Wetsuit selection guide
A wetsuit is not mandatory equipment, but in Finnish conditions it is an important addition for an open water swimmer. A wetsuit warms and floats the swimmer and its use extends the swimming season when the weather is still cool. Wetsuits are mainly made of neoprene and the idea is that a thin layer of water gets inside the suit, which warms up from body heat and thus keeps the swimmer warm. The suit must fit well and snugly on all sides, but the arms should move well. The fit is required especially at the wrists and neck so that too much water does not get inside.
In our selection you will find high-quality Orcan, Zone3 and Arena wetsuits for both professionals and beginners. This guide has been created to make it easier to choose the right suit. The choice is influenced by the swimmer's primary wishes for features. When you know what you want from a suit, choosing a suit becomes much easier.
Orca wetsuits
Vitalis Openwater Hi-Vis
The Vitalis Openwater Hi-Vis is specifically designed for swimming and training in open water safely and with maximum visibility. Maximum visibility is achieved with the orange panels of the suit, which stand out from the open water. The suit also provides the thermal comfort needed to maintain an ideal body temperature without compromising movement. The model is a renewed version of the Orcan Openwater Core Hi-Vis wetsuit.
To whom?
This model is suitable for both beginners and experienced divers due to its features. The 2-2.5 mm thick neoprene offers neutral buoyancy in addition to good thermal comfort. The extreme
To ensure safety, the suit is designed in highly visible orange
with a color that makes it easy to spot by boats and other swimmers
swimmer in open water.
Athlex Float
The Orcan Athlex Float wetsuit is made for swimmers who are not yet fully accustomed to open water and are looking for a wetsuit that will help improve their swimming position. The Athlex Float offers a lot of buoyancy, which allows the swimmer to achieve a stable position in the water. Flexibility in a wetsuit is also an important feature, but for a beginner swimmer, buoyancy is often the first priority.
The Athlex Float wetsuit is a completely new version of the Orcan S7 wetsuit. Thanks to its features, the suit is especially suitable for the beginner open water swimmer who is looking for a highly buoyant suit. The wetsuit is designed to improve the swimmer's position in the water, the upper part of the suit is made of thinner neoprene, and the lower part is made of thicker neoprene, which lifts the swimmer's legs into the correct position.
To whom?
The Athlex Float is especially suitable for swimmers who are just starting out in triathlon or open water swimming. The suit offers buoyancy and maximum support to improve body position and technique.
Zone3 wetsuits
Agile Wetsuit wetsuit
The Zone3 Agile Wetsuit is a great choice for beginners in triathlon or open water swimming. The suit's 2mm, 3mm and 4mm buoyancy panels support the body in the water, help maintain proper swimming position and improve technique. The flexible Flex-Fit shoulder panels increase upper body mobility.
Brightly colored panels improve visibility in the water and an easy-to-use zipper completes the comfort. Fully taped seams and eco-friendly neoprene make it a durable and responsible choice. Agile combines performance, durability and excellent value for money.
To whom?
The Agile Wetsuit is especially suitable for swimmers starting out in open water swimming. The floating panels on the lower body help with core control and maintaining swimming position.
Advance Wetsuit wetsuit
The Zone3 Advance is an excellent choice for beginner and intermediate swimmers who want to combine comfort, performance and durability for training and competition. The suit features a new 1.5mm Yamamoto #39 SCS Free-Flex shoulder panel design for exceptional flexibility and efficiency with every stroke. The suit features taped seams for added comfort and speed in the water.
4 mm flotation panels on the front of the legs and mid-body help maintain an optimal swimming position, and brightly colored details increase visibility.
The Advance is made from eco-friendly Yamamoto neoprene, which reduces carbon footprint and production waste. The SCS nano-coating repels water and increases speed, while the material provides exceptional warmth and flexibility even in cold conditions.
To whom?
The Advance Wetsuit's features are especially suitable for developing swimmers who want to combine excellent performance and durability.
Arena wetsuits
Arena Thunder
The Arena Thunder wetsuit is a good choice for you if you don't have much experience in swimming or open water swimming. You need buoyancy from a wetsuit, which will guide your swimming position correctly and prevent your feet from sinking.
This wetsuit is made especially for beginner open water swimmers and triathletes. For a beginner open water swimmer, buoyancy is the most important thing, which helps improve swimming position and technique. Flexibility in suits is also very important, but buoyancy that improves swimming position allows a beginner to squeeze the most minutes out of their performance. However, as swimming technique develops, swimmers usually also begin to appreciate freer movement of the hands. For this reason, Arena's Thunder suit also includes reasonably good flexibility in the arms and shoulders with 2mm neoprene. This way, you can continue to use your suit as your swimming technique develops.
Costume details:
- Thicker neoprene (4mm) in the midsection stabilizes your swimming position.
- The thickened neoprene (3mm) on the legs and upper chest keeps you warm and helps maintain your swimming position, bringing your legs close to the surface.
- The thinner neoprene (2mm) on the arms and shoulders gives room for hand pulls and reduces the suit's resistance during pulls.
- FINA approved. Arena wetsuits comply with the standards of all world-renowned federations: FINA, World Triathlon (ITU), Ironman, USAT and all other local federations that follow World Triathlon and FINA rules. So you can choose an Arena wetsuit for competitions under these federations as well.
To whom?
Arena's Thunder is suitable for swimmers who are looking for buoyancy in their wetsuit to improve swimming position and body stability.
Arena Storm
The Arena Storm wetsuit is the right choice for you if your swimming technique is already at a reasonably good level and you need maximum flexibility in addition to buoyancy.
