ORCA OPENWATER RS1 THERMAL

£349 You’ll notice from the photos that the neckline sits a bit higher on the Orca. That’s thank to an inner ‘batwing’ layer of neoprene inside the suit that sits across the back and pulls over your head to add extra protection against trickles through the zip and provide a snug fit to stop water ingress down the neck. For us, this was a touch of genius as it did make a difference to warmth in the water and, as the neck area is very sensitive to the cold, we welcomed the protection. Overall this suit became a fast favourite in testing, too. Warmth is provided by a soft-touch ‘X-thermal’ lining which, though warm, didn’t feel restrictive and was easy to pull on. Orca use 5mm in the torso to help, too, though more flexible Yamamoto 40 neoprene is used in the arms of the suit, which made for a more natural-feeling swim experience. orca.com