TCR Wetsuit Sale
The Alpha has been designed with two themes in mind: unrivalled flexibility across the arms and chest, combined with maximum buoyancy around the hips. The first feature to achieve this is the ‘FreeWing’ – a seamless 1.5mm thick 40 cell neoprene panel that runs along the arms, through the underarm and across the chest. The core features 3mm thick rubber, while panels of Yamamoto’s latest 5mm thick Aerodome neoprene have been placed on the front and rear of the suit in the hip and upper leg region to create the buoyancy. Orca claims that these panels generate 30% more buoyancy. But what is it 30% more buoyant than? This statement seems pretty vague. The suit also features a 4-Way FreeStretch lining to enhance flexibility further, as well as the ‘AquaTread’ forearm panel – 3mm thick bands of neoprene pressed into the forearm area, creating ripples designed to increase water catchment with each stroke.
If you are going to pay top price for a wetsuit then it needs to blend exceptional flexibility and buoyancy in equal measure. Certainly this suit appears super-flexible in the hand – the arm and chest panel have an amazing stretch capacity. And aesthetically, this suit is a beauty – as we’ve come to expect from Orca. But surely there have to be question marks over this suit's buoyancy. Whereas its rivals feature 5mm thick neoprene from the chest all the way down to the knee, the alpha offers it solely around the hips. So if flexibility and comfort appeal to you more than buoyancy, look no further than the Alpha.
Orca’s mid-range suit is generally a no frills attached wetsuit. A 5mm thick panel runs down the front of the suit from the chest to the knee creating excellent buoyancy combined with 2mm thick shoulder and underarm panels for flexibility. However, clearly Orca felt it would be rude not to throw a gimmick in and they manage this with the ‘Hydrolift Buoyancy Cell’. This foam forearm panel supposedly helps your stroke by lifting your arms through the water. Possibly, but it may also cause unwanted resistance on the forearm during the catch part of the stroke. Either way, at £200 this represents fantastic value.
The Equip is a typical entry-level wetsuit - 5mm chest panel, 3mm legs combined with a stretch fabric under the arms for flexibility. But in comparison to other brands, we find that Orca’s entry-level suits are considerably more generous under the arm suiting the broader, bulkier athlete.
In 2007, Orca produced a wetsuit that was partly constructed from neoprene exclusive to them only - Airlite. Airlite is 2mm thick neoprene with holes punched into it, sandwiched between two layers of 1.5mm thick standard neoprene giving it the maximum thickness allowed of 5mm. This sandwich effect traps air inside the suit. Orca claimed that Airlite was lighter, more flexible and, crucially, more buoyant than the standard neoprene used by other leading brands. Essentially this was the suit's major selling-point: a large airlite panel running from the chest to the knee creating unrivalled buoyancy. This was combined with great flexibility from thinner neoprene under the arm and over the shoulder, aided by a super-stretchy gold lycra inner-lining. Whether this unrivalled buoyancy is true remains unclear but some well respected wetsuit tests claimed that the Apex2 had come up short against the blueseventy helix and the 2XU V1 and Elite suits.
Although £300 was considered too much money by some for this suit, no one can argue that our sale prices for the 07/08 models are anything but a steal.
When the Apex2 arrived on our doorstep, it brought its big brother with it – the 3.8. If you didn’t already know, 3.8 is the distance in kilometres swam in an ironman event. And yes you’ve guessed it, the 3.8 was designed specifically with those crazy ironmen and women in mind. Orca claimed that many ironman competitors, due to the length of the swim, were overheating in their traditional wetsuits at some of the warmer locations. So Orca developed ‘air release’ technology – a breathable and water-proof membrane underarm system which transfers heat from the suit to regulate the body temperature throughout a long-distance swim. Whether or not this system worked is debatable but the air release panel no longer features in the latest 2009 3.8 suit. Draw your own conclusions!
As well as air release, the 3.8 also features airlite neoprene (see Apex2 above) in the entire front part of the suit, from the neck to the ankle. Orca claimed this made it the most buoyant wetsuit in the world – the trouble was, we only really had their word for that. Despite the name, don’t think for a moment that you have to be doing ironman to wear this suit – yes you can still swim in it even in sprint distance. Making it breathable and buoyant certainly didn’t come cheap, the 3.8 was a whopping £350 – now you can get one from £150. Before it was overpriced – now it’s a bargain.
