ORCA OPEN WATER

£299 Safety-packed wetsuit

What’s the difference between a tri and openwater wetsuit? Good question, but in the context of the Open Water it’s due to the safety features. Here there are hi-vis panels, a connector so you can attach Orca’s buoy without needing a belt and Emerid; an identification system that gives the athlete’s info in an emergency. As for in the water, the 4mm abdominal area is 1mm thicker than usual but aided warmth and upper-body buoyancy in our June return to the (18°C) open water. What was more telling, however, was Orca’s reliably-great upper-body flexibility and suppleness, which is something we’ve experienced from the acclaimed £550 Alpha to the £180 S7 (the latter is still our pick for beginner triathletes).