Looking for a new wetsuit. My triathlon days are long over but looking to get back into open water swimming. I have an old Desoto first wave 2 piece and loved it. Curious what are the better wetsuits on the market currently?
The top tier wet suits are all great. After a lot of research and trading emails with several manufacturers (several of whom the CEO/founder responded), I chose the blueseventy Reaction. I picked the penultimate level, because I did not think I would benefit much from the top models. (And with the blueseventy Helix, I didn’t think I would like its reverse zipper.) Plus, I just liked the look of the blueseventy. My close second choice was the Roka. I would have been thrilled with that one too.
One of my critical requirements was Yamamoto rubber. I did not consider any suit without it.
If you have a De Soto 2-piece and like it, I would just get another one. It is a known fit for you and equally as fast and awesome as the others.
Looking for a new wetsuit. My triathlon days are long over but looking to get back into open water swimming. I have an old Desoto first wave 2 piece and loved it. Curious what are the better wetsuits on the market currently?
Arena make great wetsuits that don’t seem very popular in the triathlon world. OWS pretty much everyone wears Arena racesuits. Are you in the US?
After 20yr racing (primarily in a helix) , I switched to a zoot wiki wiki. The arms make it the single most enjoyable wetsuit I’ve ever had
My only experience is a couple of rokas that I bought used. Both have been good.
Have a friend who raves about sailfish. I have no experience but hes tried a lot of brands and ad it’s his favorite.
I swapped from Huubs to De soto earlier this year and find it much better, as in comfort. Speedwise, can’t say I noticed any difference to me as a MOP swimmer, but I love not messing around with the zips (huub breakaway zip was just a constant PITA) when putting on, and with the hit of cold water in the base of the back. Also the ability to have a size 4 top and size 5 bottom means I get no water in around the neck, and also no chafing from the velcro at the top of the normal wetsuit zip.
Bonus too, if you are just OW swimming then you can get the sleeveless top way cheaper than a second sleeveless top for warm conditions if you like that. I’d also risk tempting fate here by pointing out that after 3 months of use the de soto still looked in perfect nick, where the modern higher end suits of the other squad members were showing serious degeneration in terms of nicks and ‘cracking’ of the flexible panels those suits need to give the flexibility in a 1 piece that isn’t constrained by a 2 piece.
Roka Maverick has been great. They have in-between sizes like a medium-small (which I use), and the neoprene holds up extremely well. My Roka Maverick is now 3 years old, and I went through a period where I used it a good deal for OWS training and racing, and not a significant tear or meaningful ‘shark-bite’ fingernail tears to be seen. In contrast, I experimented more recently with a cheap Xterra (to be fair, costed almost 1/3rd the Maverick, so not really the same class wetsuit) for a small sizing wondering if it would make me go any faster (it didn’t) but even after like 5 OWS sessions, there are lots of little finger-sized small surface tears, even though I was super careful with it because of how inexpensive it was, and only pulled the wetsuit up from the inside. With the Maverick, I don’t even baby it anymore, I just grab chunks, pull it up from the outside, and it’s totally fine.
Arena make great wetsuits that don’t seem very popular in the triathlon world. OWS pretty much everyone wears Arena racesuits. Are you in the US?
Yes, I’m in the US. Thank you.
It’s hard to go wrong with any of the top brands. It’s easier to get a top brand that makes a great wetsuit that doesn’t fit you just right.
Your best bet is to try on 3-4-6 different wetsuits and keep the one that fits you the best.
Some brands to think about include but aren’t limited to and in no particular order:
Blue seventy
HUUB -There is a US disturber though typically not as well stocked as the UK site. I always went to the UK site to order since everything I’ve ever ordered from them was never in stock in my size in the US
Kiwami & Aquaman - US distributor is the same for these brands
Roka
De Soto
Orca
That should get your started. I will also say that the top of the line suit in most/many brands is not their fastest suit, it’s often the 2nd most expensive model. Not always but often.
I’ll put in a vote for Aquaman, as I’ve always loved the ones I’ve had and I’ve had a lot of suits. Andre posts here often and their customer service and hands on care is unmatched. I’m on his team so have a connection and am proud to align with his awesome products and service. Reach out to him and he will be most helpful.
After 20yr racing (primarily in a helix) , I switched to a zoot wiki wiki. The arms make it the single most enjoyable wetsuit I’ve ever had
Agree.I had an Xtrerra Vendetta which was great…then I bought the Zoot wiki wiki. The arms and shoulders are the best by far. OP, You really need to give this suit a try!
Looking for a new wetsuit. My triathlon days are long over but looking to get back into open water swimming. I have an old Desoto first wave 2 piece and loved it. Curious what are the better wetsuits on the market currently?
I had an old Desoto as well. Tried a bunch of the newer top end suits…ended up buying another Desoto.
I have pretty broad shoulders for my height. Nothing could match the comfort of the Desoto for me, as well as the nice flotation.
The latest De Soto T1 Wetsuit is better than that old T1 Wetsuit. If you liked it you will love our new one. Reach out to me as we have a Trade-In program and the best deal is if you are trading a T1 Wetsuit.
My email is emilio@desotosport.com