Anyone consider removing the down zipper and have it converted to a down zip. I find it a pain in the ass to always need help getting zipped up.
i don’t think so, but don’t know for sure.
i’ve not really come to a peaceful agreement with getting the zipper locked in place by myself. and i got annoyed, thinking it was unreasonable for me not to get the hang of it if others could.
i haven’t yet reached perfect accord with the process, but i did pull the arms and chest up and back as much as possible before trying----giving me more suit to grab, and with the sides a bit closer to each other to start with. …and i was successful, if exhausted. it’s apparently a skill to be learned.
peggy
I have been thinking about doing that for a while now. When at the lake it is a pain in the ass to get help. I may buy another here shortly then head out to the lab with hammer, scissors, glue gun, and 12 pack and operate. I will report on any good fortune.
i can’t do it on my own. But not willing to hack up my $500 wetsuit.
i can zip up the helix on my own…i think shoulder flexibility helps though…good luck!
it’s not a big deal anyway, I don’t swim open water alone as a rule anyway.
I originally decided not to buy a Helix simply due to that zipper design, which felt awkward in the shop when I wasn’t used to it. However after swimming in 3 other suits I found the Helix was the best fit for me so I decided to suck it up and bought one regardless. I’ve found that with practice I can zip it up myself actually pretty easily on the first try. One tip that may help is to pull your shoulders back (so your shoulder blades are touching) while you keep your right index finger on the part of the zipper that inserts into the slider. Your left index finger goes next to the slot of the slider, and you bring your two fingers together. Once you slide in the insert, very SLOWLY release your left hand from the slider and grab the zipper pull cord and slowly pull down to get the zipper started.
The times this didn’t work, the zipper popped out of the slider if I let my shoulder blades roll forward (which puts tension on the zipper) or if I took my left hand off the zipper too quickly. Until you get the zipper started (but have the insert in the slider) the zipper can pop out if you move the wrong way or too quickly.
Hope that helps!
Never considered it. With a bit of practice you should be able to zipper it on your own with no real problems. Pull your blades in and you should be fine.
Of course if you can’t reach in between your shoulders then you may need to work on your flexibility first 
How did you get it on in the shop?
I can do it on my own (yeah takes a few minutes and a few tries). However it’s much easier to find a hottie and ask her to zip me (considering that women ask men to do this all the time…I’ve never been turned down).
Part of the prerace process to me is getting someone to zip me - and usually I am asked to zip them (regardless of zipper direction) - so not an issue.
My understanding is that the design is so that during the swim someone cannot unzip you ‘accidentally’
I find it easier to zip down than my old QR was to zip up. Are you pulling it up on your shoulders enough? It should pull together pretty easily in the back and then force the zipper down from over your shoulders as far as you can then pull the string from under your shoulders.
I think you’ve hit the “advantage” for all of us with the helix reverse zipper. No one can pull your regular zipper anyway if you fold it up and place it under your neck velcro attachment … so the whole design is rather bogus and just makes it hard to get your zipper closed … and its not any easier getting out of it. I can get into it myself, but only after several attempts to start the zipper. The real design genius became clear to me the first time I asked a fine looking lady next to me to help me zip my wetsuit … and then as always have had more than friendly help.
Sorry … you guys with regular zippers will just be looked at as perverts if you ask 
Dave
Agreed, but if one is requesting a fine hottie to help, I would much perfer that I was facing her cleavage rather than not.
I am fairly flexible, but have tried and tried to do the zipper myself. I have been successful but as a result I am so exhausted that I need 10 minutes to recover ;-).
Anyway, never had an issue with my zipper being pulled down (except when needed). I may bring the suit to the seamstress and see what she thinks. May be worth the Tri!
When I first bought my helix with the reverse zipper, I brought it to an IM Gatorade swim and actually pulled the zipper off the track trying to start it myself. I took it to the blue seventy tent and even they laughed and had trouble getting it back onto the zipper track. The old design is really better … hopefully when they bring out new product next year they will change the helix back to a regular zipper. Changing out your whole zipper seems like a lot of work when indeed there are so many “hotties” at triathlons to help out … but you need to do what makes you happy
Dave
+1 always ask a bunch of girls do it.