I was told this is the place to get advice. I am 5’2", 120 lbs, male. I am now just finishing my 1st year in this great sport. I have just come back from overseas and now I am in need of a Wet Suit. The waters where I came from were extremely warm, with no need for them. With so many on the market, I am confused and need help to figure out which one would be best. I am in look for one that provides easy breathing as well and not going to cause over heating in the IM, 1/2 IM distances. Along naturally with the ability to make a good transition time. If anyone can give me some advice, I would really appreciate it.
That’s a tough question. In my case as a mediocre MOP AG swimmer I really don’t believe that brand x will give any Joe Average Trigeek such as myself any substancial advantage over brand y or that a two piece will be faster than one piece or vice versa. But then I haven’t tried each model/brand out either.
What you have to consider foremost is how well does it fit. Is it comfortable and not too restrictive. It’s then just a matter of deciding whether or not you want a one piece, two piece, entry level or top of the line, depending upon your budget.
Just don’t do what I did in my very first tri - show up with a scuba suit.
As someone in the wetsuits industry (I work for Ironman Wetsuits) I hope I can provide some answers to your post.
I guess there are a couple questions that you need to decide on first.
Are you looking to get sleeves or not?
Are you looking for performance above all else, or price?
My ideal suit for someone looking at their first wetsuit purchase, especially who is concerned about tightness in the chest, is the new Ironman Instinct suit released early next year. We have used completely new patterns and rubbers in the Instinct from this years suit, adding some stretchy thinner panels around the side of the chest (called VO2 panels) to allow better expansion when breathing. The suit is about $275.
I think that the new Instinct is a real step forward for this type of suit and offers an awesome suit at that price point. Remember though everyone is different and you really need to try a couple of suits on if possible to see how the different fits are for you.
In the perfromance bracket, our Stealth suit got its major makeover this year, and is one of the top performing wetsuits on the market. Its priced just over the $400 mark. Once again there are other brands and other suits, essentially they are similar, but the subtle differences in pattern shapes, sizing and service will make a difference to what wetsuits is the best for you.
Feel free to email me or phone for any questions you might have