How to choose a triathlon wetsuit

Your wetsuit may look like a relatively simple item of kit, but we would argue it’s one of the most important purchases you can make before venturing out on your triathlon journey.

Get the right wetsuit and you’ll be warmer, faster and more comfortable throughout your swim training and racing.

Get it wrong, however, and you’re setting yourself up for chilly water ingress, sinky legs, an achy back and shoulders, and a frustrating experience all round.

So how do you make the right choice?

How will your wetsuit be used?

First up, we would narrow down the choice by looking at triathlon wetsuits and not those designed for open-water swimming. The same thing? Well, not exactly.

Open-water suits tend to have warmth at the core of their design more than speed and flexibility, and if you want that racing edge, then a triathlon wetsuit is the way to go.

Surf wetsuits are okay for dipping, watersports and warmth, too, but they’re very difficult to swim in as they lack the swim-specific flexibility you need.

The model we choose will depend on the purpose of our wetsuit. Whether we’re using the wetsuit for training, competing in short distances, or competing in medium or long-distance races, this can affect our needs.

So, it’s a good idea to first ask ourselves what we’ll primarily use it for. Are you a casual athlete completing in short distances? Or a more committed athlete looking for marginal gains over longer distances?

In a triathlon wetsuit you’ll usually find superior neoprene quality (such as the Yamamoto 44 neoprene used in the Orca Apex Flex), which gives enhanced fit and flexibility.

The cuffs and ankles will be more flexible and aquaphobic for a speedy transition and the zip may have a slightly-different design (e.g. top down closure) to make removal easier – and to stop cheeky competitors pulling on it mid-race!

One note on thermal wetsuits, too – while these are great if considering a colder race (such as Norseman) or swimming through the winter, they’re usually a touch too warm for racing in the summer, and that extra warmth often comes to the detriment of flexibility.

What kind of swim technique do you have?

Once you’ve whittled the choice down to wetsuits suitable for triathlon swimming – and decided what your budget will be – the next thing to do is to think about what kind of swimmer you are.

Just as all swimmers are not the same, not all wetsuits are the same either. While this may seem overwhelming, it’s actually a good thing that there is so much choice in the market.

It means that there will be a wetsuit out there that will improve your body position in the water, make you more streamlined, fit like a glove and correct any problems in your technique (to a certain extent anyway!).

For example, Orca’s new top-end wetsuits cater for both strong swimmers with technical imperfections (see the Orca Apex Flow) and strong swimmers with near perfect technique and body position (see the Orca Apex Flex).

If you’re not sure what is right for you, start with body position. When you lie in the water without a wetsuit on, do you tend to float well? Do your legs stay near the surface, or do they sink?

This will determine how much buoyancy you need in the legs. Our legs create drag when we swim with them sinking behind us, so this could be the single most important thing you do to make you quicker on race day.

Sinkier-legged swimmers should look for a wetsuit with 5mm panels in the thighs to help lift them up, whereas those who already have buoyant legs (generally women) may find this unnecessary and can even find that the lift in the legs pinches their lower backs.

The Orca Athlex Float is a fine example of a wetsuit that provides good lift in the legs without being too aggressive, thanks to its 4.5mm neoprene leg panels.

We rotate as we swim, too, so if you have a weaker core (you’ll spot this if you tend to weave or ‘snake’ through the water) then you may find a wetsuit with thicker, more buoyant and stabilising panels in the core will help you swim faster.

All swimmers will appreciate a flexible wetsuit – after all, nobody wants to struggle when getting ready to swim – but top-end and competent swimmers may prefer the barely-there feeling you get from a much thinner wetsuit.

In this case, look for thinner and more flexible grades of neoprene and technologies, which support more of a natural-feeling swim. Some brands have pioneered tissue-thin yet resilient sleeves, such as Orca’s 0.88 Free Technology, which creates extremely thin sleeves with excellent feel for the water.

Experienced swimmers will also want to retain their natural body position in the water, so may prefer a suit that combines just enough thickness of neoprene for warmth, but without much additional buoyancy and full freedom of movement.

What is your budget for a wetsuit?

After we have determined the use of the wetsuit and considered our level of technique, we have to decide how much we will invest.

Each model (Flex, Flow, and Float) has an intermediate Athlex range, providing high-quality materials and specific patterns tailored to swimmers’ needs, and a top-end Apex range, with cutting-edge technology and materials to maximise hydrodynamics and performance.

With these three points identified, we can refer to the following table to find the wetsuit that suits us best:

What size wetsuit do you need?

Once you know what kind of wetsuit to go for, then getting the correct fit is essential.

Check the sizing charts carefully (all brands differ) and if at all possible, try before you buy – or seek advice from the manufacturer first.

Your wetsuit should fit like a second skin and even feel slightly tight on dry land, as all wetsuits will give a little bit in the water.

What you don’t want is a wetsuit that’s too roomy and allows water to flush through (you’ll get cold!) or one which is too short in the body or too tight on the arms/shoulders and thus impedes your stroke.

First, measure your chest accurately, following the example on the Orca website, while also measuring your weight and height.

With these three measurements, we can consult the “Find your size” section of the website (located on each wetsuit description page) and enter your measurements.

The application will determine the percentage that fits us, one size or another.

Find out more about Orca’s triathlon wetsuit range

The Flex range

The Athlex Flex wetsuit (an evolution of the Orca Equip) offers a combination of high elasticity and medium buoyancy for swimmers who can maintain a good position in the water with less buoyancy support.

The low thickness of the upper trunk and medium thickness of the legs results in a wetsuit that provides maximum freedom.

The Apex Flex wetsuit (an evolution of the Orca Alpha) is the most flexible of the entire range.

It’s designed for the most technical swimmers who benefit from great flexibility and don’t need extra buoyancy.

Its short reverse zip construction allows for a more elastic fit. This feature, combined with the most flexible materials on the market, such as Yamamoto 44+ and 0.88 Free technologies in the upper torso, and the best hydrodynamic properties, make it the fastest neoprene for established swimmers.

The Flow range

The Athlex Flow wetsuit (an evolution of the Orca Sonar) perfectly balances elasticity and buoyancy.

The upper torso incorporates high-stretch materials, while the legs feature buoyancy technologies that allow the swimmer to correct their position in the water, achieving a more hydrodynamic posture.

Orca’s Apex Flow (an evolution of the Predator) is the most advanced wetsuit in the range, thanks to its premiere flexibility and buoyancy.

Its design accommodates the most demanding triathletes, featuring cutting-edge materials and technologies, such as Yamamoto 44+ and 0.88 Free in the shoulder area and Exo-Lift and Aerodome in the lower torso.

Its unique construction maximises leg lift, helping to correct posture and place the body in the most hydrodynamic position.

The Float range

The Athlex Float wetsuit provides high buoyancy while maintaining good stretch, providing a balanced approach for swimmers who need buoyancy to correct their posture in the water.

The 4.5mm thickness of the low upper trunk and high leg areas allows swimmers to tackle triathlons with confidence.

The Apex Float wetsuit is the most buoyant in the Orca range. It incorporates specific technologies for maximum buoyancy and technique correction, helping swimmers who need support to maintain a hydrodynamic posture in open water.

The wetsuit also integrates high-stretch materials in the upper trunk, such as Yamamoto 40 and the High Elbow Panel, favouring an unrestricted stroke.

Visit the Orca website to discover the brand’s new range of triathlon wetsuits, with options suited to all types of triathlete.