Every triathlete has gone through this frustration of peeling off a wetsuit that just feels like it’s stuck on you. Your arms are tired, hands are shaking, and you just wish this race had a wetsuit stripper. Next time give Trislide a spray. It not only allows you to slip out of your wetsuit quickly but also prevents those nasty wetsuit burns around the neck and chaffing in some areas that you never knew could chaff. It is safe to use on your neoprene wetsuit and can easily be washed away with some soap and warm water.
If you want a cheap wetsuit without compromising on performance hands down it has to be Xterra wetsuits in general. You wont see a $1,200+ wetsuit coming out of Xterra. Their claim to fame is selling directly to consumers and not having it go through middle men that jack up the prices. Periodically you may find a coupon code or a sale that Xterra has which brings the cost of some suits sub $200. This particular model the Xterra Vortex Sleeveless is perfect for the summer races where the water is 68+ degrees. Gives the proper bouyancy and comfort for a comfortable swim.
Orca’s latest generation Alpha is still their top of the line wetsuit and their lightest and most flexible. It is made with the new EXO-CEL material, which is 25% more bouyant than Aerdome and lined with neoprene for comfort and water resistance, to help optimize swimming position. Aquatread forearm panel provides increased stroke power in the catch phase. The FreeStroke 3 System panels consisting of Yamamoto #40 Cell neoprene through the arms, shoulder, chest and back provide maximum flexibility and comfort. A low profile neck seal reduces the chance of chafing while also limiting water entry. The Alpha has been re-engineered to provide even greater performance and raised the bar.
2XU’s top of the line wetsuit is their X:2 Project X. Super flexible, it features titanium alpha coating for improved blood flow, seamless shoulder arm panels for enhanced flexibility, concave water entrapment zones, front panels with buoyancy inserts, Nano SCS coating and 520% stretch lining. 2XU’s Rollbar technology keeps your body in the most efficient position in the water for faster times with less effort. An ultra high performance wetsuit for swimmers who want the best.
This is the most expensive wetsuit in the world at the moment. Zone3’s MMXII wetsuit costs £1,000, and it’s a limited edition model with only 100 available worldwide. Sold exclusively at Harrod’s or directly from Zone3, each individual suit can be tailored to the swimmer’s body for a perfect fit. The famous Yamamoto SCS 40 and 45 neoprene are used with a titanium lined inner jersey fabric and Aerodome panels to create more buoyancy than conventional neoprene. There is also an ultra thin one-piece shoulder panel stretching from elbow to elbow to free the shoulders when swimming. Not only is it supposed to have an extremely comfortable feel with speed and flexiblity, Gold and Gunmetal fabric on the suit adds bling like no other wetsuit has done before. The price tag includes more than just an individually numbered suit. Other goodies, such as a transition backpack, swim caps and an exclusive invitation to an open water training event with top coaches and athletes, are included.
Blue Seventy’s Helix is back for 2012 and better than ever. The Helix uses two layered chest panels that naturally and anatomically accentuate the lungs in producing the optimal amount of buoyancy for the swimmer in the upper body. The ultra light, Aqua Feel forearms are made with a permeable fabric allowing the swimmer to feel the water while 1mm Aquaseal cuffs seal the arms from water entry. Inside the sleeve is a light print designed to reinforce better elbow position at the front catch phase of the stroke, resulting in a more powerful and efficient stroke. The high stretch TST panels mechanically decouple the arms from the rest of the suit working to ‘float’ the arm and improve shoulder extension, stroke length, and comfort. The tube construction in the lower leg, combines A-Flex material with a single seam to maximize the flexibility and promote a quick release from your suit in the transition. It’s built for swimmers who require performance above all else.
No company has done what TYR has with the Freak of Nature. They took the most flexible rubber available, Yamamoto’s #40 neoprene, and made an entire wetsuit out of it. It is the company’s most technologically advanced suit and the most expensive on the market at the moment. This unique change from the typical wetsuit allows 7X more stretch and it’s supposedly so flexible that you won’t notice having it on. There are other notable features included with the freakish price tag, such as quick release ankle cuffs, .17 Specific Gravity and 0.026 Friction Coefficient. Worth it? You gotta give it a try to find out. Ahem, pros like Lance Armstrong, Andy Potts and Chrissie Wellington have already.
Huub is changing the way we sink and swim into our wetsuits. Instead of the one-suit-fits-all mentality, they are catering for those of us who are natural born swimmers and those of us who are bottom heavy sinkers with their 3:5 and 4:4 numbers. The flagship Archimedes delivers buoyancy and flexibility with additional bicep and calf release panels which further improve efficiency. Time for a wetsuit upgrade excuse.