We recommend Arena's Storm wetsuit for more experienced open water swimmers and triathletes. The suit combines maximum flexibility in the upper body and maximum buoyancy in the lower body. More experienced open water swimmers will appreciate the buoyancy as well as the freer range of motion of the hands during handstrokes, which is made possible by the thinner neoprene. Arena's Storm wetsuit uses Airlock laminated neoprene in the midsection, thighs and buttocks to ensure a good swimming position and prevent the legs from sinking. The Airlock laminate has air laminated between the neoprene using mesh fabrics, which increases the buoyancy of the suit. Only 1.5mm thick Yamamoto neoprene has been used in the arms and shoulders to ensure the freest possible range of motion during handstrokes. Thin (2mm) double laminated neoprene on the forearms also improves the water feel during the stroke and reduces the buoyancy of the arms.
Costume details:
- Thin neoprene (1.5mm) on the arms and shoulders helps maintain good mobility and clean motion.
- 4mm neoprene combined with Airlock and Arena's Carbon Fiber compression technology helps you maintain a good swimming position even when tired.
- The thin and flexible neoprene (1.5mm) on the cuffs and leg openings makes it easy to put on and take off.
- FINA approved. Arena wetsuits comply with the standards of all world-renowned federations: FINA, World Triathlon (ITU), Ironman, USAT and all other local federations that follow World Triathlon and FINA rules. So you can choose an Arena wetsuit for competitions under these federations as well.
To whom?
Arena's Storm is suitable for swimmers who are looking for flexibility in their wetsuit, which ensures the most natural-feeling handstroke possible even in open water, as well as maximum lower body buoyancy to prevent legs from sinking and ensure a good swimming position.
What else do you need to bring with you on the open water?
Swimming goggles
Swimming goggles
Goggles with wide lenses are often best suited for open water. A wide lens distributes the pressure exerted by the goggles over a larger area, which reduces the pressure build-up and often feels more comfortable on the face. A wider lens is often more comfortable to wear for longer periods of time. This feature is useful in open water, as it is often difficult to adjust the position of the goggles in the water.
Swimming goggles recommended for open water often also feature anti-fog treatment and mirrored lenses. Anti-fog treatment ensures a fog-free and clear field of vision, and mirrored lenses make swimming in clear weather much easier.
Our recommendation for open water swimming is the AquaX open water swimming goggles. This model is designed for both open water swimming and the pool, offering excellent visibility and comfort for swimmers of all levels. The stylish design of the swimming goggles and the soft silicone padding ensure the most pleasant and comfortable swimming experience. The glasses have a mirror finish and Antifog and UV protection.
Discover AquaX swimming goggles!
Safety buoy
Safety buoy
An inflatable safety buoy provides open water swimmers with increased visibility and safety in open water. Many buoys have a waterproof inner pocket, which is suitable for safely carrying small items such as car keys while swimming. You can take the buoy with you on a swimming trip empty and fill it only at the beach. When empty, it fits into a small space.
The safety buoy is attached to the swimmer's waist with an adjustable belt, allowing it to float on the swimmer's back without interfering with swimming movements. The brightly colored buoy makes the swimmer more visible to other water users, such as boaters. The buoy can be used as a float for resting if necessary, if you need extra support in the water for a while.
Bathing cap
Bathing cap
When swimming in open water, it is a good idea to choose a swimming cap in a bright color, as it will also be visible to other swimmers, thus increasing your safety. If the water is cold, you can try wearing two caps on top of each other. During the high season, you will also find neoprene swimming caps in our selection.
Seven tips to extend the life of your suit
1. Wash your wetsuit properly and clean it after every swim. The easiest way is to shower with your wetsuit on immediately after use. Rinse the inside of the wetsuit after you take it off. If you don’t have access to a shower, you can use a garden hose or soak the wetsuit in the tub, turn it over and soak it again. Do not use laundry detergent! We recommend using a wetsuit cleaner every five washes or if the wetsuit smells musty.
2. Never wash your suit in a washing machine. Also, do not dry the suit with hot air (e.g. with a hair dryer) or in the sun.
3. Dry your suit properly. Turn the suit inside out and let it dry first. This is especially important if you are going to wear it again the next day. It will be much easier to put it on when the inside is dry.
4. Store the suit in a dry place. Do not store the suit on a hanger for long periods of time or leave the suit in a car for storage, for example.
5. Don't tear the suit in a hurry . Take off jewelry and rings, long nails can also easily make a hole in the suit. If you find it difficult to put on the suit, you can wear thin cotton gloves (each Orca suit comes with one pair of gloves). If possible, ask a friend to zip the suit up. If you are putting it on yourself, remember to pull your shoulders together and keep your arms up when you pull the zipper up.
6. Warm up before putting on your wetsuit. The suit is not made for exercising on dry land, so its seams will stretch over time if you stretch them constantly.
7. Repair any tears or cuts immediately. It is very common for neoprene to get tears over time when the suit hits rocks or other sharp corners. Small tears and holes can be easily repaired at home with wetsuit glue. If the holes are not repaired, they will easily tear larger. For more detailed information on repairing your suit, please contact our customer service.
Our recommendation for open water & triathlon!
Choose your option
Choose your option
Choose your option
Choose your option
Choose your option
Open water swimming package (incl. Aqua Gloves & Aqua Socks 2.0 mm)
Choose your option
Choose your option
Choose your option
Activate Tri Shorts men's triathlon shorts
Choose your option
The Originals Buoyancy Shorts neoprene shorts
Choose your option
Active-Flex Buoyancy Jammer neoprene shorts
Choose your option
