Get the right wetsuit and you\u2019ll be warmer, faster and more comfortable throughout your swim training and racing. Get it wrong, however, and you\u2019re setting yourself up for chilly water ingress, sinky legs, an achy back and shoulders, and a frustrating experience all round.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But with the market exploding with the rise of popularity in open-water swimming, how do you choose the triathlon wetsuit that\u2019s best for you?<\/p>\n <\/p><\/div> <\/section> First up, we would narrow down the choice by looking at triathlon wetsuits and not those designed for open-water swimming. The same thing? Well, not exactly. Open-water suits tend to have warmth at the core of their design more than speed and flexibility and if you want that racing edge, then a triathlon wetsuit is the way to go.<\/p>\n In a triathlon wetsuit you will usually find superior neoprene quality (such as the Yamamoto 44+ neoprene used in the Orca Apex Flex<\/a><\/strong>, pictured above), which gives enhanced fit and flexibility.\u00a0<\/p>\n The cuffs and ankles will be more flexible and aquaphobic for a speedy transition and the zip may have a slightly-different design (eg top down closure) to make removal easier \u2013 and to stop cheeky competitors pulling on it mid-race!<\/p>\n One note on thermal wetsuits, too \u2013 while these are great if considering a colder race (such as Norseman) or swimming through the winter, they\u2019re usually a touch too warm for racing in the summer and that extra warmth often comes to the detriment of flexibility.<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve whittled the choice down to wetsuits suitable for triathlon swimming \u2013 and decided what your budget will be \u2013 the next thing to do is to think about what kind of swimmer you are.\u00a0<\/p>\n Just as all swimmers are not the same, not all wetsuits are the same either. While this may seem overwhelming, it\u2019s actually a good thing that there is so much choice in the market.<\/p>\n It means that there will be a wetsuit out there that will improve your body position in the water, make you more streamlined, fit like a glove and correct any problems in your technique (to a certain extent anyway!).<\/p>\n For example, Orca\u2019s new top-end wetsuits cater for both strong swimmers with technical imperfections (see the Orca Apex Flow<\/a><\/strong>) and strong swimmers with near perfect technique and body position (see the Orca Apex Flex<\/a><\/strong>).<\/p>\n If you\u2019re not sure what is right for you, start with body position. When you lie in the water without a wetsuit on, do you tend to float well? Do your legs stay near the surface, or do they sink?<\/p>\n This will determine how much buoyancy you need in the legs. Our legs create drag when we swim with them sinking behind us, so this could be the single most important thing you do to make you quicker on race day.<\/p>\n Sinkier-legged swimmers should look for a wetsuit with 5mm panels in the thighs to help lift them up, whereas those who already have buoyant legs (generally women) may find this unnecessary and can even find that the lift in the legs pinches their lower backs.<\/p>\nTriathlon-specific technology<\/b><\/h2>\n
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<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>What kind of swimmer are you?<\/b><\/h2>\n
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<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Body position<\/b><\/h2>\n
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