I am hoping to get some input from others to help me decide between two sizes of wetsuit.
Background: I grew up swimming and, while I don’t really emphasize it in my training now, I feel comfortable in the water and am not embarrassingly slow (1:10-ish per 100 yd sc). I’ve been wearing an old size 3 De Soto wetsuit (before they had zippers in the top) that was WAY too small for me (blame the shop that convinced me to buy it, or maybe blame me for listening to them). This may have screwed up how I think wetsuits should fit because it was so tight that pretty much no water could get in at all, especially because there was no zipper. I have also lost about 20 lbs. and now weigh in the mid 150s and am 5’10". But even after the weight loss, the De Soto was too small.
Now: I just bought an XTERRA wetsuit, or rather two of them, one medium and one small. The sizing chart says I should be a medium, but there is a good amount of extra material around the armpits on a medium, so I also ordered a small to try on. I went out to Lake Michigan today to try them out. The small felt pretty good, but the first thing I noticed was water in the suit. Like I said, I’m used to a torture device of a wetsuit that let no water in because it was so tight. But I felt pretty comfortable swimming in it. Getting it on and off took some effort, but nothing terrible. Then I swam in the medium. It also felt pretty good. I’m not sure that there was any more water in it than in the small, but I did notice that the water flowed from the area around my chest and armpits down into the arms a bit more, and occasionally even seeped out through the wrists (I could feel it because it was warm from being against my body). I could also feel some of the water making its way from the lower back area down into the legs a bit. Below is a bad picture of the extra material on the size medium around the shoulders and armpits.
Frankly, I like the idea of a slightly bigger suit if it’s not slowing me down. Nobody plans on gaining weight, but if I gained a few pounds it would still fit fine. And I like the feel of less restricted shoulders. Should I worry about the water moving through the suit. Is it possible that the larger suit would slow me down?
The suit in the pic is waaay loose. A wetsuit should fit skintight, but be flexible enough in the shoulders that it isn’t hampering your stroke. You should not feel water flowing through the suit as you swim. Make sure to sung the sleeves up to your armpits enough that they don’t “batwing” when you lift your arms.
I race in a 19, had it for about 3 years now. Water comes and goes as it pleases and I have been between 172 (before IMC) to 195 all in the same suit. It’s been good for temperatures in the 55f range and upwards. Someone is not helping you, they are selling you. BTW, If no water got in, they would not be called wetsuits.
I’m the same wt/ht as you and I have had a DeSoto T1 Size 4 since 2007. It has the partial zip in the top. It fits perfectly and that ‘flow’ sensation is almost non-existent. I also have an '09 Blue Seventy Helix (Size SMT) which is a very tight fit but as soon as I start swimming, I feel water flowing in around the neck and onto my back. That sensation does not last long, but I’m thinking…how much water am I hauling around in this suit? Credit to DeSoto for designing a top that has a non-restrictive, non-chafing top that does not scoop water. I enjoy swimming in the Helix as it approaches a more natural, non-wetsuit swim but, all factors considered (including transition speed, believe it or not) I still do a better job in races in the good ole DeSoto…and durability…legendary. The Helix looks like it was owned by a Navy Seal who just had a rough day in the office…lots of splits and patches in 2 seasons of use. Might get one more out of it. Hope this helps a bit.
Water should get in to a wetsuit, it is part of the design and it actually helps keep you warm. But water should definitely not flow in a wetsuit.
From what I’m reading of your description, if the small is comfortable, you should keep the small. You do not want the folds in the shoulder area as pictured with the medium.
Water should get into the suit. It is not a dry suit. It is not “sealed”. That being said, water should not “Flow” through the suit. You will feel water moving slightly, especially a little bit around the shoulder sockets and middle back depending on the range of motion of your shoulder socket, but if you feel water “flowing” through the suit, it is too big.
Suits should fit “snug” but not “tight” You want the suit to hug you and move with you, but you do not want it to be restrictive. Some people have problems properly setting the shoulders and often feel the suit is “too tight” across the chest and back, and often this is the result of them not getting the sleeves and shoulders set properly (i.e. the need to be pulled a little further down towards the body. When you have some one help you who knows how to get a suit on, it can be amazing to see how much more comfortable people are.
Sad to say some suits will not fit you. For me, the Tyr suits fit great. The Orcas and Blue Seventys, not so much. In the Tyr, they are either more flexible or just have a little better proportions for my body. In the Orcas and Blue Seventies, one size is way too tight in the shoulders, and the next size up I can feel an air bubble in my back. One is half a size too small, the other half a size too big… In short, the suit does not fit me. For others, the Tyr may be the exact opposite. So you may go out and covet a particular suit, but the reality is you should chose a suit manufacturer generally based upon fit, and then select from their models depending on what features you want. Orca could come out with the best suit in the world, but if it does not fit me right, it is not going to do me any good. Now I love Tyr and their suits, so it works for me, but at the top line of suits, they are all pretty comparable.
Thanks all for your replies. I should clarify that when I talk about water flowing through the larger suit, I don’t mean a lot of it. In truth, it’s more like seeping, but it was a strange sensation for me because of the tightness of my previous suit. The extra material in the picture isn’t necessarily looseness (it’s still tight around there), but just that the material bunched up. I think I’m hearing that I should go with the smaller one. I think I’m leaning that way, but will try them on again and think about what I’m hearing here. I’m just hesitant to get into the same problem I was just in… having a suit that’s too small and having to get rid of it. Like I said, I’m not planning on gaining weight, but if I gained 10 pounds, I want to make sure the suit will still be okay.
The pics I saw are something I think of when I see a suit that is too big. It is one thing to have some bunching but you have folds to the point they are flaps.
