Triathlon - Tired of being the only 1 without a wetsuit

I just completed my 2nd sprint distance tri and I can't wait to get out and do my 3rd, 4th and then some. I noticed this past weekend that I was 1 of maybe 10 people that was not wearing a wetsuit. I had not purchased one yet because I wasn't sure if I was really going to continue competing, but I think I am going to stick with it. So my question is this, I have never worn a wetsuit of any kind and have no idea how to size one out, I haven't seen any bike shops in my area that carry wetsuits, and I don't know if a surf shop will carry a tri-suit. So I guess that means buying online, which I'm fine with, just wanted some input on how to size it out and where to find a good deal, not looking to spend a crazy amount of money.

Thanks

You can always call one of the larger internet retailers and ask their advice...

www.nytro.com
www.sbr.com
www.all3sports.com
www.trisports.com

They should all be able to help you.

If you let us know where you're located, there might be someone in your area who can suggest where to go...

I got mine from wetsuit.com They were very helpful on the phone to ensure I got the right size. I had to take some measurements to make sure.

More and more shops are carrying wetsuits now. Do some web searches as the phone books may not even list them yet.

Sorry forgot that part, I'm in NJ close to Manhattan though in case there are places in the city that people know of.

I'm in Bergen county myself. Would highly recommend SBR just by central park on Manhattan.

www.sbrshop.com

They do have en endless pool so you can test swim the suit before buying. Highly recommended!

If you're close to Ridgewood, visit Rdgewood cycle (www.ridgewoodcycle.com) and ask for John. They are very good too...

Out of curiosity, what does a wet suit do for you besides protect from the cold? Any aid to swimming? I'm doing my first tri in July and am just planning on wearing tri shorts.

Out of curiosity, what does a wet suit do for you besides protect from the cold? Any aid to swimming? I'm doing my first tri in July and am just planning on wearing tri shorts.Wet suits give you more buoyancy which will allow you to swim faster.

Wet suits give you more buoyancy which will allow you to swim faster.

Full suits more so than the shorty type.

Tip: Don't put your timing chip over your wetsuit leg, it could cause you to waste 2 whole minutes trying to get out of your wetsuit.
Of course, i only heard that happened to umm someone else - really;)

Wet suits are another item of expense that favors those with means over those without. Not as much aid as an expensive bike, but a substantial aid nonetheless that is not needed in our sport other than in very cold water.

IMHO

Tyson

Wet suits are another item of expense that favors those with means over those without.

What are the major differences between a $150 suit & a $400 suit?

What are the major differences between a $150 suit & a $400 suit?

It used to be variable density material. I.e. thinner in the shoulder for better movement. Also, how it was glued or heat treated to seal the seems. Now there is much more competition and a lot of the difference is the name.

H2O velocity is a new company out of Australia that has been having good introductory prices. Over 50% off I know 5-6 people who just got them from here. http://www.h2ovelocity.com/

i had ProMotion make me a custom suit. ~$250, IIRC. fits like a glove. been great for 20+ races.

"back in the day" (mid-to-late 80's) it was a badge of honor to be the one NOT wearing the wetsuit, rather than the reverse. The strong swimmers didn't wear them, and those that did were somewhat scorned for needing what some considered an artificial advantage. It was (and is) certainly true that wetsuits advantage weaker swimmers with poor form more than they do swimmers with good form. If you're trying to win, wear the suit. Otherwise bask in the glory of your individuality!

Now before everyone flames me, let me say that I've done it both ways, and ultimately converted to wearing a suit for any long swim -- mainly because I didn't want to give up the time. But there was still something to be said for the good old days when things were more simple, not to say cheaper.

Hi Zakk - I've been looking at possibly getting a promotion wetsuit because of their large number of sizes. How did you get a custom size from them - did you just call up and ask? Thanks!

I finally made it into the city to SBRShop and they were very informative & helpful. I just wanted to get some more opinions on the type of suit. I only tried on the ironman instinct. I tried on the full suit not the long john, which brings me to my question, what is the major difference between the 2, advantages/disadvantages. Like I said I am just getting into Tri's and plan on continuing with this which is why I want a suit to begin with. Is it worth saving the $100 by getting the long john instead of the full suit?

