What is important with the Neo? How do the wetsuits differ and which one is best for me? Here you will find our comprehensive advice on the subject of wetsuits.
Neoprene advice: find your second skin
Why wetsuit?
A wetsuit fulfills two essential tasks:
1. Protection against the cold: As a protection against the cold, it prevents rapid cooling down and high energy loss at colder water temperatures.
2. Buoyancy / swim faster: Due to the properties of the material, it is a natural buoyancy aid and significantly supports the water position and gliding properties. This function in particular is considered more important by many triathletes, since progress in freestyle swimming without neoprene is often associated with a lot of energy use and loss of strength. The Neo prevents the legs from sinking, stabilizes the water position and corrects minor mistakes in the swimming technique. Effect: You swim much faster and more efficiently! Even advanced swimmers with a good position in the water benefit from these properties of a wetsuit.
What are the differences?
Wetsuits can usually be divided into three categories: entry-level models, middle class/all-rounders and top models. Above all, the material quality makes the difference here. The higher the quality of the neo, the softer, more flexible and elastic the material and the better the gliding properties in the water. This, in turn, is expressed in terms of wearing comfort, mobility and less physical effort when swimming. The thickness of the material is important for buoyancy, but plays a less important role in these categories as the maximum neoprene thickness is regulated.
Tip: You can find a comprehensive overview of the material properties in our article: "Wetsuits - more than just protection against the cold"
entry-level models
Brief description:
-
- all important basic functions for triathlon beginners (protection against cold, mostly high buoyancy)
- Designed for short triathlon distances (popular/sprint/olympic)
- Restrictions in mobility for longer swimming distances
Mid-range/all-rounder
short description
-
- All-rounder models suitable for all distances
- significantly softer material, more freedom of movement, high wearing comfort
- Buoyancy varies by make and model
top models
Brief description:
-
- maximum swimming performance at all distances
- ultimate freedom of movement, highest material quality
- Buoyancy varies by make and model
2. The right neo for your needs
Since every athlete has different requirements (e.g. water position, swimming ability) and pursues different goals (swimming distance, frequency of competitions), wetsuits also have different properties to meet different needs and swimmer types. These three criteria play the decisive role:
1. Buoyancy
Brief description:
-
- different buoyancy characteristics for different swimmer types
- depending on swimming level and water position
2. Flexibility
short description
-
- Material resistance & arm freedom
- depending on neoprene category & material quality
- important for longer distances
3. Fit
Brief description:
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- manufacturer's size charts
- find the right size
- Instructions: Put on the wetsuit properly
Would you like personal advice? We're happy to help!
Telephone: +49 (0)89-95760842 or by email to: shop@triathlon.de
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