Entry Level Wetsuit

Officer Giggles

It's 6 weeks to my first Tri which will be Athy so I must get myself a wetsuit and get used to it.

Where's the best shop to go for entry level, don't want to buy **** but certainly do not want to be spending a fortune either

shansey

I picked up a decent zone 3 from wiggle last year. pay a bit of attention to the size chart and maybe try a few on if you have a local store. mine fitted perfectly, no complaints was cheap enough too

tunney

Its important to remember that when buying a vital piece of kit that the most important thing to focus on is price. Whatever you can get for the lowest possible amount is obviously the best possible choice. Fit, suitability for the person, level of buoyancy and flexibility are all secondary to price. Something that isn't wholly appropriate but is cheap is obviously what you want to go for. Paying extra to get something that fits and gets the best out of your swim is just a waste of money.

mossym

and don;t use your local shop as a fitting service. if you want to save money by buying online, great,go for it. but take on the risks as well, shipping, waiting for delivery, and not seeing the good pre buying.

if you want the comfort of fitting on first, go to your local shop, get their expertise, let them help you, and buy it there.

shansey

tunney wrote: »

Its important to remember that when buying a vital piece of kit that the most important thing to focus on is price. Whatever you can get for the lowest possible amount is obviously the best possible choice. Fit, suitability for the person, level of buoyancy and flexibility are all secondary to price. Something that isn't wholly appropriate but is cheap is obviously what you want to go for. Paying extra to get something that fits and gets the best out of your swim is just a waste of money.

Exactly..

I take it you're living in that perfect world?

I gave an option that worked out for me.

Tri is a hobby for a lot of people..a fleeting one for some.

People might not have the extra couple of hundred to go to a local store where often times you can be met by someone who really isn't bothered that youre there at all.

tunney

shansey wrote: »

Exactly..

I take it you're living in that perfect world?

I gave an option that worked out for me.

Tri is a hobby for a lot of people..a fleeting one for some.

People might not have the extra couple of hundred to go to a local store where often times you can be met by someone who really isn't bothered that youre there at all.

Someone spends a year (at least) preparing for a race.
They spend hours and hours in the pool refining technique and working on form and fitness to shave 1-2 minutes minutes off their swim in an olympic.

They then lose 5-10 minutes in the olympic because they "saved" €50-€100 on a wetsuit they bought sight unseen from a website.

Do I leave in a perfect world? Obviously not. Do I understand the concept of false economies? .....................

As for "local stores" that "aren't bothered". Go to a different store. Don't rule all local stores out.

sconhome

shansey wrote: »

People might not have the extra couple of hundred to go to a local store where often times you can be met by someone who really isn't bothered that youre there at all.

Couple of things; if you got to try on a few different options obviously the shop gave up some time to help fit you. But if they got the impression you were only there to time suck staff in order to buy online, I'm not surprised they may have come across uninterested.

Just so you know, cos I check, Irish stores were not dearer and often were cheaper than wiggle when you compare like for like on the wetsuits last year.

Sure you may pick up a clearance suit in your size and clean up on a discount but please don't give the impression that you would have spent an extra couple of hundred for the same suit in an Irish store (Wiggle currently listing the Orca S5 Equip as RP €305, it's actually €295 and most Irish stores will give a small TI discount and the benefit of a 30/40 mins fitting).

Your comment is slightly misleading.

woody1

just to confirm this,
i bought a zone 3 advance from akw earlier in the year ,
it was far cheaper than online ,
had a fair idea of size as a friend had the same suit, so i couldve ordered online
but i got the benefit of trying it on, making sure the size i had guessed would be right was actually right, i got to try on another suit for comparison, and i got advice in getting it on properly and comfortably without damaging it, which considering it was absolutely stuck to me was badly needed
all it cost me was 4 hours driving ,

shansey

Sorry for buying something online.. i'll get my coat...

tunney

shansey wrote: »

Sorry for buying something online.. i'll get my coat...

Lots of stuff is suitable to buy online. Tubes, tyres - consumables if you will.

Something like a wetsuit has the possibility to ruin a season for someone. You see it year on year, ill fitting suits on people "got a GREAT deal on it".

If your suit fits well and suits you then that's great. You are one of the few that can make a well informed decision with trying the suit. As such the value add from a BnM shop may not be worth the petrol money to get there. For others online is not such a good idea.

I do take your point on some BnR shops. Some don't care/know and should be avoided.

Oryx

I bought my first suit online. I paid to return it and get the right size. :rolleyes:

That suit worked ok for my mediocre swim for two years, when I went to b2r and bought a properly fitted, better suit. Sometimes at the beginning, its ok to go for economy, but tbh, even for cheaper stuff it can be worth going to a local store. Even if it is more expensive, youll probably get a lot of value in tips from the staff, if they are any good. I learned the the hard way that price is not the most important consideration.

