Hi all, I’m getting ready for my first 70.3 next month and I’m looking to buy my first wetsuit. I’m not a great swimmer, far from it, so an entry level buoyant wetsuit will be more than enough. I’m also trying not to break the bank, so my budget is set to a hard 250 euros max. And, I’m based in Europe, so some of the more affordable brands like xterra commonly recommended online a no-go due to shipping, duties. etc.
So, I’ve been looking at the different brands for a while and I’ve narrowed it down tp the following options (considering availability of size):
Sumarpo N-Joy: the 2024 version is on sale at ~199 euros, 175 euros with a welcome discount, shipping included
Zone 3 Agile: with a discount code I can get it for 222 euros including shipping
HUUB OWC: about 244 euros + ~20-30 euros for shipping, but with an on-going sale I could also get a trisuit for free, whereas for the other two options the plan is to get a van rysel (or similar budget brands) trisuits for ~70-80 euros.
Other good options: Yonda Spook → my size is not available atm, Orca Athlex Float → over budget.
The Sumarpo N-Joy is the cheapest but it’s a lesser known brand, hence the uncertainty - that aside, it looks like a very solid deal. Zone 3: well known brand, lots of good reviews. HUUB: I’ve read many complaints about durability, I’m mostly considering it for the trisuit combo deal which is very tempting.
Any thoughts, opinions, recommendation are really appreciated. TIA and have a great day.
the key with a wetsuit is fit so focus more on that than a brand if I were you I would see can you find people that sell 2nd hand wetsuits and try to try them on before you buy. likewise you can often pick up a 2nd hand tri suit for very little on the 2nd hand market.
That is a very good point. Unfortunately, from what I can see, in the part of Europe where I’m currentlly based the second-hand market for triathlon gear is small to non-existent, and the community itself is not very big. In practice, to be able to try out the wetsuit before buying it, I would need to go to a physical store, but the options are very limited and usually over budget (typically >350 euros, for the few options available, assuming sizes are even available). Decathlon would be one viable option, but even their van rysel and nabaiji wetsuits are not stocked in any of the stores in my area, due to the low demand. So, all in all, buying online according to the size guide and then potentially do a return if the fit is not right, still seems a reasonable option (considering also the time factor)
ok the last thing I then could suggest, see if you have vinted in your country they have reasonable shipping fees from abroad ( just as an example vinted.fr)
or you could always write to a tri club in your area and see if somebody sells one or lets you try some before they do and open water swim
(considering also the time factor)