I am looking for a comfortable wetsuit to train in, not for racing. I come from a competitive swimming background and have excellent body position without a wetsuit. I am only looking for one for warmth in cold pools and OW training, not to improve speed.
Historically I have never worn a wetsuit except in races because they are so uncomfortable. The necks choke me and leave marks, even when I load on the body glide. I have an extremely fast turnover rate which I think is why I have problems with rubbing on my neck.
So this year I decided to look for some non-triathlon wetsuits that do not come up high on the neck. The first one I bought would have been perfect except that the smallest size they make (female) is a little too big for me. I already swam in it so now I own it, but it really isn’t good for laps since it is a bit too big.
I bought a second wetsuit, this time from a surfing manufacturer, but have only tried it on land so far because I don’t want to end up wasting money on yet another wetsuit that I cannot do laps in. Has anyone here swam workouts in surf wetsuits? What should I expect to be different?
Will the surf suit material cause a lot of drag? I don’t care if it doesn’t make me faster (in fact I would prefer it didn’t) because I won’t be racing in it, but I also don’t want it dragging me down either. The one I bought has a zipper down the front, and the material is 100% neoprene laminated to non-fibrous rubber. Outside and inside panels: 100% nylon. It is only 2mm thick so I am also curious how much warmth it will really provide.
Any thoughts from those of you who have tried working out in a similar wetsuit would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
shop around (may take a while) until you find one that fits right for you.
I have 5 wetsuits now, and after getting one that fits (every time) I’ve finally got to a 2XU that fits me sooooo well. Your mileage may vary of course. Any real wetsuit store should have demo models or look for rentals and just try try try.
We make a product called an Aqua Skin, that is made for exactly this reason. You get a smoothskin neoprene, that is 1mm thick all the way around. The benefit from the buoyancy is minimal so not noticeable.
This helps to take the edge off in the pool if you are getting cold, while still preserving your range of motion and such.
First OW swim of the year, got to the bay and realized I’d pulled the surf wetsuit off the rack instead of the xterra. They both have red interiors. Swam with it anyway as it was February and too cold to go without. Didn’t markedly affect my speed, I am a sub 1:00 IM swimmer. But g dam it was uncomfortable, chafing in all sorts of new places, ill fitting and not snug like it needed to be. I found it actually floated me higher and screwed with my body position
I’ve got 2 Aquasphere shorty aqua skins & they’re great - just enough to keep the core warm. The one I use the most is heading for two years of pool use with approx 2 swims a week in it & it’s still holding up strong.
I just go straight into the shower with it on & give it a good rinse there then air dry.
The sizing is pretty snug - I’m 165cm & 52-54kg & the S is good for me. There’s an XS if you’re under that. The neck is cut a bit lower than a normal wetsuit - I don’t get any chaffing at all in the sleeveless version.
do a search in the classifieds and auction sites for the qr quickjohn. not sure how cold the water is for your ow swims, but this seems perfect, and of course designed for swimming. I would think you could pick up a used one on the cheap. I have had one since the early 90s, its a bit banged up but I still use it for some ows and water sports
I’m kinda jealous that your pools are cold enough to even consider needing some warmth. Out here, the ‘cold’ pools hover at near 83ºF (28ºC).
FWIW- I have swam in a surf wetsuit a few times. The amount of water and loose fitting material made swimming tedious. I believe that DeSoto makes some 2 piece suits that allow for more flexibility and options.
I did my first few triathlons in an O’Neill Psycho II and didn’t have any problems. I’ve since switched to a Helix and it does feel much more streamlined. If you mostly surf with the occasional OW swim, I think just a surfing wetsuit is fine. But if you swim a lot (or do a lot of cold water tri’s), then get a swimming specific wetsuit. As a side note, if you mostly swim with the occasional surf, you can’t really use a swimming wetsuit for surfing (except maybe SUP). This is because the swimming wetsuits don’t have the rubber pad on the chest that surfing wetsuits have and are therefore incredibly slippery. Believe me, I’ve tried to shortboard in a Helix, and it does NOT work!! Even with a crazy thick layer of wax, you will slip off like a banana peel! It’s great entertainment for everyone else in the lineup!
Thanks to all for your thoughts. From most responses, I am fairly certain I will return the surf suit I bought and not risk trying it out and wasting money on another suit. Not sure what I’ll do to stay warm; the aqua skin looks good, except I would want it with full legs and sleeveless and that doesn’t appear to be an option. I guess I’ll be cold for a bit longer until I find a triathlon wetsuit that works for me! Thanks everyone.
I didn’t want to say that you could get it, as I haven’t seen one in a while, but you can find them occasionally… We used to make a long john, but not anymore. They are still out there though.
I started with a surf westuit. Think it was 3mm.
The arm and shoulder areas were not as flexible as a swim wetsuit, seemed to take a lot more effort to turnover my arms.
Apart from that, it was warm enough. Not as fast through the water though as parts of it had a tougher material finish than the swimsuits.
