Been watching more and more folks wearing Orca wetsuits, and I’ve missed every chance to ask anyone which one they prefer and website is great but thought I’d try here for recommendations / experience … for reference I’m a solid swimmer, Olympic and 70.3 distance. Tried almost all suits out there and still trying to find “the oneâ€â€¦ appreciate everyone’s insights!
I’d suggest checking out the Zoot Wiki Wiki. It is pricey, but the suit is amazing. The arms are made out of a different material and super flexible. The suit is made of 40 rubber and is a huge upgrade over any of my other suits.
Check it out!
I’ve used the athlex float for the past year and been a big fan. Very flexible and great fit. I swim only in open water so I use my wetsuit a lot. I get about 1 year out of my suits. I don’t think yamamoto neoprene in general holds up has good as standard 39 or 40, but I will never got back to a non yamamto suit after using one. It’s just better in every other way. I was going to upgrade to the Apex float, but swiminn kept delaying my order for over 2 months so I canceled it and bought a Quintana Roo suit.
I just bought an athlex float as my first wetsuit; new to tri. Do your wetsuits really only last a year? Is that normal/how much do you swim?
I do all my swimming in a lake. So, from about October-May I’m in a wetsuit 2-3 times a week. I could take a little better care of my suits. Main wear and tear is from me being careless or rushed when I’m putting them on and getting little tears from my fingernails that grow over time. That being said after a year they’re not useless are totally thrashed. Normally what I do is keep my newest wetsuit for races and a little training. The slightly older one I use just for training.
Would you say the Athlex Float lives up to its name and has strong buoyancy? How does it compare to other suits you had in the past?
As far as buoyancy suits go I think it’s middle of the road. It’s better the same and worse than some. It’s a very flexible suit.