M/F Interchangeable wetsuit sizing

Triathlon Forum
1

So I was in the market for a fullsleeve wetsuit recently. In the past, (a very long time ago) I bought a ProMotion wetsuit in size small, and more recently the Xterra Vortex 3 sleeveless in size small as well. Most of the races I do are non-wetsuit legal, but the ones that are…you really need a wetsuit, but I spend the majority of my swims in speedsuits. I’ve used several speedsuits–mostly Xterra’s, usually in Women’s Large size because the men’s small was hard to come by due to demand at the time of purchase. As I contemplated my most recent wetsuit purchase, my options were the Ironman Stealth in a WL, or Xterra Vector Pro in a Men’s Small or Medium (I’m between sizes). In Xterra suits, for instance, the WL and Men’s S are essentially equivalent sizes. The women’s suit doesn’t seem to have any unique anatomical features particular to the gender, and the same goes for the men’s suit. I’ve found that the WL fits quite well, and honestly if you simply switched the tags I couldn’t ever tell the difference…

Are there any guys out there buying wetsuits in Women’s large size? Before you make dumbass comments, let me just say that the biggest advantage is that the WL size can usually be had on MASSIVE closeout from large online retailers. The Stealth (brand new, I should add) was only $75, whereas the Vector Pro was ~$250. Am I a pioneer here, or are other people doing this?

(The only reason I eventually passed on the Stealth was that I was uncertain it would fit…even if this website had a good return policy, I wasn’t sure I could get everything sorted out in time for my next race.)

2

While I haven’t done that in the wetsuit category I have purchased women’s ski pants in a size appropriate for my waist. They were a pair of North Face and both men’s and women’s were on a total blowout but there were none available in the men’s size I needed. What I got fit great and I would do it again if faced with a similar situation. As for wetsuits, I’d certainly entertain what you have done if it meant saving money **and **the cut of the garment matched a men’s cut. More power to you!

3

You are correct in saying that some manufacturers suits are close in sizing. A safe bet is that the WL and Men’s Small are very similar, with the Men’s Small having a longer torso. Defining features are likely present, but just not as noticeable.

A taller woman (over 5’10) will likely fit better in a men’s suit than a women’s. Conversely, a shorter man might fit better in a women’s suit.

If the suit fits, then it fits.

jake