For there to be an Apex2 there had to be an Apex and in 2006, this was Orca’s latest and greatest wetsuit. Orca had already tried and failed to create buoyancy with thinner neoprene with the doomed P-Flex suit (see below). The Apex was a much better attempt and we got our first sighting of airlite neoprene (see Apex2 above). However, the airlite used in the Apex was different to that used in the Apex2. The two layers of neoprene sandwiched round the airlite were thinner – only 1mm thick each, giving an overall thickness of 4mm. Orca reckoned that the air trapped in the suit would make it as buoyant as rival suits using standard 5mm rubber. Unfortunately they were wrong and admitted as much the following year when they thickened the neoprene in the Apex2. While this may not be the most buoyant suit on the market it is available from us at an exceptional £150.
Orca have made some great suits in their time…sadly, this wasn’t one of them. When the P-Flex arrived it claimed to do the impossible – thinner neoprene in the chest for flexibility, yet somehow improving buoyancy. How had they done this? Orca announced that by coating the suit in silicone, air had been trapped between the silicone and the suit. The truth was that it had done nothing at all except coat it in silicone. The mighty £350 price tag would have been hard to stomach had their claims held up – the fact that they didn’t made the price absurd. However, this is still worth £50 of anyone’s cash. If you weigh 60kg or are of a stocky nature – and you’re looking for the cheapest suit money can buy – the P-Flex is just what you’re looking for.
The predator was a classic suit: 5mm thick front panel for buoyancy with 2mm panels under the arm and over the shoulder for flexibility – simple, effective and a solid performer.
Rather than bore you with technology we would rather dazzle you with price when it comes to our 06 and 07 Sonars. Similar to the predator only slightly less flexible and buoyant you can pick one of these up for less than a hundred pounds. But don’t let that make you think there is something wrong with them – these are perfect for the triathlete doing there first race without wanting to break the bank doing it.
A year on from Orca’s release of the RS1 and we’re still asking the same question: what was the point? Certainly no one could deny that this was a good-looking suit, perhaps the biggest eye-catcher at TCR last year. But who was it for? With only 1mm thickness all over, the RS1 offers almost zero buoyancy and that means less speed in the water. Orca would try and tell us different, that this suit offered fantastic flexibility, ideal for those great swimmers who don’t need buoyancy. We tend to disagree. Any swimmer’s performance is aided by buoyancy, making this suit a bit of a non-starter. But the RS1 does serve one purpose, as an excellent training suit. With no buoyancy it will make your open-water training sessions harder work whilst allowing the arms and shoulders to become accustomed to the restriction created by wearing a suit.
Any top-end wetsuit should provide the two key characteristics required – buoyancy and flexibility - in ample measure. The V1 ticks both these boxes, and so it should – at £440, this was the most expensive suit we were selling in 2009.
But is it worth the price tag? The V1 features a one-piece, 5mm thick 39 cell neoprene panel that runs from the chest to the knee. Although this would provide a significant amount of buoyancy alone, the V1 also incorporates its largest roll bar – a 5mm thick panel located around the hips and waist. Whilst this significantly improves the buoyancy, questions were raised as to whether the roll bar would restrict flexibility. But to compensate, 2XU have used a 1.5mm thick neoprene under the arm and over the shoulders – combined with a highly flexible hollow polyester fibre lining to ensure freedom of movement.
The V1 also offers three other unique features not seen on other suits. The forearms use 2XU’s Concave Water Entrapment Zone. In simple terms, these are two plastic catch panel strips that run parallel to each other along the forearm from below the elbow to the wrist. Its purpose is to feel and hold more water during each catch phase of the stroke, providing more distance per stroke.
The lower legs offer their own propulsion panels – two thick bands of neoprene running down the outsides of the shin from below the knee to the ankle. This creates a greater frontal area for a more powerful kick.
And finally, let’s not forget the Velocity Strakes, a handful of grooves running down the chest panel for improved hydrodynamics and greater water stability. While the forearm and lower leg features appear to be genuine performance aids, the Strakes should be considered more a gimmick than a proven benefit.
But what we are talking about here is a top of the range, state of the art, piece of kit – super buoyant, great flexibility combined with a number of performance features. Certainly no one could accuse 2XU of not covering the bases and, if the budget stretches that far, this wetsuit is worth every penny.
