What’s the difference between a triathlon wetsuit and a surf wetsuit?

What’s the difference between a surf wetsuit and a triathlon wetsuit? It’s all neoprene, right? Well, yes – mostly. But while, in many cases, you can dig out your trusty surf wetsuit to race without a DSQ by your name, the triathlon version has evolved to be perfectly suited to the challenge. Let’s explore further…

What are British Triathlon’s rules about wetsuits?

While wetsuits are mandatory under British Triathlon Federation race rules below a water temperature of 14-16°C (depending on swim length) and below 18°C for paratriathlon, they can’t exceed 5mm in thickness.

By this standard, most surfing wetsuits should make it to T1 without a raised eyebrow, but some will get you a DSQ: leading surf brands sell 5-6mm suits for cold water.

Is a surf wetsuit too warm for triathlon racing?

Thing is, for surfers and triathletes alike, it’s cold out there in the sea… but it’s what you do with it – or in it – that counts. While surfers need a wetsuit with built-in flexibility to swim (just like us triathletes), they also spend a lot of time bobbing about, waiting for that stellar wave.

So, surfing wetsuits are usually thicker than triathlon wetsuits on average – when you take into consideration torso, back, shoulders, arms and legs.

While neither a surf or triathlon wetsuit usually exceeds 5mm at any point (or panel) in thickness, a comparative suit could comprise a neoprene build of 5,4,3mm (surf) and 5,3,2mm (tri) – with the thickest sections focusing on keeping the core warm in both cases.

In other words, we all need our torsos to be toasty – but surfers need to be toastier than us sweaty racers.

How important is buoyancy for triathlon swimming?

Of course, the higher the thickness of your suit, the more buoyant it’ll be, too. While some triathletes feel safer with, or simply enjoy the ‘ooh, it’s so floaty’ feel, it’s best to experiment.

Tri wetsuits around 3mm can provide a more neutral feel, which can aid propulsion – and triathletes need more hydrodynamics than their swell-seeking counterparts.

Is a triathlon wetsuit better for propulsion?

Yes, because it’s the forward-focused engineering that truly sets the triathlon wetsuit apart; they’re comprised of more panels than surfing suits for optimum speed through the water.

The panel construction of triathlon wetsuits targets flexibility (thinner material in the shoulders for an unfettered stroke), buoyancy (thicker neoprene in the hip area to enable a higher, or even ‘downhill’, position in the water) and even water-grabbing catch panels on the forearms.

But that’s not all. The finish of a triathlon wetsuit will aid you from starting horn to T1, thanks to the Super Composite Skin (SCS) coating: a fast-drying, smooth outer layer to facilitate gliding through the water and an easy-off transition.

Can you race triathlon in a surf wetsuit?

Yes, you can legally race in a surf wetsuit as long as it’s 5mm in thickness or under, but you might get a bit hot or lose energy with each stroke compared to the race-focused triathlon wetsuit.

There’s no real harm in taking to the water for your first race – or first three – though, if you’ve already got a BTF-legal surf suit.

Getting a triathlon wetsuit, though, means more comfort, a true performance comparison to your peers and – importantly – a mental boost as you feel primed for the podium in your oh-so-shiny number.

Top image credit: John Seaton Callahan/Getty Images