Depends on where you live. I usually use a sleevless. Last race was 67F and after the initial shock it was plenty. It would have been a shock with a full too; but, my arms were fine during the swim. I overheat quickly anyway.

You can get a long sleeve top at wetsuit.com for the occasional time you need it. It is a lot less then 2 suits.

Is there any advantage or disadvantage when it comes to sleeves? My legs sink too much and my kick sucks, so the full leg suits definitely help me swim faster. But can you swim faster with covered arms or is it just for warmth?

Is there any advantage or disadvantage when it comes to sleeves? My legs sink too much and my kick sucks, so the full leg suits definitely help me swim faster. But can you swim faster with covered arms or is it just for warmth?

the arms do help with more than cold. i was surpised at the difference between a long john and a full wetsuit as i passed a girl during a race who swims circles around me in the pool

as for the question about $150 vs $400 wetsuit -how long it takes you to get the damn thing off in transition. i put on a cheap wetsuit and almost had to ask the clerk to HELP me get if off in the store. that would have been embarassing since i was in bra/underwear.

Like I said, I'm now deciding between a full suit and a long john. I tried on the full Ironman Instinct. I am having trouble deciding between the full suit & sleeveless. I understand that the full suit will give me added boyancy and save me time & energy, but I guess the question is, will it save me that much time, that I won't waste trying to get the suit off? Also, I just saw for the first time the Ironman Fusion suit, doess anyone have any input on this suit as it appears to be the best of both worlds...but obviously I could be wrong about that.

If this helps. I can get out of my long john fast ( just got it this week and have tried a few times in my house). My lbs advised I take the longjohn over the fullsuit on the fact that I would likely find the arm movement better, whereas the main benefit of the fullsuit was warmth, not soo much buoyancy. I haven't seen the fusion suit though. Good luck in your search.

By the way, my longjohn is the lower model QR, I think the UltraJohn, that they made from 2001-2004. It originally was something like a retail of 190-200 and I got it for nearly half that because of a confusion at the bike store about how the backroom guy had marked stuff, I looked online and I got it a lot cheaper than I think I should have(brand new!). I was informed the main difference between expensive and inexpensive suits are the use of varying thicknesses of neoprene for more comfortable fit, however, the main place to be comfortable in a wetsuit is in the shoulder and arms, so if you go longjohn no need to worry about that as much. I guess, my advice would be to go for a longjohn mainly:
1. You are fairly new to the sport and thats a good reason to keep cost down
2. Since it is your first wetsuit aything will feel better than swimming without
3. Wetsuits have a fairly good return rate on ebay, especially if you are a common size. Leavin open the option to upgrade later

But this is just my opinion

A few things I have noticed.

More money in some cases buy you a better suit. I am faster in a longsleeve, as opposed to a no sleve. Reason being, even though there is a very small difference in mobility, you are slipperier in the water, and in my case, stikier in the water were you want it(inside of forarms, get a more efficient pull).
Also, you can get out of it faster I find in my new suit(Orca Preadator 2) vs. my old one(QR no sleeve speedsuit(older)).

One thing for sure, is make sure you learn how to put it on properly, you should be able to hold your arm at a 90 degree angle to your side and have the suit contour properly to your armpit, and you should have no movement problems in your legs.
In my suit, my legs are about 1/4 way up my shins, and my arms are 1/4 way up my forarms. This gets as much of the suit into your torso as possible, limiting the flexibility problems most people face.

On your legs, in an Orca, or Nineteen suit(may be other brands too) there is a verticle seam half way(approx) down your leg, this should me over your knee cap or slightly higher.

Like I said, I'm now deciding between a full suit and a long john. I tried on the full Ironman Instinct. I am having trouble deciding between the full suit & sleeveless. I understand that the full suit will give me added boyancy and save me time & energy, but I guess the question is, will it save me that much time, that I won't waste trying to get the suit off? Also, I just saw for the first time the Ironman Fusion suit, doess anyone have any input on this suit as it appears to be the best of both worlds...but obviously I could be wrong about that.

The arms always come off easily. Its the legs that are the problem.

Trick: Unzip as you exit the water and pull part of the top down. On your way out, briefly crouch and fill the top of the suit with water. As you run towards transition the water will fill around your legs and loosen the suit. After that the wetsuit pretty much comes off by itself.