Triathlon Wetsuits

How to choose a triathlon wetsuit: Float, Flow or Flex

Orca name their triathlon wetsuits for how much help you need staying flat in the water. Sort that out first.

Want the full breakdown, with a 2-minute pool test? Read our guide: Which Orca wetsuit? Float vs Flow vs Flex.

• Float — Orca's highest-buoyancy model. For swimmers whose hips and legs drop, which is most people who came to triathlon from running or cycling. The Athlex Float V2 puts 4.5 mm Yamamoto neoprene through the legs. The Apex Float V2 uses 5 mm panels through the torso and hips and 3 mm where thickness would cost you movement.

• Flow — the middle of the range. Buoyancy where the hips need it, stretch everywhere else. If you don't know which way your stroke errs, start here.

• Flex — the least buoyant and the most flexible. For swimmers who already hold a flat position in the pool without a pull buoy.

Athlex vs Apex

Same three models, two tiers. Pick the letter for your stroke, then the tier for your budget.

• Athlex ($413–$633) — Yamamoto neoprene, a back YKK zip, a water-shedding SCS outer coating on the Float and fabric gloves in the box. It covers most age-group racing.

• Apex ($773–$1,110) — Orca's premium range, with higher-stretch Yamamoto grades through the shoulders: Yamamoto 40 on the Float, 44 on the Flow, 44+ with 0.88 Free panels on the Flex. The Apex Flex V2 adds a short reverse zip, Hydrolite panels that help the suit slide off over wrists and heels in T1, and a mesh backpack. Worth it if you train in the suit every week and the swim is where you lose time.

All six come in men's and women's cuts. Women's triathlon wetsuits run from the Athlex Float V2 ($413) to the Apex Flow V2 ($1,110).

Getting the size right

Orca size on height, weight and chest together, not on your t-shirt size. Men's suits run size 4 to 11, and some models add a 6T tall cut for a lean swimmer with a long body. A tri wetsuit should feel tight to the point of awkward on dry land, with no slack at the lower back or behind the knees. It frees up once you're swimming. If you're between sizes, check torso length first: a suit too long in the body pools water at the shoulders. Wear the supplied fabric gloves when you pull it on, because fingernails are what tear neoprene.

Wetsuit rules and Australian race water

World Triathlon sets the wetsuit rules and your race's technical officials apply them. Whether wetsuits are compulsory, optional or banned depends on the water temperature on the day and the swim distance, so read your event's athlete guide in race week.

As a comfort guide, our Athlex product pages put a full-sleeve tri suit at about 15°C to 22°C, adding a neoprene cap below 15°C. That covers early-season races in Victoria and Tasmania. Much of the Queensland and northern NSW summer calendar is swum without wetsuits, which is where an Apex Swimskin over your trisuit comes in. Find those on our main wetsuits page.

Rinse the suit in fresh water after every swim and dry it in the shade. UV kills neoprene faster than racing does. Hang it folded at the waist over a wide hanger, never by the shoulders.

Why buy from Oz Backcountry

We stock all six current Orca Athlex and Apex models in men's and women's cuts. Use the "In stock – ships immediately" filter to see what leaves our Helensvale warehouse today. Free shipping over $150 Australia-wide (T&Cs apply).

Related: Wetsuits · Open Water Wetsuits · Trisuits · Swim Goggles · Triathlon Gear · Orca