Hey Guys,
I am in need of a new wetsuit. Did anybody see any revelations at interbike in wetsuit design for 2010, or should I try to score a 2009 model on sale?
Thanks- Mike
TYR is entering the wetsuit fray now with a suit. Don’t have much info on it but it looks like it borrowed ideas the bs Helix.
http://www.slowtwitch.com/News/TYR_launches_wetsuits_at_Interbike_1036.html
I saw I think they were 10mm bibs from desoto and some really nice quality stuff from Nineteen,
k
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I concur with Super Clyde regarding Nineteen.
I stopped by the booth at the end of the show and talked to Fleck for a few minutes. I love their suits, and I’ll hopefully be getting the sleeveless one for Chanukah. They were pretty bad-ass.
Jason
The new BlueSeventy Helix was the most revolutionary suit I saw at the show. Some really new and different stuff. Now, whether or not it works, I don’t know, but if you want something really new, it’s the B70 - compression in the calves, 1mm sleeves with paper thin (like 0.3mm) forearms. Really wild. That is their “swimmer” suit. They also have a “biker” suit which has a ton of lower body buoyancy. So starting to make special suits for body types. Again, I know nothing about how this actually does or does not work in the water, but they had by far the most different stuff of any company.
I’d bet the “biker” wetsuit is faster than the “swimmer” wetsuit for everyone. What do you think?
Dave
I’ll hold on judgement. Generally, I think that buoyancy is king. Buoyancy way overrules flexibility and definitely overrides “feel” IMO. But I’ll wait to see. As I said, I’m reserving judgment for now. I’m saying DIFFERENT. Clearly they are trying to push the envelope. That doesn’t always work, but it’s awesome to see them try.
I like the DIFFERENT also, but agree that buoyancy is likely key (as Monty has pointed out and Emilio is designing). I do love wetsuits for cold mornings - and it makes getting in the water so much more pleasant. That being said - I do hate seeing better and better wetsuits minimizing the swim even more…and I wish they limited wetsuits more.
Dave
or they could just make the swims longer. 
You are right, ‘‘generally’’ buoyancy is the most important feature you need in a wetsuit. The exception would be a portion of triathletes who come from a competitive swimming background and don’t need much buoyancy as they already have an optimal body position in the water.
Even when buoyancy would still help them, if they lose sensibility and a wetsuit doesn’t give them shoulder flexibility, it kills their performance.
Truth is, the better a swimmer, the less performance improvement they will have with a wetsuit.
Edit : This article backs up my last phrase by mentioning one study :
http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/triathlon-clothing-benefits-wearing-wetsuit-837
I’d bet the “biker” wetsuit is faster than the “swimmer” wetsuit for everyone. What do you think?
Not speaking against Blue Seventy - they make great suits and are the leaders in design and innovation in this business. However, to have a go at your question - it’s hard to know as these things are really hard to test, and the very mixed and always varying results we see from, “wetsuit testing”, bear this out. You can’t put a wetsuit in a wind tunnel like a bike and get some numbers out of it. Every swimmers body shape, body density, musculature and swim stroke is going to be just that much different to throw off the testing. What works for you, will not work so well for me, and so on.
That is why, all other things being equal, fit is king with wetsuits. Generally speaking, the best wetsuit for someone is the one that fits them best** **and this wetsuit will yield the best results.
I think this is a myth. Why all the hoopla about the new swimsuits for elite swimmers? It makes them a lot faster with only a minimal amount of bouyancy - and these are olympic swimmers.
All swimmers benefit from buoyancy - seems like its about 10% on average for good swimmers (with average wetsuit). People with poor body position even benefit more. People like to say that good swimmers are different - they don’t need the bouyancy, they need sleeveless so they can feel the water, they need sleeveless so they can have faster turnover…all likely wrong (in my opinion).
It would be easy to test - race 200’s with elite swimmers in a cooler pool. Put the guys/gals who are 0.5-1 seconds slower in a full suit and see if they can beat the faster swimmers. Test thick wetsuits (“biker”) vs. thinner, tricked out flexible shoulder versions (swimmer) vs. sleeveless vs. nothing. Its not a great test if the wetsuits lose as the kick is so important in a 200 (and 1 of the benefits of distance swimming in a wetsuit is miniimizing the kick), the flip turn may be impacted in a suit (do long course meters), and the turn-over is a lot quicker in these shorter races. Yet despite all that, if the wetsuits won - you’d know for sure they’d win an open-water long distance race…
I raced in a sprint last weekend - Long Beach - water was warm - easily could swim without a wetsuit. Most people had shorties/long johns…Macca and I had full suits.
