Getting into tri’s and looking to do some early spring tri’s in KY and OH and wondering what I need to look for in a wetsuit. I plan to go with long sleeves but do not know much else except some are super expensive and some are not? Need some help.
Fit is the most important. It should fit very snug. It will take you several minutes to get a tri suit on. You do not need to spend a ton of money. Try and find a local retailer, that is knowledgable about suits. There should be some pretty good deals going on now given it is the end of the season and the next season stuff will be out shortly.
My opinion
Desoto two piece suits are pretty popular and they can probably help with fit over the phone if there are no local retailers. Plus they have a great return policy. Xterra is another suit that is a good value with a nice return policy.
as the other poster mentioned, the end of the season this year means deal time, i got the 2nd from the top xterra suit last year around this time for 1/2 price, the sizing chart on the web was right on and it is by far the best suit i ever owned
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Not to be sarcastic…Learn to swim well. The neoprene should be a tool & not a crutch. You should feel confident & comfortable swimming w/o a wet suit.
I know the swimming needs some work but the main reason is that water temps in KY in early April and even in May are pretty cold and would almost be a necessity.
I live in that same area and have both a long sleeve and sleeveless wetsuit. I find the long sleeve (which is also a thicker neoprene) too warm for this area, even when swimming in late April early May. I think you’ll get more use out of a lighter sleeveless model. The only race where I thought the long sleeve was justified was in San Fransisco - Alcatraz - temps in the upper 50’s / low 60s. I also feel the fullsuit constricts my stroke although the ‘feel’ might have more to do with the light use. Just my 2 cents…