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The best / fastest wetsuit out currently available
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TheRock
Jun 13, 09 1:30
Post #1 of 31 (1152 views)
The best / fastest wetsuit out currently available
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What is the best wetsuit available at this very moment?
Xterra claim
:
XTERRA
WETSUITS
, the world's
fastest
and most flexible
wetsuit
.
Blue Seventy claim
:
the helix is simply our finest suit ever.
For 2008 we introduce TST, torsional stretch technology, further isolating the shoulder panels from the body of the suit, to improve flexibility. Combined with the existing quick exit legs, reverse zipper and multi-stretch cuffs, the helix improvements result in uncompromising comfort and performance. In 2007 this was
the
suit of choice for athletes in the pro ranks, and based on their feedback, has led to enhancements that will not change that perception.
Orca claim
: Orca Apex The ultimate in speed.
Orca's Apex for the competition triathlete is the fastest wetsuit on the market.
By using neoprene that provides extra buoyancy, the Apex lifts you into a natural swimming position the moment you hit the water. Reviewers all agree, the Apex is the best wetsuit around for swimming at speed.
I just want to get the best most flexible / fastest wetsuit money can buy.
AlexG
Jun 13, 09 1:35
Post #2 of 31 (1148 views)
Re: The best / fastest wetsuit out currently available [TheRock]
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I'm sure Fleck will chime in but it really comes down to which one fits you the best. So far of all the suits I have used, the Helix works the best for me. I am yet to try a Nineteen or Xterra though, both of which I hear are very comfortable. In the end they all buy their neoprene from the same place so it really comes down to what they do with the stitching and how it fits your body. I will say the TST is really nice. I dont even feel the suit on my shoulders.
Alex
http://twitter.com/alexgonzalezmi
TheRock
Jun 13, 09 2:37
Post #3 of 31 (1135 views)
Re: The best / fastest wetsuit out currently available [AlexG]
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okay lets for the experiment that they all fit me perfect.
AlexG
Jun 13, 09 4:41
Post #4 of 31 (1091 views)
Re: The best / fastest wetsuit out currently available [TheRock]
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I've had QR, 2XU, and now Blue Seventy and the Blue Seventy is the fastest and most comfortable of the 3. But I had lower end neoprene on the other ones.
Desert Dude did a good test of many suits and posted a full review here.
http://accelerate3.wordpress.com/...etsuit-test-results/
Alex
http://twitter.com/alexgonzalezmi
carbonsport
Jun 13, 09 4:43
Post #5 of 31 (1089 views)
Re: The best / fastest wetsuit out currently available [TheRock]
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I have both Orca Apex and Blue Seventy Helix.The Orca is brutal on my neck,the Helix is totally comfortable.Orca's have a reputation as neck biters,maybe they are fast but the welt on my neck sure slows me down.Helix is great.
triathlonshots
Jun 13, 09 4:54
Post #6 of 31 (1080 views)
Re: The best / fastest wetsuit out currently available [TheRock]
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The ORCA wetsuits are as fast as any in the market. They are worn by the current and some previous ironman world champions. They are also worn by many of the top 10 ITU pros.
I did get the 'orca hickey' when I first wore them in 2003 but since then I just make sure to stretch them when putting it on so as to remove that issue.
G.
Full event coverage of triathlon/ironman in photos.
Longboarder
Jun 13, 09 6:55
Post #7 of 31 (1027 views)
Re: The best / fastest wetsuit out currently available [TheRock]
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What is the best wetsuit available at this very moment?
------------------------------------------------
I don't think there is a correct answer to this. DD's test was good but it's still not like a wind tunnel test. Since I swim in a DeSoto I will note that if you do flip turns in it, it might fill with water. This would not be a problem with OW swimming.
I would think most high end wetsuits will be close time wise.
FWIW: My older WS's are a QR, Ironman both do a job on my neck. I have not tried the newer models. I have two DeSoto tops and I have not problems with them.
Train safe & smart
Bob
"Then the thought came back- f^*k you, keep moving. The little train that could, could. I'm moving forward again." Doug Stern
M~
Jun 13, 09 6:57
Post #8 of 31 (1024 views)
Re: The best / fastest wetsuit out currently available [TheRock]
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Not sure what they mean by most flexible wetsuit. But that honour would have to go to any 2 piece DeSoto.
