the most comprehensive wetsuit review I’ve read is here
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Not sure why they’re claiming that faris wore a wetsuit at hawaii in 2006…
they needed to include shiromoto wetsuits, they use a thirty point measuring system to custom make their suits, plus you pick the thickness of the lower leg neoprene.
couldn’t agree more, thanks for the link.
chris
www.2XU.com
Very good review, but with only one swimmer testing:
- Different suits does not fit all people equal; it might be that the results here are highly influenced of how the suit fits the test person.
- There are differences between swimming styles (good swimmers with a strong kick needs flexibility in the legs - poor swimmers with weak kick need flotation in the legs.)
They also overlooked Nineteen. That’s understandable as the website appears to be based in the UK and we are just starting to look at distribution in the UK. Perhaps for 2008.
On the whole a very good review. However, the suits were swum in by only one person - “The SharK”, and he’s a strong swimmer. The article admits that this sort of swimmer is *not *representititve of the market as a whole. Go stand on the beach at the start of any big IM race with 2500 other people and it becomes readily apparent that triathletes these days are coming in all shapes and sizes!
At the end of the day it is going to come down to fit, and my guess is that the suits that tested well/best on “the Shark”, were the ones that fit him best.
It would also be very interesting to know how tall and how much “The Shark” weighs. The Superfull didn’t test very well, but it is possible he is wearing a suit that is too big. It seems most folks on this forum have “sized down” a size or two for that suit. If “The Shark” is just wearing the suit size that was listed as the recommended size for his build, then he might not be wearing the right one. N=1 is not really useful, except for him.
“It would also be very interesting to know how tall and how much “The Shark” weighs.”
Indeed, that would have been helpful to know, but again that would have only helped those people who where close in build and ability to “The Shark”
Also, no women suits tested or talked about. I have spoken to a number of accounts of ours, both active and prospective, who are selling 50%+ women’s wetsuits. This is were the real growth in the market is right now. Women’s participation numbers in triathlon are way up and are continuing to grow. I have worked at two in-store Nineteen promotions over the past week, in two totally different areas( Madison, WI and Burlington, ON) and I can confirm that 70% of the sales and the questions about wetsuits were coming from women customers.
same here. the 2XU and the Helix tested best so I feel good about my purchase. 
But, admittedly, the review is not perfect…there are a couple lesser known brands not represented and a N=1 testing protocol is not ideal. In a perfect world, every wetsuit buyer would have an opportunity to swim-test every wetsuit available before making a decision.
But, that said…all in all a very well-done and comprehensive review. i have a helix and that the first place I’ve seen the ‘decoupling’ concept of the blue bands explained as fully.
“In a perfect world, every wetsuit buyer would have an opportunity to swim-test every wetsuit available before making a decision”
That’s why it is best to seek out a wetsuit dealer who has more than one brand of wetsuit for sale, so that you can try on different brands. And also a wetsuit dealer who is very knowledgable about fit and wetsuit performance.
That’s why it is best to seek out a wetsuit dealer who has more than one brand of wetsuit for sale, so that you can try on different brands. And also a wetsuit dealer who is very knowledgable about fit and wetsuit performance.
Then we may all be swimming in Nineteen wetsuits - that is what happened to me! I rather like that Nineteen is not Blue Helix or Orca.
Fleck, I think you are stating the obvious here. : - )
“I think you are stating the obvious here”
Perhaps, but it surprises me the shops that I contact and they say they are fine with one wetsuit brand. To me that would be the same as offering one brand of running shoe or one brand of bike. In a very fit dependant product category, it’s important to offer different brands, because there are some big variations in fit, from brand to brand.