I took advantage of the current 60%-off coupon on xterra wetsuits and got myself a Vortex 3 for under $200. It seemed to fit pretty well on dry land, tight, but not too tight, no problem zipping it up, no baggy bits. However, today when I wore it in the water for the first time, I immediately got a load of water down the back of my neck, and when I tried to adjust it further, another load down my front. This is the first time I've ever worn a wetsuit, and I hoping I just didn't have it pulled up sufficiently around the neck. I'm going to try it again tomorrow, but in the meantime, if anybody has any advice, I'm eager to hear it.
Also, after my suit was thoroughly wetted inside (top half), I found it very difficult to adjust, so I ended up just taking it off and hanging it up to dry. Is it even possible to put on a wet wetsuit, i.e., should I have taken it off and then tried to put it on again?
Parents
Former Member
So, just to update you all, yesterday I returned my wetsuit. I tried it three times in the water, and each time it seemed to conform a little better to my body and leak a little less, but in the end, I still felt I would not be comfortable wearing it in colder water (the temperature in Lake Washington right now is 67° F.) The water that got in did not really seem to warm up, even though on my third go I swam a little over a mile.
Another issue I was having was some pain in my left (non-dominant) shoulder, which I'm pretty sure was due to the extra constriction of the wetsuit (I never have pain in my shoulders when swimming ordinarily). Since this would be a problem with any wetsuit I wore, I'm also thinking of trying on some sleeveless suits. Or, I could work on strengthening my left shoulder!
Thank-you, everyone, for all your excellent advice. I feel like I have a much better idea of what to expect now. I plan on visiting my local retailer, who sells a variety of different makers' suits, and trying out at least a few before making my final decision.
Unless you get something made to fit or try lots on before you buy, no wetsuit will fit perfectly. Mine is also very tight across the shoulders, but I guess I'm a lot bigger there than most open water swimmers, so I just accept it until I'm ready to invest in another suit (not for some time). I've had a couple of swims now in it and think that I'm going to have to really focus on rotating to get a comfortably recovery and that the tight shoulders on the wetsuit have exposed how flat I am normally on crawl.
So, just to update you all, yesterday I returned my wetsuit. I tried it three times in the water, and each time it seemed to conform a little better to my body and leak a little less, but in the end, I still felt I would not be comfortable wearing it in colder water (the temperature in Lake Washington right now is 67° F.) The water that got in did not really seem to warm up, even though on my third go I swam a little over a mile.
Another issue I was having was some pain in my left (non-dominant) shoulder, which I'm pretty sure was due to the extra constriction of the wetsuit (I never have pain in my shoulders when swimming ordinarily). Since this would be a problem with any wetsuit I wore, I'm also thinking of trying on some sleeveless suits. Or, I could work on strengthening my left shoulder!
Thank-you, everyone, for all your excellent advice. I feel like I have a much better idea of what to expect now. I plan on visiting my local retailer, who sells a variety of different makers' suits, and trying out at least a few before making my final decision.
Unless you get something made to fit or try lots on before you buy, no wetsuit will fit perfectly. Mine is also very tight across the shoulders, but I guess I'm a lot bigger there than most open water swimmers, so I just accept it until I'm ready to invest in another suit (not for some time). I've had a couple of swims now in it and think that I'm going to have to really focus on rotating to get a comfortably recovery and that the tight shoulders on the wetsuit have exposed how flat I am normally on crawl.
