Orca’s generation s-series speedsuit, the S4 has been completely re-designed with performance grade materials, setting a new benchmark for entry level open water swimming wetsuits. Whether you’re looking to compete in triathlons, Swimrun or open water swimming, our extensive collection of Orca wetsuits will have everything you need. We stock a range of high-performance Orca wetsuits with Hydrodynamic Silicone coating, buoyancy panels, and enhanced lateral flexibility. This entry-level wetsuit features a comfortable neckline as well as ankle and wrist openings designed to keep water out but come off easily in T1. Shoulder flexibility is not sacrificed at all while the 3mm thickness in the core and upper legs keeps the body in a natural swimming position. Up-to-date pricing and reviews for Orca wetsuits on the market can be found at the wetsuit adviser website.
NANO SCSSuper Composite Skin (SCS) has become the benchmark for coating the smoothskin neoprene used in triathlon wetsuits, to reduce friction and increase speed through the water. In addition to our Orca wetsuits for triathlon and swim run, you’ll find a huge collection of accessories including transition backpacks, fins and paddles for your next open water challenge. Take on nature with Orca’s open water wetsuits , designed for endurance, flexibility and buoyancy.
Triathlon wetsuits are designed to make you faster in the water with enhanced buoyancy and a design that with flexibility. It features Super Composite Skin, a well-known coating used for triathlon wetsuits that reduces friction and repels water. Three of the wetsuits feature a large number of panels that are specially designed for their wearer, and both also provide an excellent drag coefficient to allow for faster, easier swimming.
While a swimskin may not have the insulation of a wetsuit, it should still feature all of the other qualities like body compression, a tight fit, water tightness, and excellent flexibility. When it comes to swimskins, there are a number of qualities that differentiate it from traditional wetsuits, but one of the ultimate goals is to provide a faster swim speed-faster than even your standard wetsuits provide. While the Zoot Wahine 1 has a wide variety of different panel types for different purposes-like most of the more reputable wetsuits-it also features panels that do not necessarily enhance your performance during the race but instead are meant to provide a more comfortable and secure fit.
Wetsuits for triathlon, opene water swimming and swimrun. Proper wetsuit fit allows good swimming range of motion while reducing extra room for too much water inside the suit, which would limit buoyancy and hydrodynamics. For example, most entry-level triathlon wetsuits have 3 mm of material around the legs and 1.5 to 2 mm around the chest/arms.
It doesn’t provide the same buoyancy as some other price-point wetsuits with 3mm of neoprene on the front, but it’s enough to help a new triathlete comfortably complete a sprint or Olympic-distance swim. Orca have defined their range of triathlon wetsuits into 3 segments, each segment is specialised for a certain swim style and/or skill level. Where budget wetsuits are often purely functional – a slab of buoyancy, a slither of flexibility – the Proton finds the balance between keeping you afloat and maintaining a feel for the water thanks to the 1.5mm thickness of the shoulders and supple neoprene.
There are also Orca wetsuits for adventurous wild swimmers looking for a new challenge or exploring the open water. With innovative Orca design, each wetsuit is equipped with Yamamoto high performance neoprene, Hydrolite panels for fast removal in transitions and Infinity Skin lining for greater flexibility and less skin irritation. The Orca wetsuits for men and women is known for its variety as well as its quality, offering a broad range of wetsuits to meet the needs of all individual swim styles and budgets.
Founded in New Zealand in 1993 by Scott Unsworth, Orca have spent the past 25 years designing and developing a high performance collection of swimming wetsuits. Whereas surfers need wetsuits for warmth, triathletes also need buoyancy to make swimming a little easier, reduced drag to reduce time and energy conservation for the following two race stages. This best wetsuit for triathlon features a four and a half millimeter back panel for maximum buoyancy allows the swimmer to move more easily through the water.
The main difference between the 2 types of water suits is that a swimskin is not really designed to provide much, if any insulation, that being the case, it should not altogether be surprising that the swimskin is primarily used in triathlons for races where the water is warmer than 77 degrees Fahrenheit. In fact, this brand specializes explicitly in wetsuits and other gear for triathlons rather than simply being a swimming gear company. At the sides of the wetsuit, the Synergy Endorphin features AquaLift panels to help increase your buoyancy and keep your swimming form in the proper alignment.
