Choosing your wetsuit: 5 tips to avoid making a mistake
Every athlete is different, and this also applies to open water swimming. An essential accessory for one swimmer may represent an obstacle or a disruptive element for another. That is why it is important to know our needs in terms of equipment, especially when it comes to wetsuits. A bad choice can have a negative impact on our technique and performance in the water.
In order to choose the ideal wetsuit, several factors must be taken into account, but above all, it is necessary to know yourself as an athlete and swimmer. Knowing what our needs, preferences, qualities or defects are will be decisive when choosing one model or another.
Below we present five elements to consider when choosing a wetsuit: our swimming level and technique, the performance of the wetsuit, our sporting goals, size and finally, price.
SWIMMING LEVEL, A DETERMINING ELEMENT IN THE CHOICE OF WETSUIT
Knowing your swimming level is the first point to consider when considering buying a new wetsuit. Naturally, someone who is new to open water will not have the same needs as an experienced swimmer.
If we are just starting out in the discipline, it is very likely that our technique is not completely refined and that we need additional buoyancy, especially in the legs, to raise the hips and thus position the entire body correctly, obtaining the lowest possible hydrodynamic restriction. In this case, suits such as the Predator or the 3.8 will be the most suitable for our needs.
On the other hand, if technique is our strong point, if we are experienced in swimming and we are looking for maximum flexibility, we will rather opt for a wetsuit like the Alpha which hugs the body like a second skin, allowing us to fully enjoy each movement.
PERFORMANCE ACCORDING TO NEEDS
Once we are sure we know our swimming level, we will evaluate the performance of each wetsuit model to choose according to our needs. It is then appropriate to examine the following aspects:
● Flexibility: The more flexible the suit, the greater the freedom of movement it offers.
● Buoyancy: As stated above, the buoyancy rate of a wetsuit can help or hinder us, depending on our swimming technique.
● Hydrodynamics: for swimmers whose technique is not yet refined, a buoyancy aid will help them correct their posture, in order to adopt a more hydrodynamic position.
● Thermal insulation: If you like to swim in cold waters or in the sea during the winter, the thermal insulation that a wetsuit can offer is a key point to take into account. The new RS1 Thermal is the model that offers the highest thermal protection in the Orca range. It has an inner lining specially developed to maximize heat retention in open water, which will allow us to swim at low temperatures for longer.
●Visibility: an important point to take into account if you are used to long training sessions in open water. Apart from the buoy as a basic element, a wetsuit that makes us visible to boats, surfers and other swimmers, will give us additional security, allowing us to be located at all times. This is the case of wetsuits such as the Open Water Core Hi-Vis or the Open Water SW .
