2019-06-01_220_Triathlon

June 2019 / / 61

How we tested

We were lucky to test these suits in

Cromhall Diving Centre and April’s

warm-ish (18°C) sea waters near the

Best Swim Centre in Mallorca. The

latter gave us the opportunity to test

them in UK summer seawater temps,

dealing with waves and currents to

judge their race-day form (and water

ingress). Each was tested for comfort,

performance, buoyancy, durability,

hydrodynamics, zipper, removal speed,

budget and the visual design.

THESECRETSTUDIO

NET

KIT ZONE

T

hewetsuitis oneoftriathlon’sbig

ticketitemsandoneofthemost

crucialmultisportbuysyou’llever

make.Whilethey’veexperienced

a hostoftechnicalinnovationssincethe

mid-1980s,theaimofa triwetsuitremains

thesame:togetyouthroughtheopen-water

swim both swiftly and comfortably.

It’s often said a tri is won on the run, and

it’s true that you’ll only spend about 10-20%

of your race in a wetsuit. But the race can

certainly be lost on the swim. An ill-fitting,

badly-chosen suit will leave you sinking in

the water with a sore neck, whereas your

optimum suit will be the finishing touch to

all those hours of pool training and will

make you feel unbeatable come race day.

When it comes to buying your tri wetsuit,

our mantra has always been ‘try before you

buy’, as the sizes can vary hugely. Find a tri

expo or retailer to try the suits, especially if

this is your first tri wetsuit purchase. If not,

ensure the online seller has a decent

returns policy and study the size guide.

Also be aware of your own swim ability

when picking. Make note that many mid-

end features of the £250-£500 suits here –

slender neoprene and a possible reduction in

buoyancy – are lost on, or even detrimental

to, beginner swimmers. Those with sinking

legs should look for increased neoprene

thickness with enhanced buoyancy. And

think about what races you’ll be entering

and whether you suffer from the cold.

Features editor Matt Baird is your men’s

guide, while age-grouper Janine Doggett

takes on the women’s suits. Both will give a

close examination to buoyancy for sinking

bodies,comfortandfit,plusaddedtech.

We’ll be testing budget wetsuits in issue

JARGON 366 of 220, out on 13 June.

BUSTER

BREAKAWAYZIPPER

A zip that splits apart

fully rather than having

to be undone, in order

to allow for faster

wetsuit removal.

HYDRODYNAMICS

The aquatic equivalent

of aerodynamic and

something you’ll want

in a mid-level suit.

YA M A M OTO

The Japanese brand

who supply much of

the neoprene for the

wetsuits, with their SCS

(Super Composite Skin)

coating also applied.

speed cuffs

Some suits have cuffs

on the legs and wrists

for quicker removal.

thickness

Thethicknessof

thesuitshere

variesfrom1mm

onthearmsto

the max 5mm on

the legs.

MID-END WETSUITS

Pay a little more for a wetsuit and you’ll see some some top-end tech and the odd

compromise. So which is the £250-500 winner? We test 12 to find out

BUYER’S GUIDE

pa n e l s
Wetsuits are built
with various panels
to aid upper-body
flexibility and
buoyancy.