I am looking to buy my first wetsuit- up til this point I have never used or needed one doing sprints, but with my first 1/2 IM pending this is a needed investment, or so I’m told.
I’m on a budget being a poor college kid and am a small female. What are the best options for my money and are there any places online that will have some great deals- ebay I know- Also how important is it to try it on ahead of time or are the sizing charts fairly close? thanks!
Trispsorts.com. They are very helpful. Feel free to call them. Use the Trinewbies Online discount code (TNO) and get 15% off. They also have a deal with Promotion Wetsuits that comes around every couple of months. Also check the De Soto site, every now and then they have some closeouts.
Decide first if you need a full or sleaveless, I live in TX an never reallly need the sleaves. For me somewhere in the mid to upper 60’s is the cutoff. Next, don’t be cheap about it, odds are you will only buy one for a long time. I tried a couple of “lesser expensive” ones and they were pretty restrictive compared to what I wound up with. People may tell you otherwise, but only because they have not tried a really good one. I settled on an Orca Preditor 2 and I love it. No neck chafing and no need for body glide… I have not tried one of there new ones yet but it is probably even better.
How much do you want to spend? That helps. I really like my deSoto. A tres top and bottom would be around $280. With the short sleeve top around $250. I think Trisports had sleevless Dos tops for ~$80. the tres bottom is $150.
Hi Trigirl,
The first question you need to answer is whether you want to go with a fullsuit, or a Long John (sleeveless wetsuit). Fullsuits, because of their extra rubber, and because they tend to let in less water, have a reputation for being more buoyant (which means they are faster to swim in). They are also warmer, so if you are planning on doing a few colder races, and given that you describe yourself as quite a small build, you’ll tend to appreciate those sleeves a lot if the water is a little chilly.
If you can decide which type of suit you’d like, then its just a case of choosing one that fits you well, and is affordable. Most wetsuit companies offer a range of options, both in terms of performance suits and more basic suits, as well as sleeved and sleeveless versions. Everyone has their own idea of what fits who well, some companies prefer a unisex fit structure, whereas we (Ironman wetsuits) have both women’s and men’s sizes. Keeping in mind you are trying to keep your expense down, in the Ironman Wetsuit range I’d look at either the Instinct Fullsuit, or the Instinct LJ.
Its definitely worth trying these on, to get the best fit, and fitting instructions. Check out our website for details on pricing, and sizing, or drop me an e-mail and we’ll give you a call.
Regards
TriGirl,
Most triathletes spend more time on their bike in a week than they spend in their wetsuit in a year. A wetsuit is the most expensive piece of tri gear you’ll buy if you look at the time it’s actually used.
For that reason, our store and many other Tri shops rent wetsuits for people who aren’t ready to make the investment in buying one. If you’re going to do one or two races in a season, renting makes a lot more sense than buying. Also, we allow you to use your rental fee towards the purchase of a wetsuit, so you can use the rental as an opportunity to try it out in the real world before you buy.
Sizing a wetsuit is tricky, because no matter how much time you spend squirming into it in the changing room, it’ll fit differently when it’s wet. The sizing guides from the manufacturers help, but if you’re average sized then several available sizes will potentially fit.
In terms of brands, we carry Orca and DeSoto because when I surveyed new and experienced triathletes, those were the brands that came out on top. Several people also liked Ironman brand wetsuits, but we just don’t have room to carry them. DeSoto’s wetsuits are two pieces, so you’re MUCH more likely to get the size combination that fits (if your retailer lets you mix’n’match sizes, which they should).
Bottom line: buying a wetsuit online is hazardous because it’s likely the suit won’t fit and you can’t return it. Buy it from a local shop if you can, and even better rent one first so you know exactly what size to get.
Lee Silverman
JackRabbit Sports
Brooklyn, NY
I was looking on the orca website and it is obviously an older model- they now do sizes in numbers not in xs, s, m. how big was the person what wore it- height, weight, hair color- becuase yes if it would fit properly, i would be interrested.
Check out www.wetsuit.com! Great wetsuits for a great price.