A triathlon/swimming wetsuit needs to fit you like a second skin. If you have previously worn a sailing or surfing wetsuit then please forget everything about that type of wetsuit. A triathlon/swimming wetsuit is designed to fit in a totally different way.
When putting your wetsuit on it needs to sit nice and high above your ankles. This will ensure that you can get the wetsuit nice and high into your groin area. The same applies to the chest section. This needs to sit nice and high up your chest so the wetsuit sits nice and high up into your armpits. If you have any arched ‘banana’ curves of neoprene in your groin area or your armpit area then you have not got the wetsuit high enough up your body. If the wetsuit is not high enough up your body then it will pull down on your shoulders. If you feel the wetsuit pulling down on your shoulders then ease the wetsuit further up your body. When the wetsuit is on fully you should have a handspan gap between the two edges of the rear zip. You need to ask a friend to do the zip up for you. Do not pull the zip up yourself as you may well pull/rip the base of the zip away from its stitching. You need to put your shoulder blades back and your friend needs to pull the edges of the zip together and ease the zip up. When the zip is fully done up it is a good idea to crouch down in the suit and to bend over in the suit so you can feel the suit moving up your body that little bit more.
Your wetsuit will no doubt feel very unusual. It is a very different feeling to most other items of clothing we wear. It will possibly feel slightly restrictive on the chest area. However once you enter the water the wetsuit will feel different. Many wetsuit manufacturers say that if a wetsuit is comfortable on the land then the chances are it is too big for you. Once in the water you will feel the wetsuit ease and it will start to sit better on your body. Please note that water will enter the wetsuit. It is not a dry suit. The water will create a thin layer all around your body inside the wetsuit. This is what helps keeps you warm in the water and this is what helps the wetsuit sits more comfortably on your body.
If you have any questions or queries about how to put your wetsuit on or how it should fit and feel, then please call or email TRI UK to chat with our TRI UK Wetsuit Experts. They will be able to help and assist you to ensure you are happy with the fit and feel of your new wetsuit.