For instance, this wetsuit comes with Yamamoto aerodome panels to increase your buoyancy and make sure that your swimming form remains proper for faster speed and to conserve energy. AEROdome neoprene is placed in strategic spots on the wetsuit to keep the body high on the water with the best swimming position. When it comes to the swimming leg of a triathlon, there are few things a wetsuit can provide that are better than increasing your speed.
A highly flexible range of wetsuits for the streamlined and naturally strong swimmer who has good body position and technique. 1.5 mm Glide Skin neoprene offers increased speed and freedom of movement in water due to a low drag coefficient with max flexibility and range of motion in the shoulders, legs, and chest. The top brands in triathlon (blueseventy, Zone3, 2XU, Orca, Zoot, and De Soto) all have different features, and you are bound to hear differing opinions about the necessity of a wetsuit, but here are some facts about wetsuits that will help you make an informed decision about getting one.
It offers all the basic features that are necessary for a swimming wetsuit to work without the gimmicks that are often found in other wetsuits. SONAR The new Sonar provides the perfect mix of flexibility and buoyancy – now offering flexibility, which some brands reserve for their elite wetsuits, at an intermediate budget. And I think that’s a good segue to Orca, because their wetsuits feature glued & blindstitched 1.5mm smoothskin rubber, a skill the Asian factories learned from my misfits and castoffs.
I don’t compete, but wanted something for open water swimming that was more appropriate than the surf and dive wetsuits i was using. These wetsuits hold water close to your skin and allow your body heat to warm the water, and then retain that warmed water. Flexibility through the arms isn’t on par with Orca’s more expensive wetsuits, but the updated neck panel is similar to the collar on the high-end Predator wetsuit and sits low to reduce the chance of chafing or a restrictive feel.
Aqua Sphere updated its entire lineup of wetsuits in 2016 and the new Racer has a striking aesthetic with some trickle-down features from the range-topping Phantom, but at this price, we would like more flexibility through the shoulders. It’s what’s on the inside that counts and Orca’s unique InfinitySkin lining plays an integral part in the unbelievable flexibility of our top end wetsuits. Orca Triathlon Wetsuits – Swim Guide.
Most of our tri swim milestones over the years have come in Orca wetsuits (including our debut iron in their £169 S7), and the Equip proved a quality performer from the moment it entered the water. This wetsuit was designed with the goal of elevating the position of the triathlete in the water, with the most advanced buoyancy technologies on the market, Aerodome and Exo-cell; without compromising elasticity when it comes to swim strokes, with… This wetsuit was designed with the goal of elevating the position of the triathlete in the water, with the most advanced buoyancy technologies on the market, Aerodome and Exo-cell; without compromising elasticity when it comes to swim strokes, with Yama…
In the five short years since Orca was launched in 1995 the brand was able to firmly establish itself as a favorite among the world’s elite triathletes, and at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia two thirds of all triathlon competitors wore Orca Speedsuits in the swim leg of the event. These hi-tech range of Swim run wetsuits are perfect for athletes looking to master this exciting new sport. From beginner to expert, we have Orca triathlon wetsuits for every ability level and budget.
Our range of tri wetsuits is available in men’s and women’s models in all sizes to suit your body shape. Most triathlon wetsuits are made with different grades of neoprene. Triathlon Wetsuits Orca Wetsuits Huub Wetsuits.
This wetsuit features form fitting wrist cuffs to eliminate water entering your wetsuit during strokes. The Orca Openwater Mens Triathlon Wetsuit has a thickness of 1.5 – 2.5 mm high performance Yamamoto 39 cell neoprene all over and is super flexible and warm, giving you great freedom of movement in the open water. For those who are going to be competing in warmer waters where triathlons do not allow true wetsuits, we recommend either the ROKA for women or the TYR Torque Pro for men.
Swimskin (Speedsuit) – The second type of water suit is the swimskin which is actually fairly similar to a traditional wetsuit. For most people, the term wetsuit will apply to any high-end bodysuit that is intended to be worn while you are swimming or otherwise engaged in water activities. Lycra – Lycra, or Spandex, is another material that is commonly used for wetsuits, though it has recently begun to lose favor with manufacturers who are switching over to neoprene instead.
Laminated Neoprene – Laminated neoprene is one of the more common and popular types of neoprene used for triathlon wetsuits. However, there are plenty of different materials used in triathlon wetsuits and they are often used at different points or for different layers of the wetsuit. Unlike the standard wetsuits, the Orca RS1 is actually a Swim-Run suit which technically requires different qualities.
