MEN’S WETSUITS
They’re a big-ticket tri item but there’s much to consider when picking your neoprene for race season. Matt Baird and Jack Sexty test 14 wetsuits…
ince their creation in the mid1980s, triathlon wetsuits have become one of the most iconic items of kit in the sport. While they’ve experienced a host of technological innovations in the intervening period, their aim – like their noir colour – largely remains the same: to get you through the open-water swim as swift, comfortable and fresh as possible.
Although you’re only in the thing for about 10-20% of your race, a tri-specific wetsuit can make or break your race. An ill-fitting, poorly-chosen suit will leave you sinking in the aqua with a sore neck; whereas your optimum suit will aid all those hours of pool training and make you look and feel a million dollars.
When it comes to buying your tri wetsuit, our mantra is ‘try before you buy’, as the sizes can vary hugely. Find a tri retailer or tri expo to try the suits. If not, ensure the online seller has a decent returns policy.
Also keep your own swim ability to the forefront of your mind when picking. Be aware that many top-end features – wafer-thin neoprene and a reduction in buoyancy – are lost on, or even detrimental to, beginner swimmers. Those with sinking bums should look for increased neoprene thickness with enhanced buoyancy, while swift human fishes should focus further on flexibility.
Matt, our features ed, is your entry to mid-level guide, while Jack, our top agegrouper staff writer, takes on the top-end suits. Matt will give a closer examination to buoyancy for sinking bodies, while Jack will examine the auxiliary features such as speed cuffs and reverse zippers, plus how fast it feels in the water. How we tested We were lucky enough to test these suits in the warm waters of Club La Santa’s lagoon in Lanzarote in March, as well as some early UK swims. This afforded us the opportunity to test them in summer seawater temps, dealing with waves and currents to fully judge their performance. Each was tested for fit, performance, buoyancy, comfort, hydrodynamics, added features, durability, ability of zipper, removal speed and budget.
LOMO CHALLENGER
We tested the 5mm Challenger in 2016 and it mostly impressed, providing a surprising flex in the arms for a £109 suit. This year we’ve got the cheaper 3mm Challenger but had to swap our usual medium for a small due to serious oversized fit issues. Baggy is never a term you want to hear with a wetsuit but the 1.5mm Megastretch underarm panels felt loose. Positively, where the 5mm version has excessive buoyancy, the 3mm core here is more balanced in the water and easier to run in to T1. The water ingress around the neck has also been reduced and it’s quick to remove, and it coped well with 10ºC Gower Peninsula water. ewetsuits.com
DHB WETSUIT
Wiggle in-house brand Dhb may not have bothered to give this Wetsuit a name, but plenty of thought has gone into the creation of this budget suit. We reviewed the 2016 model and this latest version is an improvement, with the new ankles and cuffs reducing the water ingress and also making it even swifter to remove. Surprisingly for a sub-£100 suit, it’s not overly buoyant (beginners may actually appreciate more thickness in the legs) but the 2mm arm flexibility is adequate for shortcourse racing. The construction is durable and warm, and we experienced no neck rubbing over 1.5km due to the low neckline. wiggle.co.uk
AROPEC FLYING FISH
Their tri-suits and wetsuits have always punched above their budget in our tests, no doubt helped by Aropec’s direct-selling model (which means you can’t try before you buy, but returns are free). The stylish Flying Fish sits at the top of their range and boasts 2mm neoprene on back, arms, hips and rear of legs to provide adequate flexibility. We found the neckline sits a little high and the 3mm on the front of legs and chest offer adequate buoyancy. We’re not fans of reverse zips and all the preswim faff they bring, but the drainage channels are a neat touch at this price. aropec.co.uk
ROKA MAVERICK COMP II
Roka have made a big splash in the wetsuit world, and if they’re still tricky to buy in the UK, they’re worth it. The Comp is the only wetsuit on this spread to offer sub-2mm thickness on the arms and it shows, with the best flexibility in the low- to mid-end suits. The 3mm of the core and 5mm of the legs is the optimum blend of lift for non-club swimmers, and there’s SCS Nano coating for speed. The neck has a comfortably low cut, but not at the expense of water ingress. It’s easier to remove than the previous Comp to complete a top-draw package at a welcome price. roka.com
HUUB AEGIS II
The original Aegis has long been our go-to race wetsuit, so we were eager to test the latest version. Once we had a chum help us secure the breakaway zipper (a new addition for 2017 but you’ll need to find a buddy if you swim alone), our medium felt tighter than anything here, a theme of Huub suits across the chest. In the water, however, the Aegis – when swimming well – was the swiftest suit here, aided no doubt by the Smoothskin coating and recommended 3mm core/5mm leg neoprene thickness. The new lower cut neckline remains chafe-free and stopped any water ingress, while the arm flexibility is impressive. huubdesign.com
AQUA SPHERE CHALLENGER
