Does An Expensive Wetsuit Make You A Better Swimmer? | Cheap Vs Super Suit: Can You Buy Speed?

[@gtn]

How much would you spend on a wetsuit?

[@diegolange6500]

Hi GTN and folks, I did my first Tri this year with an Orca Equip (entry level natural swimmer wetsuit). Price is around 300€. It is much more comfortable than the windsurf shortie I used for training 🙈a few times. What I wonder is why you used the predator and not the Alpha in your test being so good swimmers 😉 Thanks and keep the great work up!

[@leejefferson7011]

£330 Please test a bigger brand entry level suit vs premium suite like the orca entry vs expensive 🤔

[@tomjohnson3004]

The moment I saw the title, I tuned out. No way nobody thinks, expensive = quality You can do better. press on

[@frogdu]

For the first one, around 200 USD.

[@Ballacks101]

Read out the marketing nonsense from both wetsuits. Both sound ridiculous but only mock the one that isn’t sponsoring the video. Try and be fair.

[@frontyflipmiller]

Buy the expensive one just so that when you're going to use it you can shout "Honey, where's my super suit!?"

[@Internetprolet1312]

Honeyyy! WHERE? IS? MY? SSSUPRER? SUIT?

[@mtimbroims]

Also gain 7-8 seconds per 200 meters. Those are expensive seconds 💰.

[@jonathangordon7445]

I’d be interested in seeing an entry level Orca wetsuit for comparison.

[@stevesears8241]

They’d never do that because it would reveal that there is no difference

[@chrissarkkinen7422]

@@stevesears8241 There's a huge difference on shoulder flexibility - I have a mid level orca and I can't get a decent pull on it.

[@diegolange6500]

I have an Orca Equip and did my first triathlon and 70.3 in August. Finished the swim 36th out of 190 in my age group and with almost no swim training. Never tried the higher end modes but for my hobby/amateur level more than enough. Marginal gains are done elsewhere

[@levbobrov1398]

@@stevesears8241 well, for swimmers who are as good as these guys, probably there won't be much difference, even if they do it without wetsuit.

[@eingast7798]

swimming in the Orca S7, bought it new for 190€, I'm quite happy with it.

[@jacobwhite6287]

James, you continue to get better and better every video. Congrats on coming into your own with presenting!

[@OGWNF]

I used an Aptonia suit for my first tri. Its not great but for £100 when you already have so much other kit to get its good enough IMO. It would be interesting to see less good swimmers in similar tests and/or have a mid range suit as well for comparison.

[@MaDiViL696]

My take on this comparison. But I will compare 2 Orcas Wetsuits to be more objective. I swam for about a year with the Orca S7. Which is the entry/mid level wetsuit (329$ AUD RRP) I recently bought the Orca Apex Flow (The replacement of the Predator) 1299$ AUD RRP. So 4x times more expensive. I will compare them on a 5km endurance swim as 1km - 3km - 1km. (Because I don't actually think you'll notice a huge difference in just 200m ...) Note on my swimming level : I have been swimming for about 1 year and I am happy if I can do a 200m on 3min (Not 2min19 like these guys). I swim in squad and will do 3km-3.5km with a total avg speed of 1min40 per 100m. On the Orca S7, I would get an avg speed of 1min54 per 100m with a huge drop toward the end of the set because my shoulders were just too fatigued and my stroke just got worse and worse. With the Apex Flow, I got an avg speed of 1min40 per 100m with a drop being much less noticable. So for an avarage swimmer, I can tell you there is a big difference. The main one being that the Apex flow feels so much more confortable. Maybe if you are a good swimmer to begin with, you might not have such a big speed gap. Or you might not be faster with your wetsuit than without. But the difference of feeling still apply. I was still able to complete an IronMan with the Orca S7, but at the end my shoulder were just cooked and I didn't really enjoyed it. With the Apex Flox it feels so much more confortable. So at the end of the day it depends how often you will use it and for what type of distances. Maybe if you are doing sprints/olympic distances, you might not need it because the gap won't be worth the money spent. But if you are doing longer distances, then you might actually see a big difference.

[@jasondighton1334]

What a surprise the wet suits by the sponsor are better than the wet suits not by the sponsor. So unexpected 😁

[@AndrewShakespeare]

Spoiler alert: the guys love the expensive wetsuit made by the company that give them free stuff, and they hated the cheap one. 🤷 This was not really a fair comparison. Nobody is choosing between these two suits. You could pick plenty of suits at £200-£300 that would challenge the Orca Predator.

