wetsuits
 

I'm looking at getting a wetsuit soon. What are some things to look out for? I'm guessing full length legs is good for boyancy, and no sleeves would be good for arm movement...
What about thickness? Do wetsuits come in different thicknesses (if thats even a word)?
cheers
bart

If I lived in New Zealand I'm sure I could help you. After watching Lord of the Rings I wish I did live there. I'm checking out wetsuits and heard the T-1 two piece suits by De Soto are amazing ... but not cheap.

mmm. price is a big issue for me though...cheap is good.

Most new wetsuit now have variable thinckness. Thinner where there is movement (i.e. shoulders). If you need the extra warmth go for a full. Sleeveless seem to offer the widest range. I did purchase a top to go under my sleeveless for a few cold swims. It is a lot cheaper then having 2 suits.

Here's the scoop on wetsuits...

Full suits (i.e. Ironman Instinct) are supposed to be the best way to go because they let in the least amount of water. I use the farmer-john version of this because the suit fits me well enough that I don't think I get a lot of water through the shoulder openings. Of course, this suit will be a bit colder than the full but I generally do tris in the summer in California so the water is between 66-72F. The Desoto two piece metioned above is supposedly easier to remove but I'm not sure I would pay a lot of attention to this . All of my friends are half out of their suits (the top half) by the time they've taken 3 steps. Getting the bottom off requires a bit of practice but the new suits are pretty easy.

All that said, you need to find the one that fits you best. The IM suits seems to be a bit better for bigger guys (broader shoulders and or bigger guts) :) I think the QR's are for the skinny guys. Most on-line companies such as www.trisports.com are pretty helpful if you can't find a shop that carries a wide range. I doubt they ship to Wellington though.

Good luck.

Hey look local - Orca make a great range. You can hire a predator suit from them for an event and they will mark it off the price if you decide to buy it. I think full suits the way to ge here in NZ, also teh arms give you better bouyancy up front = more speed, just look how many of the top tri athletes wear anything else.