*****----------------------------------------*****
Interviewer: What's your prediction for the fight?
Clubber Lang: My prediction?
Interviewer: Yes, your prediction.
Clubber Lang: Pain!
Herbert
Jun 13, 09 7:07
Post #9 of 31 (1016 views)
Re: The best / fastest wetsuit out currently available [TheRock]
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The claim of b70 that the new Helix is THEIR finest suit ever is actually reasonable and fair, since they are not making statements about others.
nproximos
Jun 13, 09 7:19
Post #10 of 31 (999 views)
Re: The best / fastest wetsuit out currently available [TheRock]
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as said before, all the rubbers in the wetsuits are pretty much the same. its the one that doesnt rub you the wrong way literally.
2008 blue seventy helix with tst (label for something quite simple), is really nice on the neck and shoulders. the zipper in the back makes it hard to put on but the fastest to take off.
whatever fits you best will be the fastest. correct arm hole size= less water entering, no neck rub= less frustration and more focused on the swim
sdmike
Jun 13, 09 7:21
Post #11 of 31 (997 views)
Re: The best / fastest wetsuit out currently available [TheRock]
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You should check out Desoto.
Longboarder
Jun 13, 09 7:21
Post #12 of 31 (997 views)
Re: The best / fastest wetsuit out currently available [triathlonshots]
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The ORCA wetsuits are as fast as any in the market. They are worn by the current and some previous ironman world champions. They are also worn by many of the top 10 ITU pros.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
I would think this has more to do with $$$$$$$ then the fastest WS:)
Train safe & smart
Bob
"Then the thought came back- f^*k you, keep moving. The little train that could, could. I'm moving forward again." Doug Stern
ianpeace
Jun 13, 09 7:26
Post #13 of 31 (990 views)
Re: The best / fastest wetsuit out currently available [TheRock]
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Not only are the marketing points similar but I would bet the quality/origin/durability/etc of the material is pretty similar too. Based on all that aren't XTERRA's prices far lower? They email some darn good discounts in their newsletters and the suits are great.
Ian
Ian Murray
www.TriathlonTrainingSeries.com the adult pathway to your best performances..
If you're into Twitter - @triathlondvd.
BobbyJones
Jun 13, 09 7:48
Post #14 of 31 (971 views)
Re: The best / fastest wetsuit out currently available [TheRock]
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well with claims like this:
Quote:
Only one wetsuit in the world has won the swim at the Ironman 70.3 World Championships two years in a row. In fact, the VectorProX2 set the course record in 2007, only to set a new course record in 2008 in a 2009 VectorProX2
You should buy an xterra. Just stay relaxed in T1 while you wait for your wetsuit to finish the swim. I'm sure it will be first out of the water.
Bobby Jones
nproximos
Jun 13, 09 8:38
Post #15 of 31 (929 views)
Re: The best / fastest wetsuit out currently available [BobbyJones]
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+1, calling out the marketing bs
ggeiger
Jun 13, 09 8:48
Post #16 of 31 (918 views)
Re: The best / fastest wetsuit out currently available [triathlonshots]
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I think you will find that Aquaman is the most popular suit on the ITU circuit, but since they don't advertise much we don't see them much here. I feel they are as fast as any, yet lack of marketing is killing them.
In Reply To:
The ORCA wetsuits are as fast as any in the market. They are worn by the current and some previous ironman world champions. They are also worn by many of the top 10 ITU pros.
I did get the 'orca hickey' when I first wore them in 2003 but since then I just make sure to stretch them when putting it on so as to remove that issue.
G.
TriBiker
Jun 13, 09 9:09
Post #17 of 31 (910 views)
Re: The best / fastest wetsuit out currently available [TheRock]
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Support a local shop (assuming you have one) and buy the one that fits you best.
fedb
Jun 13, 09 9:30
Post #18 of 31 (901 views)
Re: The best / fastest wetsuit out currently available [TriBiker]
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I'm no expert on wetsuits... but I have a Sailfish G-Range and am very happy. The G-Range is supposed to have a different type of rubber not used by other brands. Rumor has it that the other brands are scrambling to get the same rubber for their top of the line suits for next year. That's just what I've been told, so take it for what it's worth.