[@kevinmorice2]

It wasn't just that, it was the constant digs at the "cheap" suit. And on a good swimmer it made less than one second / 100m difference. So 15 seconds over a 1,500m swim.Most swimmers are losing much more than that by not going straight lines on OW swims.

[@Claire_16]

Would definitely be more interested to see the difference between an entry level and high level suit from Orca or other decent brand.

[@Bethy177]

Wetsuits are one of the coolest things about Triathlon. I feel like a Power Ranger in mine 🦸🏻‍♂️ - and it didn’t cost £600

[@gtn]

Hahahah what more could you want! What do you feel like in lycra? 🚴

[@jazznroll5]

"it's not about the bike" ...they say, so i guess it the same with wetsuits..."it's not about the wetsuit"

[@nickkenyon-muir3450]

I did my first ironman in a decathlon wetsuit (I think I was lucky with the fit) and it worked well, and it still going strong for training OW swims after three years. I upgraded to a mid range Zone 3 which is a bit quicker over longer distances and noticeably easier on the shoulders so maybe more efficient which is an important factor. I echo other comments that you are better off investing money in improving technique rather than getting top of the range, unless your podium potential IMHO

[@gtn]

Great to hear you got stuck in 🙌What training tips would you give someone new to the sport?

[@elliegrimes7712]

As a swimmer, I just went straight in at the mid range options. There was no way I was even trying a suit without decent shoulder flexibility! But I found so many are designed with triathletes in mind and so had huge amounts of extra buoyancy in the legs which gave me a bad back. I also found I was often paying more for the tri specific features that allowed me to take the wetsuit off quicker. Something that is less of a consideration when just doing long distance swimming. In other news I’m so impressed you can put on another wetsuit after a swim. It takes me 15mins to put mine on properly dry!

[@deanb61]

I started off in a cheap Decathlon wetsuit, it served, me well for spring and Olympic distance races. I even did a couple of half-iron distance races and still use it occasionally for training. As an upgrade I bought a more top end raceskin, it's significantly better on the long distance races.

[@richcrompton6891]

I’ve got a now rather old Orca S2 suit and it is still in top notch condition. Maybe a little stiffer than when it was new. Great value for money too.

[@rockinroman412]

Also consider the huub wetsuits where you can get repaired or returned suits for up to 60% reduction in price.

[@Mrdibzahab]

Nice video, but what is the sweet spot between price and performance? What about the Sailfish Attack for example?

[@AdamChilvers]

Never mind the wetsuits, Mark needs to find an iron that works first :)

[@kerrynball2734]

Using the bin as the marker was the highlight for me. If you're in the top 10 at the local tri club then worry about performance of your kit. Before that it's just a case of how much you want to spend. But in reality your better of spending on more training

[@gtn]

Interesting! Do you think the biggest gains are made from the person over the tech? 👀

[@riddle1522]

Just started reading about wetsuits, but I can explain what they mean by "better horizontality". It's for when you're a beginner, and your legs are kinda scraping againt the floor because of difficulties keeping them straight. And the added thickness on the bottom and legs part adds more boyancy which raises the legs more towards the surface, allowing for an easier, more horizontal position, hence the phrase "better horizontality". Pros don't usually need that, because it slows you down, and they have learned to keep the body straight on their own, but they are clearly advertising this to beginners.

[@SayMcGillicuddy]

Really enjoyed swim week. Such a technical discipline; deserves a lot of focus. Thanks all

[@gtn]

We're glad you enjoyed it!

[@bastogne315]

Orca s7 is just fine. 200 e. Its very very good. I got mine 2nd hand. Love it.

[@mjack7749]

I have the Orca Athlex Float and I love it. Does swimming in a chlorinated pool degrade the integrity of the materials? I looked on the website and emailed but haven't heard back yet. I understand this video is a demonstration but I mean if you wanted to swim in a pool regularly with your wetsuit.

[@eaglez9518]

I just bought Orca Athlex Float in Australia, the water does not flush from the neck for you? If you wash it good after using it the chlorine does not damage it.

[@rygar4702]

Nice Video. Need to compare 3-4 wetsuits at the entry level then at the high end. Iam looking for my 3rd wetsuits, need some advice from GTN.

