Hi all, I am by no means an excellent swimmer (MOP or BOP). I have some questions about wearing a full sleeve wetsuit.
I’ve swam most of my best races in a sleeveless wetsuit, but with it being so early in the season, and the water temperatures being 55-60 degrees, I needed to wear a full sleeve wetsuit this past weekend for swim practice.
The result? I swam 700m (yes, 0.7km!) with my rotator cuffs and rear deltoids on fire. I went to the massage therapist today and she says that it’s way worse than normal.
I had been swimming around 12-15km per week in the winter, so I am sure it’s not lack of fitness. I’m 5’8", 148 lbs, male, and I wear an Aquaman Blitz (size M). The suit seems to fit pretty well based on visual inspection but I know it doesn’t fit well once I start swimming.
Generally speaking Aquaman suits should fit guys like you quit well.
Did you have the suit on properly. Make sure that you have as much rubber moved up your arms and onto your shoulders as you can. You should be able to grab a small fist of rubber between the point of your shoulder and your neck. If the end of the sleeve comes up from your wrists a bit don’t worry - better to have a free shoulder than extra rubber at the wrist.
I find with some people this can make a world of difference in how the suit feels.
Yes, I have a long torso and really short arms. Think short stocky asian triathlete styles. =) I actually get most of the neoprene about inches above my wrist. So, I get the sleeves quite high up.
While everyone is different, I’m wondering if there is a suit that is universally known for its comfort. I know that sounds ridiculous, but, maybe there is. Kinda like how Volvo is known for its safety.
For someone with long torso and short arms, what suit would you recommend? Or would you recommend the Aquaman line of suits like you said in your first line?
OK now we are getting somewhere. I never like to get into this, Us vs. Them on the forum, but the Nineteen suits are cut a bit longer in the torso than some of our competitors. Furthermore, the Wingspan system on our Frequency model is designed specifically to free up the shoulders and the upper back.** **The most common comment I hear after someone demos/tests a Frequency, and I have heard this hundreds of times “Wow, my shoulders are completely free to move”
I have a very good stroke but when I wear a wetsuit I sometimes neglect my roll. Because you’re so boyant in a wetsuit you can get away with a flat stroke and not realize you’re doing it. When I do that the result for me is just what you describe. The solution is cheaper than a new wetsuit, just focus on a long reach and roll.
I feel like I have good available movement in my full suit and don’t notice it during the race, but my rear delts and cuff muscles are always very very sore the day after a race in which I wear my full suit. I never experience that otherwise. By June the water is usually so dam warm in Va. and close to temp cut off that i wear my sleeveless. I can’t stand feeling that warm during the swim with the full. I too notice zero time difference with the full versus sleeveless suits. I only wear it for extra warmth when it’s cold early season. Perhaps as another poster stated with reach and roll I may simply have better swim mechanics with the sleeveless thus making up for the buoyancy factor. Who knows?
The solution is cheaper than a new wetsuit, just focus on a long reach and roll
That’s easier said than done. It’s hard to fight a wetsuit!
Good body roll is key to optimal swim stroke mechanics. Many wetsuits start with a 5mm panel right under the arm bit wrapping around the whole torso. All this rubber acts like a cork, as you try and roll in, it’s forcing you back up to the surface. That’s why, with the Nineteen Frequency three years ago we started using far less neoprene on the upper body of this wetsuit, using massive panels of 1.5mm neoprene along the sides and back of the torso( our Wingspan System). This was revolutionary at the time. I note that many of our competitors have followed suit with this design. This allows, for an easier roll into the water and a more natural swim stroke.
I agree with the roll. To think of it, I probably swim too flat in my full sleeve wetsuit. One of the ways I “work” on my roll in the pool is to not shave my stubble in the morning, and to ensure that I feel my stubble on my front deltoid when I am swimming! Of course this is not possible if the shoulder is covered.
I also own an Aquaman Bionic sleeveless suit, and I swim much better with it. Maybe it is the roll?
However I am intrigued by the fact that some people think that the full sleeve suit is faster. So I want to see if I can find a full sleeve suit that fits. Who doesn’t want to go faster?? Plus, with the current water temperatures, I am desperate for a full sleeve suit.
You might try the two piece DeSoto suits. I’m built similarly (if I understand you correctly), 5’ 10" and around 170-175. The DeSoto suits work really well for me. I can selectively size the top and bottom. I also use the other DeSoto wetsuit products depending on the conditions. No issue with shoulder restrictions.