Emilio
Jun 13, 09 9:48
Post #19 of 31 (885 views)
Re: The best / fastest wetsuit out currently available [TheRock]
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Hello,
Emilio De Soto here. Rather than asking what is the best and fastest, why not form your own opinion? Buy a T1 Wetsuit and any other brand you want to test out. Test them and decide, and return all the ones you do not want to keep.
If the manufacturer is confident enough in their product they will offer you that kind of guarantee. We do!
There are a number of ST members who have done speed tests and found differing results. But all these tests were done in swimming pools. The best test is in open water since you do not do flip turns in a triathlon.
If you would like any detailed information on the T1, please email me.
Emilio De Soto II
emilio@desotosport.com
http://www.desotosport.com
Now Available: De Soto Compression Socks with Patented graduated compression for better recovery! A better sock for less money. As with all our products, we offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee...we believe if you test our product, you will keep it!
Emilio
Jun 13, 09 9:55
Post #20 of 31 (879 views)
Re: The best / fastest wetsuit out currently available [ggeiger]
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In Reply To:
I think you will find that Aquaman is the most popular suit on the ITU circuit, but since they don't advertise much we don't see them much here. I feel they are as fast as any, yet lack of marketing is killing them.
Gary,
There is a photographer who advertises all the time in a couple of national magazines, but his photography is not nearly as good as yours. Honda advertises a lot more than Ferrari, Lambourhini, and Bugatti, but all three of these cars are much faster than Honda (at least the street legal ones).
Why have we not gotten you into a T1 after all these years as friends?
I hope all is well in the Windy City. Next time in town, come in and I will loan you a T1 to try out.
Emilio De Soto II
emilio@desotosport.com
http://www.desotosport.com
Now Available: De Soto Compression Socks with Patented graduated compression for better recovery! A better sock for less money. As with all our products, we offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee...we believe if you test our product, you will keep it!
monty
Jun 13, 09 9:59
Post #21 of 31 (875 views)
Re: The best / fastest wetsuit out currently available [TheRock]
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I just want to get the best most flexible / fastest wetsuit money can buy. \\
You cannot have it all..The most flexiable one piece suit is the thinnest one. They feel great in the changing room, feel great while swimming in them, but are dogs as far as speed goes. In almost every case, more rubber/flotation = faster times. So with that in mind, if you go the one piece route, you need the suit that fits your torso best. There is a wide range of torso paterns, and if you get the wrong one you are screwed. It will pull on your neck and shoulders, and halfway through the swim you will be blown. So you have to do two things, figure out what is your torso in comparison to the general public, and then figure out which one piece suits your build..
Or you can just get the DeSoto two piece, torso problems solved, and they use the thickest rubber allowed in the market right now. I used to be good in the QR one piece, but once I used that two piece suit, I will never go back.. Like others have said, it may not test in the pool as well, depending on your turns, and it you got the right size, but the DeSoto is made to be fast in the 2nd half of the swim. Most suits test out well for a 400 ot 500, but when the shoulder pull really starts to drag on you is the 2nd half of the swim, and that is where the two piece gets it's advantage. No shoulder pull, and you can mix sizes to make sure you got the right fit top and bottom. Many one piece suits will make you decide what you want to fit better, the upper or lower half, and you have to compromise, not so with the two piece, or at least much more minimized..
In the end, you need a 5mm suit that fits you well, if you can try several different ones that is the best way. I know DeSoto has a 100% money back guarentee for a week or two, not sure about the others....Good luck....
