What is the best triathlon wetsuit for 2024?
Awarded Best Triathlon Wetsuit of 2024 by Triathlete. Vision Wetsuit is a benchmark in performance and sustainability. Featuring B-Prene, a biodegradable Yamamoto neoprene, it delivers superior flexibility, buoyancy, and speed while significantly reducing environmental impact. The Bottom Line: A triathlon suit should fit like a second-skin; it shouldn’t be too loose or too tight and you should have a full range of motion in your shoulders. The three wetsuit qualities to pay attention to are buoyancy/flexibility, warmth, and hydrodynamics.Wetsuits are designed to help keep a swimmer warm. For age groupers, USA Triathlon requires wetsuits when the water temperature in an event is below 60. Fahrenheit. At most races, age-group athletes are permitted to wear wetsuits, up to 5 millimeters thick, in water up to 83 degrees.With good care before, during and after your swim, a triathlon wetsuit should last for a good few years without any notable drop in performance. However, they can also be delicate and wear easily if adequate care isn’t taken.The 2XU Light Speed Sleeved Trisuit is a very comfortable one-piece tri suit with plenty of technology to give triathletes an edge when training and racing.Under the wetsuit you would wear the tri suit or tri top & shorts. You may also need a neoprene skull cap, a pair of swim gloves and pair of booties in really cold conditions. Bike stage: Each event can specify a certain kind of bike but in most cases a road worthy mountain or road bike will be enough.
Should I get a full or sleeveless wetsuit for triathlon?
The number one reason for picking up a sleeveless suit is swimming in warmer climates and races. When air and water temperatures over longer distances rise, some athletes can overheat in a full suit. A sleeveless suit offers most of the buoyancy and speed of a full suit without the additional warmth. If your suit fits properly, that single thin layer of water becomes securely trapped, and because it’s trapped it will heat up. You’ll feel warm, lightweight, and happy when swimming. So a wetsuit should be a tight fit.Customers find the wetsuit fits well with accurate sizing and appreciate its effectiveness in keeping them warm in cold water. The suit receives positive feedback for its appearance, value for money, and functionality, with one customer noting it works well for snorkeling and freediving.It should fit like a second skin, tightly wrapped around your body. After all, a wetsuit only works when the fit is right. On the other hand, you don’t want it to be too restrictive or tight, and want to avoid excess material in areas like your armpits, lower back and behind your knees.However, because of the benefits of wearing a wetsuit including added buoyancy, warmth and more efficient swimming. If you have the choice, we’d always recommend wearing a wetsuit. Similar to a pool-based triathlon, you can either opt for swimwear underneath your wetsuit and get changed in transition.
What is the best thickness of wetsuit for a triathlon?
As long as it fits and you swam in it before. Cool Water (12-16°C): For moderately cold water, a wetsuit with a thickness of around 3-4mm is suitable. This balance offers sufficient warmth while still allowing for good flexibility. Warm Water (16-20°C): In warmer conditions, a thinner wetsuit (2-3mm) is ideal.Your body heats that water, and the neoprene helps retain the warmth. The thicker the neoprene, the warmer you will be, so thicker wetsuits are better suited for colder water.If you’re primarily in warmer waters, a 3mm suit should be sufficient, if you’re primarily in waters where temperatures hover around the mid-teens, a 4mm suit should be more than enough. But if you plan to tackle cold waters or winter waves, a 5mm wetsuit will keep you toasty and ready for anything.There are four key attributes to consider when selecting the right wetsuit: Warmth, Flexibility, Durability, and Fit.
Should you size up or down in triathlon wetsuits?
Suits that are too small will feel awful and wear you down. Ladies should always opt for their dress size, however once again if you are between sizes always go for the size up! Swim suits are notoriously tight fitting, so be prepared for that and calculate that into your choice if you are stuck between sizes. One of the main reasons to wear a wetsuit for open water swimming and triathlon is for additional warmth in the water. The clue might be in the name – but a wetsuit isn’t designed to keep you dry. It’s actually designed to keep you warmer by trapping a thin layer of water between the neoprene and your skin.An entry level suit will often provide greater warmth and buoyancy but reduced flexibility. Maximum wetsuit thickness for competitive triathlons is 5mm to help reduce the risk of overheating.This is a classic mistake that new triathletes make when they’re trying on a wetsuit for the first time. Yes, your suit should be snug – not quite to the point of choking you, but pretty close.High-end 3/2 wetsuits feature premium neoprene, advanced seam sealing, and thermal liners designed for lightweight warmth and max flexibility. They’re also more durable and comfortable over long sessions. Are high-end wetsuits worth the price? If you surf often or demand high performance, yes.Triathletes need a wetsuit that allows them to move their arms freely and efficiently without restricting their stroke. Triathlon race suits are designed with thinner neoprene around the shoulders (usually 1-1.
What is the easiest wetsuit to put on for beginners?
Back-zip. Back-zip wetsuits feature a long zip along the back of the wetsuit. They are the easiest and fastest wetsuits to get in and out of. However, the longer zipper tends to make the wetsuit less flexible and let more water into your suit. One of the most critical differences between triathlon race wetsuits and open water wetsuits lies in the flexibility of the shoulders. Triathletes need a wetsuit that allows them to move their arms freely and efficiently without restricting their stroke.Here’s how swimskins compare to wetsuits: Buoyancy: Unlike wetsuits, swimskins do not add buoyancy. Hydrodynamics: Swimskins create a hydrophobic surface, reducing drag and helping you swim faster. Regulations: Many IRONMAN and USA Triathlon races prohibit wetsuits when the water temperature exceeds 24°C.You can opt to wear your usual swimsuit, jammers or Speedos. Or you can wear a tri suit. Come race day, the most efficient option is to wear a tri suit under your wetsuit. This means you won’t have to waste any time changing kit between the swim and the bike.Full wetsuits are more buoyant than short suits, which can make diving and swimming easier. This extra buoyancy will also help keep your head above water after a wipeout when you’re surfing, skiing, or wakeboarding.
Is there a difference between a wetsuit and a triathlon wetsuit?
These garments called triathlon suits or ‘swim skins’ are thinner than wetsuits and are made of water-repellent fabrics. Triathlon suits are less popular than wetsuits as they guarantee glide but do not offer thermal protection and are used by the most demanding athletes for ‘fast’ races. For this, look for a suit and cold water swim gear with thermal lining and a neoprene thickness of at least 4-5mm. Just bear in mind that anything above 5mm is not permissible for triathlon racing.Unless there are changing facilities, for a sprint triathlon it’s best to wear a tri suit. You’ll also need goggles, a cycling helmet and cycling shoes/running shoes. If you race has an open water swim, you’ll also want to wear a wetsuit.At Decathlon, we stock a huge selection of open water swimming wetsuits for kids, men, and women in a range of designs.