I am in the market for a new wetsuit after losing about 30 pounds and I am considering one of these 3 suits.
Blue Seventy Helix
TYR Hurricane C-5
Xterra Vendetta
My last suit was a 2009 Blue Seventy Helix which I had no complaints about.
Has anyone swam in all 3 or 2 of the three that can give me some kind of a comparison?
I know I might be splitting hairs between these three suits, I am just trying to figure out if there is a difference in any of them that I might prefer.
I did an ad-nauseum test of different high end suits years ago in an attempt to flush out the “best”. It would have been earth-shaking. The one best wetsuit: Proven.
In the end, after monoths and months of testing and asking questions, I threw in the towel.
I couldn;t find a measurable difference between them. Not between $200 suits and $600 suits.
My advice? Buy a good quality, reasonably priced suit and be sure you don it correctly. Then, swim it as regularly as possible to get accustomed to it. If you can try ona couple suits and actually swim in them, that is worth while, acknowledging that, anecdotally, customers almost always carry the first suit they tried to the register as they perceive it made “the most difference”, largely because subsequent suits were harder to put one since the person is wet and therefore don’t swim as well.
Keep in mind that some wetsuits fit “body types” better than others. None of those high end wetsuits are going to give you any kind of performance advantage over another. Find what fits you best… kinda like the bike. They are all good, just some may be a better match for YOU than others.
You are slightly faster in the water than me. I swam in first 2 earlier this year, and for me, the Cat 5 was the clear winner…more flexible, more comfortable and faster…the Helix was the “cruel suit” for me, having seams on the chest and arms that were extremely uncomfortable, leaving marks on my skin after suit removal.
Love the cat 5 though, very fast in the pool compared to other suits I tried, which also included Xterra Vector Pro and 2XU Velocity
All are great suits, but if it fits you well and you are a strong swimmer I would suggest the Helix. It’s won the 220 Triathlon wetsuit of the year award the last 3 years and very tough to beat. Feel free to give me a call and we can help you out.
But from there I would say go for the Cat 5 (which happens to be my suit), what appealed to me about this suit was that it had 5mm all through the legs whereas most other suits (including the Helix, not sure about the Vendetta) have only 3mm, for the most of us (and going on your times, which are around/a little slower than mine) the extra buoyancy in the lower body will be beneficial to getting oneself in a better position in the water as dont forget the Helix has ‘neutral buoyancy’ i.e. it was designed for the biomechically correct swimmer.
To other who suggest going for a lower grade suit, don’t it mightnt be faster over a short pool test, but when you are out in the water for 30+ mins the extra flexibility is pivotal
Keep in mind that some wetsuits fit “body types” better than others. None of those high end wetsuits are going to give you any kind of performance advantage over another. Find what fits you best… kinda like the bike. They are all good, just some may be a better match for YOU than others.
I’ve used the Vendetta in a size SLO at 6’2 175 and Cat 5 in a M/L at 180-185. Both great suits but the Cat 5 “feels” ever so slightly faster. I also find the rubber, while very flexible is slightly more durable than the finish of the Vendetta.
Both great suits from my experience.