Whether you plan to buy or rent, it's good to know what the product options are.
At Element, all of our staff are or were actively competing triathletes. We help you from start to finish: size selection, how to properly put on the suit and how to care for it after you get it home.
Wetsuits
A triathlon wetsuit is different from a wetsuit made for other aquatic sports. This suit will fit like a second skin but is must still give your arms full range of motion for efficient swimming. As well, many wetsuits are designed to give you buoyancy support to help your body position in the water. In fact, a lot of triathletes count on the wetsuit for that as much as for thermal protection. Regardless, in most open water swim triathlons in western Canada, you can count on needing a wetsuit, with lake water temperatures rarely exceeding 70F. Brrrrrrr.
Things to look for in a triathlon wetsuit:
1. Fit.
2. Quality of materials. Look for things like Yamamoto or Greengoma neoprene, YKK zippers, SCS coating, a variety of thicknesses of neoprene in different areas.
3. Warranty
4. Fit, again, it is critical!
But, all those things aside, if you don't put on your wetsuit correctly, it will not perform as well as it could and you will not be able to perform to your best potential. Either you will find your mobility is restricted unnecessarily, or you may find water pooling in some areas of the suit when it shouldn't. And, yes, while we do sell wetsuits on our website, we highly recommend trying them on in person in-store. Trying it on is the only way to really know if any wetsuit is the right one for you. Come in, try on the best two suits we have in stock in your price range, and get it right the first time! Different brands of wetsuits may be better suited to different body types, so don't be swayed by what your friends say or all the online marketing about the "fastest suit"...whether it is your coach, best buddy and training partner, or a pro athlete (especially one that gets paid to wear the suit). The best suit will be the one that fits you the best.
Swimskins
The swimskin is a newer piece of equipment in triathlon, but for they've become almost required equipment in non-wetsuit swims since around 2007. They certainly existed prior to 2007 but it was in 2007 that it became apparent that the triathlon world had fully embaced swimskins as a piece of essential equipment.
A swimskin a smaller, thinner and non-buoyant replacement for a wetsuit that is worn over a race kit (ITU has some limitations on this general statement) when the water is too warm for a wetsuit (by USAT standards for age-groupers, 78 degrees). A swimskin is designed to be very snug and worn only during the swim leg. It enhances speed through the water despite lacking buoyancy by compressing the body and creating minimal friction with the passing water. The swimskin provides a solution to maintain speed and hydrodynamics in the water while wearing a bulkier (read: not completely skin-tight) tri kit. You should note that some races do not allow swimskins for non-wetsuit swims. Under certain rules (ITU), whatever is worn in a non-wetsuit swim must be worn for the rest of the race. In this case, there is often a trisuit version of the swimskin. Where a swimskin has no cycling pad, the trisuit version may have a pad and it may also have strategic inserts of more breathable fabrics for athlete comfort in hot weather racing.
Only a few races, like Ironman Hawaii, are always a non-wetsuit swim. Here in Canada, a very popular race like the Kelowna Apple Triathlon has been declared a non-wetsuits swim a few times in recent years but it is still a rare race in this part of the world where the open water venue is warm enough that wetsuits aren't allowed. But. the bottom line is that, if you race a lot especially in southern climates, you should consider having a swimskin for those destination races or for those just-in-case scenarios. Before you decide to use one in a race, weigh the costs and benefits: Will the water temperature be cool enough? Is it more beneficial to wear a wetsuit? Consider the length of the swim leg and estimate if the time gained by wearing a swimskin will outweigh the time spent removing it in transition as removing one takes at least 15 seconds.
In the end, fit and comfort are most important when picking a suit. If the swimskin fits correctly and does not restrict or impede your ability to swim, it will probably save a little time and energy. These suits are available on order only at this time. Due to very low demand, swimskins are often only available on custom order in our store, not in stock all the time.
Brands and Materials
For the 2018 race season, we are continuing to sell wetsuits from Zone 3, 2XU and DeSoto. Given that there are only a handful of different materials used to make triathlon wetsuits, suits from different manufacturers are more similar than they are different. It makes sense, then, to choose your wetsuit on how it fits you (and your budget) more than any other factor.
And let's talk about materials a little more. For the past 15+ years, Yamamoto has been the material most commonly used in top end triathlon suits and it has definitely delivered from a performance and durability perspective. It stands to reason, though, as prices start to creep up on suits made from Yamamoto material, that there other comparable products would make their way to market. De Soto switched to Greengoma a few years ago and their suits perform just as well as they always have. Greengoma is a limestone based rubber (as compared to a petroleum base used in all other materials used in triathlon wetsuits). One of the motivations in migrating to the use of Greengoma rubber was to reduce the overall carbon footprint of the manufacturing process.
Features and Marketing
Arms Up Design
Many brands will tout certain features as being either beneficial to your swim in some way and as being unique to their own design. The "arms up" feature is one of these. Some brands are promoting this as a new feature for 2017/2018 but it has been around for a lot longer that just the past year. DeSoto has built their suits like this since 1999 and others have followed similar designs. If you've tried on or swam in many suits in the past 20 years, you will notice that none of them are designed to easily allow your arms to comfortably remain down and beside your torso.
Zippers
In triathlon wetsuits, you'll see standard zippers that zip from the bottom up most commonly. However, you will also see zippers that run top down and breakaway zippers that pull apart quickly and easily with a quick tug. Realistically, you're often undoing your suit as you exit the water and you'll be dealing with the zipper while you are on the run, the true multi-tasker that you are. While some zipper designs might help you get out of your wetsuit a few seconds faster, this might not be a feature that should be a deciding factor when buying a wetsuit.
Graphics
Obviously, if the choice is between a plain black suit and something with a little more visual appeal and flashier graphics and colour, many of us might prefer something a little more striking. But graphics don't make you faster. Proper fit is more important to your overall swim performance and comfort.
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