Dave
I did read your link and it does say that French elite swimmers didn’t improve in wetsuits but that goes against what everyone I know has experienced (including some pretty good swimmers). It would be interesting to see what MarkyV and some of the other former elite-level swimmers think…
You are right, ‘‘generally’’ buoyancy is the most important feature you need in a wetsuit. The exception would be a portion of triathletes who come from a competitive swimming background and don’t need much buoyancy as they already have an optimal body position in the water.
Even when buoyancy would still help them, if they lose sensibility and a wetsuit doesn’t give them shoulder flexibility, it kills their performance.
Truth is, the better a swimmer, the less performance improvement they will have with a wetsuit.
Edit : This article backs up my last phrase by mentioning one study :
http://www.pponline.co.uk/…-wearing-wetsuit-837
Nope. The more buoyant you are, the less water you displace, and therefore the faster you go. It is pretty much universal. That is why the suits like the Jaked, etc. were so much faster - they fractionally increased buoyancy by trapping air - which is why they didn’t warm-up in the suits. Buoyancy is the king for EVERYONE. The question is really does the buoyancy of the sleeves offset the increased feel. That I don’t know. But the most buoyant suit will be the fastest, ALL OTHER THINGS BEING EQUAL (which they never are…).
If there is no limit, a sleeveless ~8-10 mm sleeveless suit (put the "thinner panels where you need more flexibility), with literally a 20 mm thick triangular patch between the crotch and hip bones, might offer the best buoyancy, “flexibility” and feel. For cold water this suit could be designed wtih “Blue Seventy Thickness” arms…
Personally I’d be happier if they just cap the limit at 5 mm, but if there is not going to be any limit, then…
Dev
if they dont allow a limit im going to duct tape a pull buoy and cover it with neoprene. this no limit thing is infinitely worse than finman.
So it seems that fit and buoyancy are king. What about entry level suit vs. top of the line suit. I currently swim in Xterra’s entry level suit. Is going to a top of the line suit really going to benefit me? If so how much time will I really save on an 1500m swim? Right now I’m about a 23min olympic swimmer.
It seems like every top of the line suit I see has holes in it because they tear so easily. Unless it was going to save me some significant time I can’t understand why you would spend 3 times the price on something that lasts not nearly as long.
Is going to a top of the line suit really going to benefit me?
Yes. There is typically a BIG jump in the quality of the rubber used and the amount of paneling done. Overall the top suits are much more comfortable, more flexible and fit much better. And as I said, FIT is key.
It seems like every top of the line suit I see has holes in it because they tear so easily.
That’s because all the top suits are made from Yamamoto 39 rubber* It’s a wonderful material. It’s light. Very flexible. Extremely buoyant. The problem is, it’s smooth-skin side is very delicate and you need to use extreme care when putting the suit on. I am guessing that many triathletes are not using a high level of care when putting their wetsuits on and that’s when you see finger-nail cuts. Take your time. Only pull hard on the jersey( inner) lining of the suit. wear thin polypro gloves when putting the suit on. etc . .
*Note - some manufacturers are using the newer Yamamoto 40 - this rubber is even more delicate than the 39! I would be very cautious about buying a wetsuit that used Yamamoto 40 in any area of the suit that would be exposed to fingernail cuts - typically the upper thighs and lower legs.
So it seems that fit and buoyancy are king. What about entry level suit vs. top of the line suit. I currently swim in Xterra’s entry level suit. Is going to a top of the line suit really going to benefit me? If so how much time will I really save on an 1500m swim? Right now I’m about a 23min olympic swimmer.
It seems like every top of the line suit I see has holes in it because they tear so easily. Unless it was going to save me some significant time I can’t understand why you would spend 3 times the price on something that lasts not nearly as long.
The top of the line suits use lighter density rubber - more flexible, but more importantly, more buoyant. That’s why they tear so easily - there is more air in the rubber than in the cheaper suits. Less dense rubber = less durable = more fast. In the case of the really low density rubber like any of the variants on the air-cell (like on the XTerra Vendetta) you’ll notice the suit is REALLY fragile.
buoyancy is nice but mentally (and physical to a degree) unlimited freedom of shoulder motion means a good deal as there is less mental panic/fatigue from the deviation from the norm. i put in for a prototype suit with xterra that is the suit i would find most ideal. downhill swimming+no arms(essentially…not a sleeveless tho). going to be awhile b4 i can test it 
So how much faster is a top of the line suit? If I’m swimming 23mins for a 1500 in an entry level suit, am I gonna swim 10 seconds faster, a minute faster, minutes faster?