Now, I’m aware that the best wetsuit is the one that fits the best. I will still try them on before buying. I just figured I’d try to narrow the search a little first if I can, though.
I remember hearing that different brands of wetsuit fit different body shapes better. So I was wondering if anyone can recommend any wetsuits that tend to fit better on guys with larger shoulders/chests, and narrow waists.(yeah, I’m blessed with the swimmer’s body :-))
I’m currently leaning toward a QR Ultrafull, since that seems to be the best bang for the buck.
Try a Rocket Science Sports…any level but great value even on their “entry” (RJ)…the brand seems to fit bigger in the chest/shoulders than most.
Also…DeSoto…a 2 piece suit…a great suit on its own…especially great if you are “hard to fit” in a 1 piece (you can get different sizes top and bottom)
Check out Missy’s recommendations in her post above. She’s one of the owners of Austin Tri-cyclist (ATC) and knows wetsuit fit inside and out( has taught me a few things about it).
You are right to focus on fit, because it’s the only variable in wetsuits that really matters. Get the wetsuit that fits you best and that’s the one that more than likely will perform best for you. Don’t be persuaded to buy something just because it’s a deal.
Naturally, I would like you to buy a Nineteen, but not if it does not fit you!
It sounds like I’m shaped like you and I went w/a DeSoto T1. The two-piece design allowed me to get their biggest top with a smaller waist. For reference, I wear a 46L suit b/c of my shoulders and long torso and went with a size 7 top and size 6 bottom. Good luck with your search.
Fit is very important. I’m finding the how it feels when standing around isn’t a good parameter of how it swims when you are wearing it. The least comfortable suit when standing on deck, tight pinching in the armpits, tight across the upper back, once swimming though, those issues disappeared and this particular wet suit swam just damn fast.
My advice through testing all these different suits is swim in it before buying to really see how it fits.
Fit is very important. I’m finding the how it feels when standing around isn’t a good parameter of how it swims when you are wearing it. The least comfortable suit when standing on deck, tight pinching in the armpits, tight across the upper back, once swimming though, those issues disappeared and this particular wet suit swam just damn fast.
The least comfortable suit when standing on deck, tight pinching in the armpits, tight across the upper back, once swimming though, those issues disappeared and this particular wet suit swam just damn fast.
Brian,
Thank you.
It’s for that reason that more than a few people are swimming in a wetsuit that is too big for them. The suit then collects water and they end up swimming actually slower than if they did not have the suit on! I say this after talking to more than a few triathletes about where their swimming fitness is at and then cross-referencing that with their swim split times from races.
And if you do not need someone to help you zip up your wetsuit, it that a good indicator that it is too big?
Could be. Although this also depends on how flexible you are.** **New wetsuit users need to know that the suit does loosen up a bit once it is wet and once their is that thin film of water between your skin and the suit.
It’s pretty easy to tell if your wet suit fills with water. You can actually feel them fill a bit. You’ll get a cooler sensation of water moving across parts of your body since any water coming into a suit is cooler then the water in the suit.
That being said, I’ve noticed on me, there is a BIG difference in some of the suits as far as getting water into them. Some of the suits, even with flip turns have little to no water getting into them. Some have a little water entering some have more then a little.
I went by the sizing charts, selecting the smaller suits when on the border between two sizes.
I think it would be a bad idea to think that just because your are size X in suit A that you would be size X in suit B. Check the sizing charts before buying.
We make the De Soto T1 Wetsuits that Austin Tri Cyclist sells. We have wetsuit options starting at $260.00.
If look carefully, there are really only two types of wetsuits in the world:
ONE PIECE
TWO PIECE
Of course both offer sleeveless options.
Try both before you decide what to buy. We offer a 100% no questions satisfaction guarantee so if you find you prefer the one-piece, you can always return the T1 for a complete refund.
I am happy to get you fitted into the correct size by sending me the following:
HEIGHT
WEIGHT
CHEST (circumference measured at the nipple line) IF YOU ARE MALE
BUST (and cup size) IF YOU ARE FEMALE
WAIST (circumference measured at the belly-button line)
HIPS (circumference measured at the widest point, not just at your hips)
AGE
TELEPHONE NUMBER
I think it would be a bad idea to think that just because your are size X in suit A that you would be size X in suit B. Check the sizing charts before buying.
Brian,
Good point. It’s almost best to pay no attention to what the size of the suit is - does it fit you? That’s key.
With Nineteen, we try and make it as easy as possible by linking up what the size chart says, what the suit is and what the persons body is. It’s not exact, but we can get pretty close. FIY - the Nineteen size chart is very weight centric - ie, if you know your body weight and it falls in a range for a given size on the Nineteen fit chart, then that is your suit.** **This is correct I would say 95%+ of the time.
Part of our goal as a company is to make buying a wetsuit as easy as possible for both our retail customers and for our end-user customers. We know that it’s a challenging product category, so we try to make it as easy for everyone as we can!