In this instance, Orca made it a point to provide a shorty wetsuit for those racers who prefer to have some freedom with their arms and legs. This also provides Orca the luxury of appealing to a wide variety of consumers by providing more styles of wetsuits. Specifically, this is one of the few wetsuits we reviewed which actually includes panels that are ergonomically designed to allow the Zoot Wahine 1 to fit a woman the way it should without overly compressing the chest.
The HiFlex panels of the arms and legs allow for more flexibility on an already incredibly flexible wetsuit with a flexibility rating of 680 percent. On top of that, the arms have aqua-feel catch panels that increase your stroke speed and provide a better feel for the water. One thing that triathletes must constantly contend with in the swim leg of the race is whether they want the wetsuit to provide a greater range of motion or provide a tighter fit.
Arms Up Construction: ROKA designs all its wetsuits with the model’s arms above their head to simulate swimmer’s position. Continuing on, the TYR Hurricane also offers some of the best buoyancy we saw and accomplishes this by providing aerodome panels in 360-degrees around the wetsuit to help you maintain a proper swimming position. Whereas most wetsuits constrict around the shoulder, the TYR Hurricane is able to offer a greater range of motion with special shoulder panels.
For instance, the TYR Hurricane is one of the only wetsuits we saw that came with the range of motion panels. Finally, the buoyancy of ORCA’s Alpha wetsuit helps keep you in the best swimming position without compromising your technique. To give you more speed, ORCA uses Nano Super Composite Skin (SCS) so the wetsuit won’t rub your skin while you swim.
Wetsuits can be worn for water temperatures greater than 78 and less than 84 degrees, but these athletes are ineligible for prizes at USA Triathlon races. This evolution of the wetsuit has improved buoyancy and flexibility needed for swimming, without compromising freedom of movement that is essential for running. Using 3 mm 100% neoprene, this swim cap can be paired with Orca wetsuit for extra warmth in colder than usual waters.
Ideal for Total Swimmers looking for an optimal balance between flexibility and buoyancy, this wetsuit has both points where it is needed: buoyancy in the lower part of the body and flexibility at the top. At 73 inches/1.85m and 165lbs/75kg, I generally have a hard time fitting off-the-shelf-suits, but the Swim Skin 2.0 fits me well – probably due to the soft neoprene enabling a leaner cut. The bottom line is that a triathlon wetsuit should fit like a second skin, and you should have full range of motion in your shoulders.
Flexibility – Triathlon wetsuits are made with different thickness and styles of rubber to maximize flexibility. However, their experience in making wetsuits dates back to the mid-1990s, and they sponsor athletes like Craig Alexander, who won the world 70.3 distance title using an Orca wetsuit during the swim. NEOPRENE SHORT If you’re looking for a buoyant swim short to wear on it’s own, or to add extra buoyancy under your wetsuit whilst promoting correct body rotational form.
S6 If you’re looking for an entry-level open water swimming wetsuit that offers great flex and buoyancy for superb value. Read more about Orca Wetsuits Or visit If you click that link Brian will know you arrived from Slowtwitch (which may accrue to your benefit… or not!). These are wetsuits built for swim specialists who value how the wetsuit makes them feel when they swim rather (which may run contrary to what the clock says when they exit the water).
When you sub in new materials, how does this change the way your wetsuits fit? Orca’s RS1 Predator provides full-body coverage that emphasizes range of motion, flexibility, and buoyancy in a lightweight package. I’ve been a pool swimmer for a long time and had some bad experiences with ill fitting wetsuits in the past.
Building on the popularity of the orca S3, the S4 offers full neoprene coverage, including premium SCS coated 3-4mm Yamamoto 39 cell neoprene across the full front of the wetsuit for hydrodynamics, flexibility, buoyancy and durability. The main difference between a triathlon or swimming wetsuit and a wetsuit you would use for surfing or other sports is how they interact with the water around them. The wetsuit you want to use for swimming is different from wetsuits that you would use for surfing, scuba, or windsurfing. Be sure to visit wetsuit adviser for the best Orca wetsuits on the market to buy.
Orca specialises in high range wetsuits, with most wetsuits starting at around $250 up to $700 4 with many of its products available worldwide. He decided to start manufacturing wetsuits after discovering that traditional wetsuits were not suitable for swimming.
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