london based triathlon club and coaching

Wetsuit Advice

Hi All

I'm doing my first ever triathalon in a couple of weeks and need some advice on wetsuits! Just wondering what's the best to get?

Lenght - shortie better?
Thickness?
Brand?
What sort of cost?

Any thoughts would be massively appreciated!

Thanks, Jo

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Matt Hart on August 22, 2012 at 11:24

There's a helpful post here: http://www.windrushtri.co.uk/forum/topics/wetsuit-recommendations

As someone who did their first triathlon last year and hired/bought a wetsuit from TriUK, I can certainly recommend that approach.

But I'm sure the club's more experienced members (and better swimmers) will have technical advice to offer on styles and brands...

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Permalink Reply by Donne Nel on August 22, 2012 at 12:38

I just bought a Blue Seventy Sprint wetsuit from Sigma Sport, and I am very pleased with it! Sigma Sport are also very helpful - they are based in Kingston and gave me great advice. It is a full length, entry-level wetsuit, and I got it for £120.00. I think it is always a good idea to try a suit on before buying instead of just purchasing it online, so check out their store.

Hope you find something, and good luck for your first triathlon! :)

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Permalink Reply by Laura A on August 22, 2012 at 13:40

I agree with these guys. Try before you buy, but remember until you get in the water it will feel restrictive to a certain degree. Buy a wetsuit for swimming in and not windsurfing etc as you need one with a lot of flexibility. Buy one with full length arms and sleeves as you will need that in the UK and Europe. Entry level ones are around £150. If you can hire one for a few weeks that might be the way to go, as in September/October there will be big sales on ones from this year that you can then wear for next season. If you are a weaker swimmer you will need a thicker wetsuit usually as they are more buoyant. If you are a fast swimmer, one that is thinner and more flexible (but often more expensive) will suit you better.

There have been several threads on this topic. Just go to 'view all' under the form threads and search for wetsuit.