Slowman
Jun 13, 09 10:21
Post #22 of 31 (857 views)
Re: The best / fastest wetsuit out currently available [triathlonshots]
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i hope stefan from synergy posts here. he is the former longtime orca importer to the united states, and he now sells his own brand, called synergy. i got a chance to check out that suit close up, and the synergy is a really, nice, really well made, rational, one piece suit. in terms of its construction features, i don't think there's a better one piece. i haven't put one on, so i don't know whether the pattern would be right for me. and, i don't know whether the grading all the way up and down the size chart, men and women, is done as i would do it. i'm not saying it isn't, i just don't know. i have no knowledge.
but stefan could probably speak to the good features and the historic drawbacks of orca, since he was that brand's importer to the biggest wetsuit market worldwide for many years.
otherwise, as has been mentioned, i think in terms of fit, comfort, neck issues, and all of that, nothing beats a T1. but the question was about speed. i can't say the T1 is the fastest. it's the wetsuit i use, and you couldn't blast me out of it. but jordan swims in an aquaman, and he tried a lot of wetsuits before he chose that (and i don't believe there's any contract there, that's just the wetsuit he chose). i think herbert swims in something else. and blueseventy is a huge seller, they just do so many things right.
all that said, nineteen competes really well, and aquaman is just a great deal, bang for buck. can xterra rightfully claim its suit is faster than the others? no, not in my opinion. but i think if it's just speed per dollar, they can make a very good case for that.
later this month we'll publish our whole set of wetsuit overviews.
Dan Empfield
aka Slowman
Karl
Jun 13, 09 10:51
Post #23 of 31 (818 views)
Re: The best / fastest wetsuit out currently available [TheRock]
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Please note-I am not a wetsuit expert. But I have had several good ones in my 28 years of triathlons (of course the first few years they did not allow them anyway and no one made one to really swim in)
I bought a T1 by De Soto recently and it is the best fitting and fastest one I have owned.
I will NEVER go back to a one piece
.
If you go with a one piece- FIT is really important!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Naturally, at $500 plus they are all very fast and I doubt that one is better than another. It is like asking which is faster, Nike or Asics or New Balance.
moberballs
Jun 13, 09 11:00
Post #24 of 31 (809 views)
Re: The best / fastest wetsuit out currently available [Slowman]
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Agreed on the Synergy suit. I recently got a Hybrid and it is very nice. Reminds me of an Apex 2, but stretchier and more comfortable in the shoulders/arms and neck. Fits me (swimmer's build, broader shoulders) very nicely when tried on while dry. I hope to get an actual open water swim in it tomorrow or sometime this next week and I'll be sure to post some thoughts on it.
As to the OP, like most others have said, it really depends on the way the suit fits you. Once you get into the high end range of suits, the differences between them will be almost negligible to all but the strongest swimmers. Any gains from having fancy features like #40 rubber or those buoyancy cells will mean nothing if you are not comfortable in your suit. My advice is to focus more on your swimming itself than about having the fastest wetsuit, being a stronger swimmer will be much more advantageous to you than having a fast suit.
JSA
Jun 13, 09 11:08
Post #25 of 31 (801 views)
Re: The best / fastest wetsuit out currently available [TheRock]
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About a year ago, I did my own comparrison. I went to TriSports and purchased 5 of the top-rated wetsuits. Over a period fo 3 weeks, I took each to the pool and conducted a number of tests. I did 3 sets of 500 in each suit. I only did one suit per day, went at the same time each day, and tried to go when I felt refreshed. I timed each set and made comments regarding flexibility, comfort, feel, fatigue, etc. I do not have all my notes by I came to two conclusions based only n=1 testing.
2XU Elite: by far the "fastest" wetsuit with the most flotation. The rollbar technology was incredible. The full-body float panel literally made me feel like I was on a paddle board. Unreal in terms of sliding through the water. No other suit came close. That said, it was not as flexible as other suits. It was restrictive and I felt fatigue in the shoulders on only the second set of 500s. By the end of the 1500m test, I was tired, which is not natural for me. So, this suit was out for my IM racing. I should mention that I liked this suit so much, I sent it back for another size, repeated the test, and had the same results.
DeSoto T1 First Wave: By far the "best" suit overall, hands down. Speed-wise, it was either second or barely third. Flotation was good, but, not as much as in other suits. But, here is the key - it had flotation where it needed it and it was incredibly flexible. No fatigue at all during testing. By far, best range of motion. Only suit of the 5 that allowed me full extension and reach. Perfect body position.
So, I bought the T1 and I absolutely love it. I have recommended it to dozens of people and have never heard a regret from any of them.
_______________________________________________
"My better is better than your better." - LT, via Nike
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(This post was
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