Wondering how a tri wetsuit differs to a surf wetsuit, and whether you can race a triathlon with a wetsuit made for surfing? Janine Doggett explains all… <\/p>
It\u2019s all neoprene, right? Well, yes \u2013 mostly. But while, in many cases, you can dig out your trusty surf wetsuit without a DSQ by your name, the triathlon version has evolved to be perfectly suited to the challenge. Let\u2019s explore further\u2026\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n While wetsuits<\/strong><\/a> are mandatory under British Triathlon Federation race rules below a water temperature of 14-16\u00b0C (depending on swim length) and below 18\u00b0C for paratriathlon, they can\u2019t exceed 5mm in thickness.<\/p>\n By this standard, most surfing wetsuits should make it to T1 without a raised eyebrow, but some will get you a DSQ: leading surf brands sell 5-6mm suits for cold water.<\/p>\n <\/p><\/div> <\/section> Thing is, for surfers and triathletes alike, it\u2019s cold out there in the sea\u2026 but it\u2019s what you do with it \u2013 or in it \u2013 that counts. While surfers need a wetsuit with built-in flexibility to swim (just like us triathletes), they also spend a lot of time bobbing about, waiting for that stellar wave.<\/p>\n So, surfing wetsuits are usually thicker than triathlon wetsuits on average \u2013 when you take into consideration torso, back, shoulders, arms and legs.<\/p>\n While neither a surf or tri wetsuit usually exceeds 5mm at any point (or panel) in thickness, a comparative suit could comprise a neoprene build of 5,4,3mm (surf) and 5,3,2mm (tri) \u2013 with the thickest sections focusing on keeping the core warm in both cases.<\/p>\n In other words, we all need our torsos to be toasty \u2013 but surfers need to be toastier than us sweaty racers.<\/p>\n <\/p><\/div> <\/section> Of course, the higher the thickness of your suit, the more buoyant it\u2019ll be, too. While some triathletes feel safer with, or simply enjoy the \u2018ooh, it\u2019s so floaty\u2019 feel, it\u2019s best to experiment.<\/p>\n Tri wetsuits around 3mm can provide a more neutral feel, which can aid propulsion \u2013 and triathletes need more hydrodynamics than their swell-seeking counterparts.<\/p>\n <\/p><\/div> <\/section> Yes, because it\u2019s the forward-focused engineering that truly sets the triathlon wetsuit apart; they\u2019re comprised of more panels than surfing suits for optimum speed through the water.<\/p>\n The panel construction of triathlon wetsuits targets flexibility (thinner material in the shoulders for an unfettered stroke), buoyancy (thicker neoprene in the hip area to enable a higher, or even \u2018downhill\u2019, position in the water) and even water-grabbing catch panels on the forearms.<\/p>\n But that\u2019s not all. The finish of a triathlon wetsuit will aid you from starting horn to T1, thanks to the Super Composite Skin (SCS) coating: a fast-drying, smooth outer layer to facilitate gliding through the water and an easy-off transition.<\/p>\n <\/p><\/div> <\/section> Yes, you can legally race in a surf wetsuit as long as it\u2019s 5mm in thickness or under, but you might get a bit hot or lose energy with each stroke compared to the race-focused triathlon wetsuit.<\/p>\n There\u2019s no real harm in taking to the water for your first race or three, though, if you\u2019ve already got a BTF-legal surf suit. Getting a triathlon wetsuit, though, means more comfort, a true performance comparison to your peers and \u2013 importantly \u2013 a mental boost as you feel primed for the podium in your oh-so-shiny number.<\/p>\n <\/p><\/div> <\/section> Top image credit:<\/strong> John Seaton Callahan\/Getty Images<\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n Wondering how a tri wetsuit differs to a surf wetsuit, and whether you can race a triathlon with a wetsuit made for surfing? Janine Doggett explains all… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":24057,"template":"","categories":[1],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"3"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2023\/07\/whats-the-difference-between-a-triathlon-wetsuit-and-a-surf-wetsuit.jpg",600,440,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2023\/07\/whats-the-difference-between-a-triathlon-wetsuit-and-a-surf-wetsuit-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2023\/07\/whats-the-difference-between-a-triathlon-wetsuit-and-a-surf-wetsuit-300x220.jpg",300,220,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2023\/07\/whats-the-difference-between-a-triathlon-wetsuit-and-a-surf-wetsuit.jpg",600,440,false],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2023\/07\/whats-the-difference-between-a-triathlon-wetsuit-and-a-surf-wetsuit.jpg",600,440,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2023\/07\/whats-the-difference-between-a-triathlon-wetsuit-and-a-surf-wetsuit.jpg",600,440,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2023\/07\/whats-the-difference-between-a-triathlon-wetsuit-and-a-surf-wetsuit.jpg",600,440,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/220triathlon\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Wondering how a tri wetsuit differs to a surf wetsuit, and whether you can race a triathlon with a wetsuit made for surfing? Janine Doggett explains all...","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/220triathlon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/24056"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/220triathlon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/220triathlon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/220triathlon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/220triathlon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24057"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/220triathlon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24056"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/220triathlon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24056"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}What are British Triathlon\u2019s rules about wetsuits?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Is a surf wetsuit too warm for triathlon racing?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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How important is buoyancy for triathlon swimming?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Is a triathlon wetsuit better for propulsion?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Can you race triathlon in a surf wetsuit?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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