[@marksherman848]

Come on guys, that wasn’t fair. That was Orca vs Aptonia sponsored by Orca. Why weren’t you comparing the Orca TRN? And to say you couldn’t understand what Aptonia was on about compared to the Orca gibberish that meant nothing to me…

[@TheSamwhyte]

Jeezo… that Orca suit belongs in a Marvel movie 🤩🤩

[@briantreadwell2206]

I enjoyed this test . . . . not least because it assists my choice in the Orca range of suits - not as great a disparity as I thought

[@miguelalonsoperez5609]

Was not a test, only marketing strategy

[@barryhugo3365]

It would be interesting to see whether the more expensive suits are much better for bad swimmers

[@gtn]

Do you think it's time we pull out the beginners again? 👀

[@elgrancriticon8586]

Many thanks for comparing wetsuits, this was really useful for me :)

[@winklertribe5268]

Do I really need a wetsuit for a summer triathlon? I don’t want to spend all that money if it’s not needed (or allowed).

[@winklertribe5268]

Mark could have a second career as a can-can dancer, he’s got some high kicks! 😂

[@AS-ReHMn]

Mark, what size is your own wetsuit, pls (8 or 9)? How did the heatseeker vest fit underneath for instance on a Norseman triathlon?

[@joshspencer6240]

In my first tri, all I had access to was a surfing wetsuit that was probably a half size too small. I spent a miserable two minutes trying to escape from that thing after the swim.

[@AugustoBolognaR]

Friendly reminder, bring your Swiss army to transition 😉

[@SergioCristancho]

feeels like a ballon .. and you see the small footage and take notice of the times... this guys are quite good at swimming and they are very very picky about the entrance level suit. well perhaps I find myself comfortable in the extra small size for aptonia and is an advantage not being difficult to fit on sizes ... whe I get my hands on one orca I let you know how good or bad was it but I know improving won't come just buying a new orca suit.

[@CoachPursuit]

Nice tan lines above your ankles Mark 😁👍

[@iggalan]

I have a Decathlon wetsuit, but better version of the one shown here. It has served my well for quite a few triathlons already (Olympic distance and some Sprints). I'm glad you recognize it's a viable option for someone who's just starting. Sizing is key, if it fits you well it's going to be a good option. Plus you don't worry that much if you make a small cut. But I wouldn't use it for a long distance (even if I cold do a full Ironman 😂 )

[@gtn]

Great to hear you just got stuck in and didn't worry about having the best kit possible! 🙌Do you think you'll ever build up to the full Ironman?

[@deNudge]

So far, I did 3 full distances in the Aptonia. Yea, felt very heavy at the end 😂- but I'm such a bad swimmer, I wonder if it would have felt any different using a more pricy one. Number 4 is about to come, and of course more control, easier shoulder movement and so on sound fantastic, but.... you know... 🤷‍♂

[@mikgold]

I just want to swim is there any vids without triathlons and just people like to swim?

[@themindunleashed1494]

I watched this video right after the Magic5 video on the custom goggles, just to see if you guys were wearing them as a personal choice even if there's no marketing reason and was happy to see you both do. That's good marks for the Magic5's!

[@buffviking2379]

If you click on Show more in the description you'll see their sponsors listed. As you can see, THEMAGIC5 is one of them. They're not using Magic5 goggles, Wahoo bike computers, Park tools or Felt as a personal choice, it's because they're sponsored. Every video on GTN (and GCN etc) have equipment being used for marketing reasons, even if that particular video isn't specifically sponsored by anyone.

[@thomasrobertfitness]

What would you suggest between these two?

[@paveljanlinka1717]

I think that wetsuit is a piece of equipment you shouldn't save on. If you are a beginner, maybe borrow one if you're not sure about triathlon as your passion. If you are sure you want to do some longer races in the future, go for midrange options or maybe a lowrange options but from brands like Orca, ROKA, Huub etc., not Decathlon, they have other things that are worth saving on but wetsuit is not one of them :)

[@KratosMayhem]

What are the benefits to getting a high end wetsuit such as the Orca in this video that almost cost $1k USD and an entry level or midrange wetsuit from the brands you listed? Once you've checked off the main boxes such as fit & comfortability, durability, warmth and buoyancy isnt there a point of diminishing returns from a $300-$500 and a $700-$1k+ wetsuit unless you're trying to compete at a high level and need every single advantage possible? What exactly are those high end wetsuits doing so much better or differently that they're so expensive lol? I'm a new swimmer so I'm a bit uneducated on this.

