Short John Wetsuit

Triathlon Forum
1

Did some searching around ST and did not find any previous discussion on the benefits/disadvantage of a short john wetsuit (besides price). Would I be losing a lot of the buoyancy advantage with no material below the knee, assuming I’m a MOP AGer? If this has already been discussed, I apologize, and would appreciate it if you could point me to it. Thanks

2

More coverage means more warmth and more speed. Unless you are a chronic overheater go at least LJ if not Full

3

Thanks. Those are good points to consider. Since most of my races are in warmer months, I wonder if having a short john wouldn’t be a bad idea too. I am recovering from shoulder surgery and was thinking the long/short john might be a better option for me. I assume you’re affiliated with Huub (I know a regular Sherlock Holmes here), I was specifically looking at your Aegis John. Thanks, Dave

4

I’d agree with the premise that more neoprene equals more buoyancy. But don’t forget about the SCS coating that is generally used on all suits today.

This coating gives you a much smoother surface for the water to run off.

But of course the major disadvantage of a short john is losing the buoyancy below your knees. There aren’t a lot of swimmers that don’t benefit from at least a little bit of buoyancy below the knee, with most needing as much as they can get.

I agree with Chris that a sleeveless suit is a good option if overheating is a concern, but in my personal experience, a full sleeve is always going to be the faster suit.

jake

5

Thanks. While I would love a full suit, issues with my shoulder are acting as a deterrent. Sounds like the long john is the best option.

6

I have a short John suit that I got for the SOS back when the water was cold. It must be slower than my full suit but it doesn’t feel any different… The advantage is that it’s so easy to get in and out of. I’m doing the Haleiwa Sprint at the end of this month and tHewater will be around 72 degrees. It will be perfect. I can get out of it faster than I can pull a tri top over my wet shoulders.

I also take it with me on vacationing all the time; so easy to deal with.

It’s a good option to have with you