In my business I have a few customers who price online and then give me an opportunity to price match. I love these guys, they give local shops a chance, instead of tyre kicking and using us as an online showroom. So while I do buy the likes of tyres and gels online, I go local for the trickier stuff.

And after all that high moral stuff, also try your local tri club. I bet there are a few s/h suits lying around unused in wardrobes. The first half dozen sea swims I did were in a borrowed suit.

mossym

shansey wrote: »

Sorry for buying something online.. i'll get my coat...

personally, i;d no issue with you buying online. it was the recommendation to try in a shop with the sole purpose of leaving and buying online i have an issue with.

johnk123

Agreed 100% with the comments by most here. Buying a wetsuit is more than the price. I went to base2race and got excellent fitting, a price that was actually cheaper for the same suit than most of the online and a few freebies at the til. You get to try on a couple, decide on your budget and then hop into the pool to try it out. They have some event coming up where you can register to get an extra 15% off too. (I think i read that somewhere)

I'm as guilty as the next person for buying the odd few bits and bobs online but the value I placed on getting a wetsuit that fit and being able to try it on was more than any potential savings I may have got by buying a cheaper suit online.

sconhome

shansey wrote: »

Sorry for buying something online.. i'll get my coat...

I for one am not having a go at you for buying on line at all. It's simply the perspective that online is not always cheaper.

It is definitely more convenient when you know what you want, I'm looking at kayaking equipment at the moment which is cheaper online but will be speaking to the Irish stockists (which are not local) to see if they can deal or offer advice that makes up the difference in price.

MD1983

i would broadly agree that trying a wetsuit on is an important part of buying one, however, care is needed in taking recommendations from stores when buying. my wife was recommended a suit from one of the largest tri stores in Dublin a few years back and it never worked for her, in hindsight how was the guy in the store going to know how she swims and what would have suited her? yeh the suit fitted but didnt work for her swim style. so all you will probably get is a suit that fits and i suppose that is not a bad start. in some stores you are left to your own devices to try on suits and if you are a novice you will likely buy a suit that is too big

i am not convinced that swimming in a continuous pool would be a reliable comparison to swimming in a lake or river, i have swam in one a few times and find that even in a wetsuit it drives your legs further down than normal. its probably better than not swimming at all in the suit though and of course with expert and experienced help you should end up in the right suit

perhaps the best thing would be to get a good few suits and try them in a pool where you can try to make some comparisons but realistically there is no one offering that sort of service

ToTriOrNot

AKW wrote: »

Couple of things; if you got to try on a few different options obviously the shop gave up some time to help fit you. But if they got the impression you were only there to time suck staff in order to buy online, I'm not surprised they may have come across uninterested.

Just so you know, cos I check, Irish stores were not dearer and often were cheaper than wiggle when you compare like for like on the wetsuits last year.

Sure you may pick up a clearance suit in your size and clean up on a discount but please don't give the impression that you would have spent an extra couple of hundred for the same suit in an Irish store (Wiggle currently listing the Orca S5 as RP €305, it's actually €295 and most Irish stores will give a small TI discount and the benefit of a 30/40 mins fitting).

Your comment is slightly misleading.

I got my Orca S5 for a lot less than that last year in a BnM Tri Shop locally!! I wouldn't have bought it online even if it was cheaper. I spent the bones of an hour trying 2 suits that were suitable for my frame and my budget. Fair enough some things are cheaper...but I wouldn't have risk it. As it is, I might have to buy another one soon as i am loosing some weight...but I would still go to the local shop and try it on and buy there!

sconhome

ToTriOrNot wrote: »

I got my Orca S5 for a lot less than that last year in a BnM Tri Shop locally!! I wouldn't have bought it online even if it was cheaper. I spent the bones of an hour trying 2 suits that were suitable for my frame and my budget. Fair enough some things are cheaper...but I wouldn't have risk it. As it is, I might have to buy another one soon as i am loosing some weight...but I would still go to the local shop and try it on and buy there!

Sorry I meant Equip which was €285 last year. The S5 was €215 in 2014.

ToTriOrNot

AKW wrote: »

Sorry I meant Equip which was €285 last year. The S5 was €215 in 2014.

I still pay less than that if I remember correctly!!

MojoMaker

Officer Giggles - worth a little browse in Swimkit.ie at the NAC if you are close to it. Right now they have Speedo wetsuits on clearance and some decent value. I found sizing charts were next to meaningless with wetsuits, I'm currently a really good fit in an XL suit which according to the size chart is meant for someone up to 15cm taller and 10-15kg heavier than me