[@paveljanlinka1717]

I'm not a great swimmer, I don't know about you, but I need more buoyancy. I chose Orca 3.8, I got it new for half the price (yeah, lucky as hell, cost me little less than 300 euro). High end wetsuits give you more flexibility, durability, buoyancy and things you named. Orca 3.8 is just great, the buoyancy is the best about it, much better than Orca S7 where it's still pretty good. And it's still very flexible, warm enough, etc. Another thing is fit - as said in the video, 5 sizes just may not be enough. You absolutely need the wetsuit to fit great. So as a beginner, really try to find a branded entry level or mid range wetsuit that will fit your needs (e.g. buoyancy x flexibility), you may find some great deals as I did or go for Orca S7, even for the full price, it's great for not so experienced swimmers. I wanted to buy Orca S7 but the 100 euro price difference between O. S7 and O. 3.8 (on sale) was really easy and beneficial choice. You save a lots of energy

[@miguelalonsoperez5609]

Invalid test because biased influence, or even intentional slower results for the cheap one. Better use a flow pool and measure drag from a dynamometer to calculate hydrodynamic resistance. To measure technique influence for the wetsuits, blind the logos and decoration (or erase them) and give them to a non-experienced swimmers (otherwise they will recognize the neoprene by tactile perceptions) and make two groups with proper randomization and statistical analysis. The person who distribute the wetsuits should also ignore which wetsuit is giving to each participant.

[@ian-mucarruthers441]

So the summary could be: two ex-pros who have not had to buy a wetsuit for years. Get paid by their wetsuit sponsor to do a hatchet job on a cheap wetsuit. And pretend it's journalism/science.. A long advert for what looks like a lovely wetsuit.. Fine, just be honest..

[@mikedaknight8854]

Here's one though... What about sleeveless wetsuits? Fully unrestricted shoulder range though not suitable for the colder UK months

[@markthrelfall3577]

Keep an eye out, we have that very video coming soon :)

[@Kalenjinstf]

Taking 2 relatively good swimmer was not the best choice to test the wetsuits. Also, only 2 testers doesn't sound like enought. But even with those flaws, we can point out that they, on average, saved 4-5 seconds for fast 200m. Have they swam slower they may have saved less than that. If they save, let's say, 2 sec/100m on a 1500 swim, that would be an economy of... 30 sec. Is it that much ? It is a lot. But is it, as they asked before testing the sponsor product, worth 500 pounds ? I think it should be more than that to justify the price difference, at least for a "bad swimmer". It is very sad they didn't test both products with more people (for example a group of suscribers, some age groupers from different swimming levels).

[@wendyswan3091]

Disappointing video. Not a fair comparison, and I would certainly hope that a super expensive wetsuit would perform better. For those of us who either can’t or don’t want to spend that kind of money, how about a video comparing lower-end wetsuits? A FAIR comparison.

[@thomask2092]

I always wonder about Mark. He is an incredibly good swimmer. But also super strong on the bike and run. He could easily be a pro right?

[@cedricclaudel8727]

He was a pro until 2017 👍

[@3WalkingPoles]

@@cedricclaudel8727 Luckily for Frodeno. 😉

[@adamgoodley7333]

Id be extreamly concerned if the £600 extra didnt make it better...

[@michaelellison8329]

Mark, go pro!

[@Jon-lf2dj]

BTDT

[@erikasantoshafitness348]

Please do mid price range suits…if you haven’t already 🤗

[@robertnastasi8643]

I have an Orca s6. It is super nice. I consider myself a stronger swimmer. Only drawback is less flexibility in the shoulders. I recently purchase a zoot wikiki 2.0. I will say that the flexibility in the shoulders and ease of getting it on and off are quite noticeable with the upgraded wetsuit. Also when you really get into the sport, we spend so much on bikes, so when you think of a top line wetsuit at 800 dollars vs a top bike at 12,000, it’s nice to be able to buy a top of the line item and not completely break the bank like a bike. One last thing is fit. For me orca and Zoot fit me the best, so everyone will find their own brand based on their body dimensions.

[@zungagames]

I think this was a bit unfair if the comparison was supposed to be pricing vs build. I would rather have seen a cheaper wetsuit that had smooth skin coating throughout and 5mm in the body so that it was apples to apples against the Orca. Maybe a better comparison would the cheapest Orca vs the most expensive. Or a cheap full arm Xterra suit vs the most expensive Orca.

