine. Both suits will fit but the ML will probably be a little big. But that is without trying them on. Everybody is built a little bit different.
For reference I’m 75 inches tall and weigh about 175-180 and the ML fits me very well, I would be in a Med, but it is a little too tight for me.
Please let me know if you need any help finding a suit.
jake
Awesome my gut feel was for medium as well. Can’t wait to try it out - thanks again.
If I may ask, I am 67 inches tall and 122 Lbs. that puts me between 2 sizes depending on weight/weight. I am looking for a new suit and have this problem a lot. Which size, if any, would you recommend?
Thanks,
.
Marv,
This puts you in an interesting situation and my recommendation is to try the suit on before buying it if possible. At your height and weight, your height becomes the factor. The length of the torso of a smaller suit is going to be shorter.
My size recommendation for the Phantom is an XS. We have several athletes that are in the XS that have stats similar to yours. That being said, a S will fit, but it will be a little bit on the big side depending on your build. I do think the XS is a better choice for you though.
jake
Jakers thanks for the recommendation I got the suit today and tried it on the medium is a perfect fit - I can’t wait to try it out in the water. I have a question on the visual cues: there is a dot next to the work “rotate” on each elbow and there are also green lines on each of the forearms - how are you supposed to use these?
i’m 170cm / 70kgs and recently got an aquasphere icon S (mailorder - without trying out first) and really like it. great fit and feeling - their size chart is accurate. also, i can easily put it on and take off even without the bodyglide.
Great News!
The visual cues are simply that. Don’t let those distract your attention to your swim stroke. They are a simple reminder to help you have proper hand position on the pull portion of your stroke.
Enjoy the suit!
jake
I’m 176cm, 63kg…wondering if I can fit an XS, which is the only size available on discount. I have longer legs and a shorter torso, generally skinny, chest 36", waist 30"…what do you guys think?
Craig