Over the summer we had a pool installed with an Endless Pool swim unit. My goal is to use it as much as possible in each season, but since it is a full size backyard pool, and not a typical 5'x10' Endless Pool, we can't heat it year around. Yesterday the temp dipped to below 70, so I decided to dig out my sleeveless wetsuit. Amazing how much warmth a wetsuit provides, but I wonder how much more I can get with a full suit with sleeves.
I've looked at the manufacturer information for Blue Seventy, 2xu, Quintana Roo, and Xterra, but I did not see anything that led me to believe one model or brand held in warmth more than another.
My guess is that they are all pretty equal, but I thought I'd check with the experts here first. If a group of people around the world doing cold open water swimming doesn't know about warm wetsuits, I don't know who would.
Parents
Former Member
More important than the possible differences among full wetsuits in how warm they are, is how flexible they are. I own a couple of wetsuits I use for triathlons. My best race suit uses 1 mm (I think) in places in the arms and shoulders for more flexibility (Xterra Vendetta). As an open water swimmer, if I am going to wear a wetsuit, I don't want to know it's there. I have another one that uses 2 mm in arms and shoulders and I can notice that difference in flexibility (Zoot Z1). Part is the thickness but part is also the kind of rubber they use. Both suits use 5 mm thickness in the legs and abdomen which unavoidably raises your legs in the water requiring an adjustment in swimming form. I have just bought a sleeveless for next year for warmer water triathlons.
While a full suit has been shown to be faster that a sleevless suit, I had 2 races where the water water temperature was wetsuit legal, but far too warm for me in my wetsuit. The first one I tossed my cap in the middle of the race and stopped to open up my neck for a quick rush of water in a 4K. The second was a triathlon. I decided to go without one and gave up approximately 1:30 to the competition (and thus my decision to buy a sleeveless). It is a great time to buy a wetsuit during end of the year sales by many online retailers. Xterra which sells direct might still be having theirs. You can also get a discount by following their link on begginertriathlete.com. On the flip side, I do not wear a wetsuit for open water swims unless they are allowed and all swimmers are ranked together (the 4K I mentioned above was co-sponsored by USMS and a local triathlon club)
More important than the possible differences among full wetsuits in how warm they are, is how flexible they are. I own a couple of wetsuits I use for triathlons. My best race suit uses 1 mm (I think) in places in the arms and shoulders for more flexibility (Xterra Vendetta). As an open water swimmer, if I am going to wear a wetsuit, I don't want to know it's there. I have another one that uses 2 mm in arms and shoulders and I can notice that difference in flexibility (Zoot Z1). Part is the thickness but part is also the kind of rubber they use. Both suits use 5 mm thickness in the legs and abdomen which unavoidably raises your legs in the water requiring an adjustment in swimming form. I have just bought a sleeveless for next year for warmer water triathlons.
While a full suit has been shown to be faster that a sleevless suit, I had 2 races where the water water temperature was wetsuit legal, but far too warm for me in my wetsuit. The first one I tossed my cap in the middle of the race and stopped to open up my neck for a quick rush of water in a 4K. The second was a triathlon. I decided to go without one and gave up approximately 1:30 to the competition (and thus my decision to buy a sleeveless). It is a great time to buy a wetsuit during end of the year sales by many online retailers. Xterra which sells direct might still be having theirs. You can also get a discount by following their link on begginertriathlete.com. On the flip side, I do not wear a wetsuit for open water swims unless they are allowed and all swimmers are ranked together (the 4K I mentioned above was co-sponsored by USMS and a local triathlon club)