Solid and reliable aren’t sexy terms but they’re what you want in a mid-level suit. And the Challenger ticks these boxes. The brand’s 4mm AquaDrive core helps align the body to aid efficiency and minimise drag, while the Yamamoto 39 neoprene material delivers comfort, warmth and durability. The 2mm under arm panels offer adequate flexibility, but no more, and the 4mm legs provide, for us, the minimum-required amount of lift. The horseshoecut design of the lower legs make this one of the speediest suits to remove, and we like the design. aquasphereswim.com
BLUESEVENTY REACTION
Whether it’s their £200 Fusion or top-end Helix, Blueseventy’s wetsuits universally score well on these pages. The Reaction continues this form, instantly stylish out of the box and even better in the soup. The 2017 version has thankfully dispensed with the catch panels of the previous model and the result is a fantastically-crafted suit. With 4mm and 5mm sections in the chest and legs there’s a good level of buoyancy and warmth, and upgrades to the 2017 model have witnessed more flexibility in the already lithe upper body. It’s quick to get off as well. blueseventy.co.uk
ZOOT WAVE 3
The Wave 3 sits below the top-end Wikiwiki in Zoot’s range. It feels noticeably buoyant, and during initial pool testing we could barely kick because our body position was so high. Where it counts in choppy open water the Wave 3 delivered, with Zoot’s PROarm panels providing plenty of flexibility. The wrist cuffs are tight, which made removal slower, but the legs kicked off with ease. While proclaiming a £400 wetsuit good value might seem odd, it’s got standout features and is comparatively less expensive than other highend max buoyancy suits. So, if you need the extra lift and want a quality suit, the Wave 3 is a good option. zootsports.com
SAILFISH ONE
The Sailfish One is a highend max buoyancy offering, with a SCS (super skin composite) coating to reduce friction between wetsuit and water. While it’s got plenty of tech, including the prominent ‘V-Power’ panels on the sleeves to assist with the stroke phase, we found the One offered the least freedom of movement of all suits here. Sailfish say there’s no material resistance on their arm panels, but the recovery and catch phases of our stroke felt cumbersome compared to the super-flexible Orca and 2XU suits. For a Euro brand Sailfish size up large, and the men’s small here was larger than Zone3’s medium Victory; so try before buying. sailfish.com
Z3R0D VANGUARD
The Vanguard is constructed of Yamamoto 39 neoprene, and Z3rod describe it as a suit that feels like you’re not wearing it. Our experience differed, and while the 5mm neoprene in the midriff brought us up high in the water, it didn’t feel as unrestrictive as some of the more flexible suits on test here. We found the neckline too thick and experienced some rubbing, but elsewhere it fitted well and we could utilise a strong pull. A breakaway zipper makes for fast removal, with this tester managing to kick it off in 12 seconds flat. We’d recommend this suit for sinkylegged swimmers with a strong pull – although the Zoot offers the same for less. z3r0d.com
ORCA ALPHA
Orca’s Alpha hasn’t changed since 2015 – and with good reason, because it offers one of the most unrestricted swims on the market. Although Zoot have since trumped the Alpha’s 0.88mm arms with 0.5mm on their new Wikiwiki, the difference is negligible and the sleeves feel barely there at all. Neoprene this thin can sometimes lead to removal issues, but the Alpha just requires a little extra tug on the arms compared to the usual 1.5mm sleeves. Weaker swimmers or those who tire in a long-course swim might favour Orca’s Predator for its extra buoyancy, but for those with a swim background the Alpha is one of the best. orca.com
2XU PROPEL
The Propel was the wetsuit of choice for Ironman world champion Jan Frodeno in 2016, and after several long swims we can see why. It’s incredibly light, and after 4km of racepace swimming we still felt fresh. With Nano SCS coating and 39 Cell panels, the buoyancy is adequate considering the neoprene is so thin. We didn’t get on with the annoying catch panels on 2XU’s Ignition suit last year, but the ‘Concave Water Entrapment Zones’ on the Propel are infinitely better, providing no restriction for a stronger pull. The Propel is aimed at longcourse triathletes, but superior flexibility makes it a winner for all distances. 2xu.com/uk
MAKO TORRENT
The Torrent is new from Mako, born of years of research to create an unrestricted suit with carefully balanced buoyancy ratios. There’s a reverse zipper and it’s aimed at strong swimmers, with supple 1.5mm Yamamoto 40 neoprene in the arms, neck and shoulders with a stretchy inner lining to aid freedom of movement. We enjoyed swimming in this suit, although it doesn’t feel quite as barely-there as 2XU or Orca’s offerings. To help preserve all that delicate neoprene, Mako add ‘safety tapes’ to the arm and leg seams, and during our removal test the high-cut ankle openings and stretchy sleeves meant there was no chance of a tear. mako-sport.fr
ZONE3 VICTORY D
The loud and proud Victory D is top of Zone3’s range, remaining unchanged for 2017. It’s aimed at longcourse tri, with Zone3 spotting that suits being used for longer races were too thin. To combat this, they built the Victory D with a titanium coating for warmth, plus high flexibility and thick buoyancy panels. It’s not as if the Victory D is only suitable for longer races, because it’s so flexible you can still sprint without restriction. 5mm chest buoyancy is high but not excessive, which gave us a good body position in the water. We found the fit was on the tighter side, so try before you buy if the Victory D appeals. racezone3.com