Just curious as to how long has your wetsuit lasted before you bought a new one?
My first wetsuit only made it 3 years - 23 activities for a total of 30 miles. It was a lower-level Vision. It had several splits on the arms and major material chafed away between my legs.
My current wetsuit is 2 years old with 12 activities and 14 miles. But, it got almost no use in 2019 and 2020. Still, it looks new. It is the penultimate blueseventy model.
I used to get 2 years (40-50 OWS) but more recently just 1 (ROKAs seem more fragile lately…)
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I’m starting to think about replacing my Zone3 Vanquish which I got end of 2014. It has a single cut, and the neoprene slowly is getting more rough/brittle, but has held ~6 years perfectly.
Before that I had a 2xu for 6 years as well. I still wear it in training and preserve the Zone3 for races. Lots of small tears in those years (most when putting it on not carefully,or at the front of the shoulder due to neoprene loosing flexibility over the years) but I’m not sure whether it really got any slower(?)
I used to get 2 years (40-50 OWS) but more recently just 1 (ROKAs seem more fragile lately…)
I am noticing this about my ROKA too. When do people recommend replacement in terms of cuts? I seem to have a decent amount of small cuts but no idea when they would meaningfully impact pace or performance more broadly.
Still using my Desoto “First wave” I got in 2008. I think it is nearing the end of it’s life. I’ll use until it falls apart… which hopefully happens in T1 and not the race start lol.
I’ve had my DeSoto T1 since 2017, I would ballpark it at 70-90 swims (probably 15 ish a year)
Still feels and looks like new.
Pro Motion lasted me 8 years, long sleeve and short for multiple races 1/2 and full IM’s Ocean & lakes.
Just got a new one this April for cold water May swimming 46 degrees. Worked super.
My Orca 3.8 from 2011 is still wearable. Admittedly I haven’t used it much lately as I bought a Roka in 2018, and it is 10% Black Witch now, but I could still swim in it very happily. Used it bodyboarding a couple weeks back.
Don’t make 'em like they used to…
I get about seven yrs out of a suit (so probably about 50 OWS). During that time I’ll make occasional aqua seal repairs and probably 1-2 seam fixes w/Ironmend. That’s for high end, full sleeve suits (B70 helix, etc.) that use thinner materials. I’ve gotten longer life from lower end suits (thicker rubber) and sleeveless ones (no thin arms/shoulders to cut/rip). Also, at the start of every season I do the Emilio trick of soaking the wetsuit to restore some elasticity.
I’ve had a BlueSeventy Helix since 2012. Still in decent shape and serviceable. I plan to race in it for 2022.
Just curious as to how long has your wetsuit lasted before you bought a new one?
I have my father’s wetsuit, which he bought from his girlfriend in 1987. I think it’s made of stitched-together beaver skins or something.
I’ve had my Xterra Vengeance sleeved and Vortex sleeveless for 7 years, lots of races, OWS, training swims etc no issues. Some minor nicks.
I have an Orca open water that’s in pretty rough shape after 3 season, slowly disintegrating around the shoulders. It’s still okay as a training suit to save my raceday suit. Which is a Huub that show no signs of wear after 3 70.3’s and maybe 10 training swims.
I’ve had 3 Xterras over the past dozen years, each lasting 4 years/seasons of OWS and races. Aquaseal or wetsuit cement takes care of the small fingernail nicks. I donate each wetsuit at the end of 4 years or so and get a new one during Xterra’s end of year sale and save more with our Tri Club discount. Each wetsuit probably could have lasted 1 or 2 more seasons but the new ones were very reasonably priced and worth it. Race well.
10 years (blue seventy helix)
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I broke out my 2004ish Ironman Stealth last weekend and it seemed good to go. I haven’t raced in it since 2009 so it’s been unused for 12 years. Hopefully it holds together for a half IM at the end of October! If this seems like a crazy idea, someone speak up.
Used a Orca Sonar for about 3 yrs / 250 km and liked it, started getting a little rough on the surface in the shoulder area but that was that.
Got a Roka Maverick Elite after that, got replaced after 60 km cause the seals of the chest pattern didn’t hold.
Roka Maverick Elite II after that, got 170km on it, got parts around the arm pits were there is no rubber anymore, some small cuts were the parts are sealed together, mostly from arm to chest area.
I got about 4 years out of my 1st Huub suit (middle one in the range if 3 at the time) - one of the 1st suit Huub made (v early days of the business, as they’re in my town). It just got worn out to the fabric under the arms and between the legs. I do still use it as a spare (eg a dip in a lake the day before a race etc).
2nd suit and Orca 3.8. 2016. That’s still just about hanging in there (5 years) but the shoulders and side panels are totally fooked - like lace and really rough/ broken up, just the fabric liner holding it together. I still use it 2-3 time a week on average as I OW / unheated pool swim mostly, especially since Covid closed indoor pools. It started to fail after 4 years. But defo don’t trust it for race day.
I’m pretty careful with the suits, short nails etc, no sitting on the pool or banking edge to get in etc etc. I seem to get longer than most friends out of mine even though I swim more than them.
New New Orca 3.8 is a year old and pristine!
I just recently replaced my DeSoto that I had been using for 7-8 years, and it was still perfectly fine, I just decided to treat myself to a new one and keep the old one as a spare.