What are the advantages of a two-piece wetsuit?
Thinking about investing in a two-piece tri wetsuit? John Wood explains their advantages
The greatest benefit of a two-piece wetsuit is that you can squeeze into something that’s more likely to fit you all over. We as humans and athletes are all different shapes and sizes – some have larger legs, some have bigger chests, some have wider shoulders but not always at the same time.
As a result, a standard small, medium or large (with occasional tall options along the way) do not necessarily fit well in all the right places. By having a different top and bottom size, you can make sure that the suit fits all around, is more comfortable and less likely to cause restriction or discomfort.
The second benefit of a split wetsuit is that it’s less likely to pull on the shoulders. By not being secured below the waist in the same way as a conventional wetsuit might be, your arms and shoulders will have far more freedom to reach forward. If you’re someone with a longer body in proportion to the rest of you, this’ll have a bigger effect.
Because of the overlap with the top over the bottom, there’ll be more neoprene around the waist area. This gives you added buoyancy, which will help make your stroke easier as your hips will be higher. That’s always something worth thinking about!
Finally, slipping into a two-piece suit might be easier than a standard suit, especially if you have any mobility issues. No more struggling to pull a suit up from around your knees and expecting to get it up over your shoulders!
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220 Triathlon Team
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