I need a new wetsuit and of course the best way to find the best fit is a wetsuit testing day in the pool. Unfortunately I will miss these testing days due to travelling. How can I juge if a wetsuit fits well if I can’t test it in the pool ? People tell me you have to feel like choking because wetsuits become a little bit bigger when wet. What about the length of sleeves ; neck-width ; leg-length ? The main brands my tri-shop has are Ironman, Orca and Sailfish. Please advice.
Testing in water is a great way to test a suit. They do feel different when in the water vs. dry on the land. If you can’t do this you need to find and trust the help of the sales person in the shop that you shop at. In the good tri shops there is often one person who really gets and understands wetsuit fit. They will be a valuable reasource to you.
Sleeve and leg length - you can trim the length of the sleeves and legs on most wetsuits within the taped portion. Do not cut or trim the suit outside the taped part of the seams.
Neck fit can be adjusted on most suits, but good neck fit is related to being in the right overall fit for you to begin with. Many people have many problems with neck fit - chafing, rashing etc . . and this can be directly related to being in the wrong size or wrong brand of suit for that person.
Hope this helps.