[@davidcampbell4647]

They’re never going to make a comparison between a midrange suit and an elite suit as the manufacturers wouldn’t be pleased. I expect the answer is marginal gains.

[@karinaniskanen1386]

Mark's tan lines 😄

[@estherrace7184]

If you get a great suit remember not to forget how to swim without it just in case! Not nice when the temp nudges over the limit on the morning of you big day....and you sink!

[@rogerc23]

Cool video idea but I think it requires a lot more testing.

[@stickonatree]

Would have been great to do a comparison without any wetsuit!

[@teplak4805]

I think they covered that a while ago. Not sure when that was though

[@Jon-lf2dj]

6-10sec./100m is a typical gap between using a top-level wetsuit and speedo. This is why you will see many folks in wetsuits even when the water seems warm enough that you don't need one. I (and most of the folks I compete with) will even wear one in a sprint race that has a 400m swim. As the video showed, getting the suit off takes much less than 24-40sec. (and you've usually already pulled the suit down to your waist on the run to T1).

[@phxrsx]

Yea a control.

[@angel0fdeath667]

I’m sure that decathlon wet suit got a run in the triathlon on a budget video somehow...

[@JohnDoe-xx4ig]

That was a painfully long advert for orca. It seems as if they pretested all the cheap wetsuits to find one that would give the sponsor a significant advantage. Then again, its GxN should we really be surprised.

[@saras4507]

Of course the £600 one is going to be better than the £99 one 🤷‍♀️ as a newbie who doesn’t want to spend £600 on a wetsuit this really wasn’t very helpful. Compare different levels ?

[@ronaldomac4918]

Can anyone tell me what goggles they are.......?

[@danielhorrocks318]

Think they are Magic5 😄

[@Huldru]

Why do you insist on testing best vs worst? Why not a realistic comparison?

[@adamoneale4396]

Notice how you don't actually see where they end up on the glide test? Or indeed the actual times on the swim, on the stopwatch screen?This is definitely not an unbiased review.

[@firminodias4419]

For an amateur athlete those seconds make any difference compared with the price? And what a about a entrance level Orca wetsuit compared with the top level? Bah for this video.

[@Jon-lf2dj]

Not Orca, but I had an entry level Blue70 suit (back when they were IM branded) and then had the good fortune to win a top-of-the-line Blue70 Helix at a race (4-5x the cost). The difference was 2-3sec./100m (YMMV). For a competitive AG athlete, that is 30-45sec. for an Oly-dist swim, which is significant if you are trying to podium. Of course, there are many suits in between the entry-level and the pro stuff. The mid-range suits often reduce that gap while being 1/2 the cost of the pro suit. Going from the $150 suit to the $400 suit might save you 2-2.5sec.; going from the $400 suit to the $1000 suit might save you and additional 0.5sec. (again YMMV). It's also worth noting that any triathlon wetsuit (not a surfing/diving suit) will be significantly faster (6-10sec/100m) than not wearing a wetsuit.

[@firminodias4419]

@@Jon-lf2dj 30-45sec its nothing for the majority of amateur triathletes. But, if there is money... everything can be bought. I have an Orca S6 for racing and an S5 bought by 30euros just for some training. Its more than enough.

[@fuzzblightyear145]

LoL. i'll have the cheap suit if i could do 200m in 2:19 🤣🤣

[@michaelpruski2281]

Orca is great...until you need some assistance from their after sales....

[@rohanpatil2319]

Hey 😊

[@Jimmer572TD]

Aptonia diss track

[@Sneedles]

Basically an advert in disguise.

[@thomasmorley4966]

I bought that Aptonia suit. It got me through a 70.3 and full distance somehow. Terrible piece of equipment, and from someone who's only experience was pool swimming, extremely uncomfortable and restricted

[@MonicaKM111]

hehe. These lads are not competitive. AT ALL! ;P

[@samr1147]

Disappointing. Of course a pro level wetsuit will be better for great swimmers who are ex elite. I'm quicker in a basic wetsuit as my kick isnt great and need the buoyancy Would have been better to have a video of pros, ag and beginners to compare

[@luc4662]

You're sponsored by Orca. Conflict of interest, you should not have made such a video, even if Orca gave you total freedom about the content.

[@binary964]

this video is very biased