With the V1 in 2XU’s range, it’s easy to forget that the Elite suit is a top-end suit in its own right. In fact it was 2XU’s flagship model until the V1 arrived. It uses the same 5mm 39 cell neoprene from the chest to the knee although without the Velocity Strakes – so no great miss there then. It also sees the use of a marginally smaller 5mm thick roll bar around the hips and waist with a 1.5mm thick stretch panel under the arm. This is all sounding rather familiar, so where does it differ from the V1?Well, the Elite uses 2mm thick neoprene over the shoulders rather than the 1.5mm in the V1 and fails to feature either the forearm or lower leg propulsion features. While those features offer some performance benefit and it could be argued that this suit is not quite as buoyant or flexible as the V1, we are still looking at a top-end suit. And at £80 less, this suit will be the choice of many looking for great performance at a more affordable price.
Despite being the first wetsuit in the 2XU range, the T:0 is not described as an entry-level suit and with good reason – unlike many other manufacturer’s entry-level suits, the T:0 is entirely silicone coated for reduced water resistance.
The chest panel which runs down to the top of the leg is 4mm thick. From the top of the leg to the ankle, this thickness reduces to 3mm. A 4mm thick roll bar features around the hips and waist to aid buoyancy, with a 2mm thick stretch panel under the arm and over the shoulders maintaining flexibility.
While the suit is not as buoyant as the V1 and Elite suits, the T:0 still offers excellent flexibility due to its thinner rubber around the upper body. The T:0 is a great choice for any triathlete but will particularly appeal to those entering their first open-water race or looking to replace an older, worn-out model.
The C1 was dropped from the 2XU range last year as they felt it was too similar to the E1 suit and had lost its identity. The good news is that we still have some of these from 07 and 08, so if you’re looking for a top-end suit at a mid-range price put this on your short-list. The C1 almost is an E1 (see above). It has the same 5mm front panel, the same 5mm roll bar, and the same level of flexibility under the arm and over the shoulder. What it doesn’t have is silicone coating all over – the back panels are made from a rougher, cheaper stretch fabric. Ok, so this suit doesn’t offer quite the same drag reduction as an Elite but how much difference is that really going to make? Originally priced at £250, these are available from a very tempting £125.
When the 2XU brand arrived in our store for the 2007 season, the C2 was their entry-level suit at £169. With the exception of a few aesthetics the C2 is essentially a T:0 (see above). If you’re looking for a super comfy suit at a great price then help yourself to one of these while stock lasts.
In 2006, blueseventy launched the hugely successful helix wetsuit and in doing so set a new benchmark in comfort. The helix design refers to the two super-flexible blue neoprene panels that loop over the shoulders, forming a cross on the back of the suit. blueseventy identified that the shoulder panels in many wetsuits actually restricted shoulder movement by pulling against other panels in the suit. This is what makes the helix design so innovative – essentially it allows the shoulders and arms to work independently of one another. The introduction in 2008 of TST – ‘torsional stretch technology’ – saw blueseventy integrate Yamamoto’s latest technically superior materials into their helix pattern making it even better than the original.
Don’t think for a moment that buoyancy has been compromised. The helix uses a 5mm thick neoprene panel from the chest to below the knee before marginally tapering into a 4mm thickness to the ankle. What we have here then is the most comfortable suit on the market aided by unbeatable buoyancy – the ultimate wetsuit.
If you wanted a helix but didn’t like the price point then a synergie is the next best thing. It uses similar technology to that found in the original helix suit, creating freedom for the arms and shoulders – as well as a 5mm thick front panel running from the chest to just above the knee for buoyancy.
If you’re looking for more than an entry-level suit - but don’t want to pay big money - then consider the reaction. The suit has been designed with a unique 5mm thick air-cell neoprene chest panel for increased buoyancy and warmth, combined with 3mm thick legs. The suit also uses enlarged, high-stretch arm gussets for flexibility, and a low friction coating for lower drag through the water.
The sprint represents blueseventy’s entry-level suit and is ideal for triathletes who are starting out in their first open-water events. It features a 4mm thick chest panel with 3mm thick legs and incorporates high-stretch underarm gussets for freedom of movement during the swim stroke.
When blueseventy released the Helix wetsuit in 2006 they set a new benchmark in comfort. Although the current TST model features the latest and greatest materials from Yamamoto, the original is still one of the most flexible and buoyant suits available. If we’ve got your size you won’t find better value for money anywhere.
When blueseventy took over Ironman wetsuits in 2005 they repackaged the excellent ‘Stealth’ wetsuit as the Energie. This includes a 5mm chest panel to just above the knee with a 2mm stretch panel under the arm and, over the shoulders. For a mind-boggling £85, need we say more?
An entry-level suit at yet another unbeatable price – the reaction is simple but more than adequate. A 4mm chest panel with 3mm thick legs offer reasonable buoyancy while a stretch fabric under the arms allows you to maintain movement.