I know there is a thread on here from last year, but I’m wondering people’s thoughts on the Axis. vs. the Helix as another year has passed. I have rocked a Helix the last two years and its got a couple rips I’ve had to fix and its pretty much trashed. I was planning to get another Helix, but now I am strongly considering the Axis as I definitely have “heavy” legs and love my pull buoy sets in the pool. I did try on an Axis and it felt good. It does not appear have quite as much flexibility in the shoulders, but I would still consider it to have very good mobility. Recommendations?
I swam in an Axis this year. I’m a MOP swimmer and this suit really helped me. Got my butt up and my body position much more horizontal. Found the suit a bit tight at first but once I used it a bunch of times, it stretched out and it fits like a glove…I love it - VERY highly recommended.
Axis
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I currently have an entry level wetsuit (Orca S2) that I find perfectly fine and cuts about 2-3mins off my HIM swim times (~30-31mins with wetsuit vs 32-34mins without). Since my current wetsuit is already at the maximum 5mm thickness and I have no issues with it’s shoulder flexibility I’m not sure whether spending the extra $$$ on a high end wetsuit like Axis/Helix will actually make me any faster. So I’m very interested to hear others experience about whether upgrading from an entry/mid level wetsuit actually resulted in significant time gains. Cheers!
As with anything. Biggest bang for buck is always with the mid level stuff. Just like with bike gear. Dura Ace is 2x the cost of Ultegra but really only 10% lighter. Functionality too only a little better. Same here. Better fabrics, better welds, better fit, 2x cost
Found the suit a bit tight at first but once I used it a bunch of times, it stretched out and it fits like a glove…I love it - VERY highly recommended. +1
I love mine.
Both of these Blue 70 suits are fantastic. The suits mainly differ in where the buoyancy is distributed throughout the suit. If you come from a swimming background the extra buoyancy in the hips and legs can make you feel off balanced. For people that come from a cycling or running background the added buoyancy can have a tremendous benefit in body position. I have been a swimmer for most of my life and I swim in the Helix; which has extremely thin shoulders/arms at 1mm. The reason I use the Helix over the Axis is mainly because I feel more comfortable in the Helix. I am not sure what the thickness is on the Axis but I believe it might be slightly thicker. Both suits have the maximum legal thickness of 5mm throughout the body.
@kyleleto
Another vote for the Axis from me. I noticed a difference in body position. Not huge, but still noticeably different. It also seems a bit more robust than the Helix, which I was scared to put my arms into. Another big difference is that the Axis zip does up from bottom to top whereas the Helix is done from the top down. I am not sure how easy this makes the Helix to do up on your own.
I’m with Kyle, I just went from an Orca to a Helix and the thing is amazing. I feel much better in the suit, the arms are completely disconnected from the body and my range of motion isn’t altered at all. The small details on this suit add up
Thanks for the info guys. I think I’m going to give the Axis a try.
Can I keep this thread going a bit longer?
I couldn’t find the right suit at my local tri dealer both the Nineteen and 2Xu’s suits they had were tight in the shoulders, no matter WHAT size I tried.
I come from a heavy swim background and have found like many of you that 5mm in legs and chest really throws your stroke off and prevents you from stretching out. Also, my 42" chest and 32" waist causes fittings issues.
Does the Helix allow for large upper body? and what other manufacturers should I be looking at?
Thanks
Ron W.