How to pick the right wetsuit
Picking the right wetsuit for your training and racing can have a huge impact on your next open water swim race, no matter the distance. If the wetsuit is too tight, your movement in the water can be constricted and you will exert more effort and likely move more slowly than if it fit properly. Or if the wetsuit is too loose, it will act more like a drag suit which will slow you down tremendously. Here are my four tips for picking the best wetsuit to make sure your next race goes as well as it can.
Try on your wetsuit before you buy it. There are quite a few direct-to-consumer wetsuit companies out there that offer steep discounts and/or holiday pricing that can be difficult to say no to. However, as a coach who regularly coaches our weekly Open Water Swim workouts, I have seen many athletes who have purchased poorly fitting wetsuits off the internet and then are frustrated when it fits poorly in the water. Trying on your wetsuit before you buy it helps you to make sure that it fits properly. Our sales associates and coaches at Playtri Dallas have extensive experience in helping athletes pick the correct wetsuit.
Full-sleeve or sleeveless or both? Full-sleeved suits are more buoyant, warmer, and generally faster than sleeveless wetsuits. While sleeveless wetsuits are easier to get out of and offer more area movement. This can be beneficial especially if you have a history of shoulder injuries. As a coach, if you are purchasing only one wetsuit, I encourage you to purchase a full-sleeve one because it can be used through a wider range of water temperatures. However, if you can purchase both, this is a good option if you regularly are training and racing in cold and warm bodies of water.
Thickness and Material. More often than not, the price of the wetsuit will determine the type of neoprene used and its thickness. Neoprene thickness usually falls within the range of 1 mm to 5 mm with 5 mm being the maximum thickness allowed in USAT certified races. Higher end wetsuits tend to have thinner portions of material around the shoulders and arms for increased range of motion and speed and thicker neoprene in the torso and legs for increased buoyancy, while lower end wetsuits may have the same thickness of neoprene throughout the entire wetsuit. This goes back to tip #1. You can’t be too sure of how comfortable different thickness and material is until you try it on. NOTE: thinner material in the shoulders and arms is also more susceptible to tears. Make sure you are careful putting on and taking off your wetsuit.
Give yourself a wedgy. This isn’t so much about purchasing your wetsuit, but it is about how it should feel when you pull it up. If you do not pull your wetsuit up far enough, you will have less space to work with around your shoulders. When you put on your wetsuit, you should pull it up far enough that you have a wedgy, thus giving yourself more material to work with in the chest and shoulders.
Ultimately your wetsuit should fit like a second skin. Not too loose, not too tight and it should allow for a full range of motion in your shoulders. When you are shopping for the wetsuit that is going to help you nail the swim portion of your next race, make sure that it fits properly by trying it on (and give yourself a wedgy) before you purchase it.
To see the wetsuits we carry at Playtri click here. And if you have any questions about anything in this article or are interested in learning about different coaching options, please reach out to me at jim.rowe@playtri.com. Happy training and racing this year!
Jim Rowe is a Playtri Level 4 Coach and Coach Education Lead, a USAT LI Certified Coach, an NASM Certified Personal Trainer, and an Ironman and 70.3 World Championship Qualifier who works with adult athletes of all abilities from beginners to IRONMAN World Championship qualifiers. Learn more about Jim at www.playtri.com/jim-rowe