I am moving to Pennsylvania in a week or so. I am going to need a wetsuit for some of the triathlons up there. I had a question.
Is it really important that I get fitted for one when I buy it…because I would have to travel all the way to Atlanta from Alabama to get fitted. I know two that I am interested in…I am just worried about the fit. Also, how much is too much to pay for a wetsuit. I have never worn one before and don’t know what quality to get??
You can’t go wrong with a DeSoto T1 suit. Use the size charts on their site for sizing and they also have a video on there that tells you how to put it on. You have 14 days after getting it to try it and you can return it for a full refund if it doesn’t work out. Alot cheaper doing it that way than traveling to a shop.
I was kinda wanting a 2xu suit or an ironman suit. I am unsure of going with the cheaper 300.00 ironman reaction suit or the helix which is like 500.00. Do you know anything about those two?
Seriously, there’s a ton of threads on ST about wetsuits. Just use the “search posts” link at the top. I can’t comment on those suits as I have never worn them.
If you don’t want to drive to get fiited at least phone a couple of shops to see what their staff says. Different wetsuits fit people differently so you need to understand your body type before you purchase. We (Tri Geeks Multisport in Canada) have to often seen people who have bought the wrong wetsuit and have suffered for it. Do your self a favor, call the shops in your area or one of the online retailers to get there advise as they should be able to point you in the right direction on fit with a phone call.
Out of curiosity, what region of PA and do you feel you need a wetsuit because you’re coming up north?
Tom
State College: Penn State. Some of the races in the fall I am probably going to need a wetsuit for. I have already checked and the water cools quicker in Penn than Bama, of course.
cjt,
I would recommend the 2XU comp1 for $389. It has mostly the same rubber as the Elite suit, aside from the rear zipper panel, which is non SCS coated. for the money however, you just cant beat it. It is a very high end suit for $110 less. PM me if I can help with sizing or anything else at all.
all the best
chris
www.2XU.com
Hey CJT,
Emilio De Soto here. If you have never considered a T1 two-piece wetsuit you really ought to learn the many advantages of it. Plus you can get into one for $330.00 that is made of some of the best rubber in the world, and it is coated with SCS (Smooth Composite Skin) so it is fast to remove. Click below to watch our 6 minute Video.
T1 WETSUIT VIDEO
Remember we offer a 100% no questions asked guarantee so you risk nothing but the time to try it for yourself. This guarantee applies whether you buy it from any of our dealers or directly from us.
I’m about an hour from Penn State. If your only concern is temperature, you’ll be fine. Water temps are easily in the 70’s well into the fall. Anyway, welcome to the north.
Thanks…I am excited. I am going to grad school at PSU. I will be looking for training, bike shop, etc. in the area. Do you have any general advice regarding triathlon or training in the area? Are there any races in the fall that you would highly recommend? Thanks!!
Penn State runs a team (club) with students who I’m sure you can hook up with. There is a club in Happy Valley also. I don’t know much about the club but you won’t have any trouble finding training buddies up there.
There is a new race going on, I can’t remeber the name but I’ll try to get the link and post it. The are a few races in the Harrisburg area.
CJT,
I live in NW Pennsylvania and if you race any triathlons prior to the middle of June or from Mid September on, you will want a wetsuit. I would like to address two of your questions. I can’t say enough about DeSoto Wetsuits. I doubted all the hype and bought a blueseventy last year. I am a horrible swimmer. As an example, last year in the Erie PA (Presque Isle) Triathlon, it was a 650 yard swim (granted it was rough with 3-4 foot waves) and it took me almost 17 minutes. I really worked on my swimming this year, bought a DeSoto T-1 and did IMLP a few weeks back and finished the swim in 1:15. I was estatic as a year ago I was hoping to hit the 2:20 cutoff. Comparing my pool times I was hoping to get out in 1:30, what a surprise when I was out in 1:15. Also at LP, my suit was torn (bib shoulder strap) by one of the wetsuit strippers. Emilio hooked me up and repaired it and had it back to me within a week for my next race. Finally, Erie may be about 3 hours away from you, but on Sept 8, there is a great triathlon there with some pretty good competition (really good for me, but not sure how fast you are). Not sure of others closer to you.