What is the best triathlon wetsuit for me ?

by Ana Maria Seligmann
(Bogota, Colombia )

Hi,

I will be doing my first triathlon at the Miamiman the 13 of November and I need a wet suit. I am in Colombia and I need to order it as soon as possible but I need your help to choose the correct one.

Best regards,

Ana

Intelligent Triathlon Training replies:

Thanks for the question Ana. It is a common question regarding triathlon gear, as there are so many options available and so much advice available that it can all become a bit confusing.

To summarise, the key things you are looking for in a triathlon wetsuit are:

• Fit: A triathlon wetsuit should be snug around the body, legs and arms, but still allow you to move your shoulders (so you can swim) and breath.


• Cost: Don't break the bank to get a top of the range wetsuit. The most important thing is getting one that fits. At the end of the day that will be a more significant performance advantage than any gimmicks.


• Brand: I would usually recommend going for one of the main wetsuit brands (Speedo, 2XU, Blue Seventy, Zoot, or Orca). These brands have generally all carried out a fair bit of research and developed triathlon-specific wetsuits. Do remember that the brand should not beat the expense of fit. Different brands will produce suits that may appear similar but fit different body shapes differently, so it really is a case of trying them on until you find one that suits.

Some shops have endless pools in which you can try a suit before you buy, which is a really good idea if you don't know which suit you like.

Arm and leg length can be trimmed by simply cutting a suit down if you find the arms or legs are a little long, or that you have too much buoyancy in the feet.

Reducing the length by chopping it off at mid calf level will lower your feet in the water a little.

Our page on wetsuits may help answer your question and give you guidance of what to look for when going to buy one. Remember that some shops also let you hire wetsuits, so that might be an option to look for if you don’t want to take the plunge and buy one straight away.

You can also read some of the triathlon wetsuit reviews on that page which other visitors have provided, specifically those who describe their level of experience and size/gender (hopefully there will be some who you can relate to).

Hope that helps and good luck for the race! And please return and review your wetsuit on the site if you get one!

Mark

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