What does 2mm really mean...A Wetsuit Selection Question

Joseph Lombardi

Cuurious about Wetsuits...I have had for years an Orca Sonar that I like...zipper is shot and can't seem to get it repaired...I have in my room  an Orca S6 and an Xterra Volt full sleeve wetsuits...the key differencem- Other than +$60.00 for the Orca... is that the Orca has some 5mm neoprene on front thighs and hips...while the Volt has 3MM ...Volt fits nice and has equal flexiblity/comfort....I'm told and believe that extra buoyancy for rocks like me make for faster swimming...so that would lend itslef to choosing the S6...but what do you think the "real" impact will be...I'm a 1:50-2:00/100 swimmer at best sans wetsuit...I have done 4 Ironmans all in speedsuits and my times have been 1:16-1:26..... I have to return one....thoughts?

Scott Alexander

More neoprene thickness definitely helps lift the legs and your position in the water, providing more benefit for "less good" swimmers (like myself). Then again, in a 5mm full-sleeved wetsuit in fresh water, my legs STILL sink!

IMO...Mo neoprene is mo better!

Paul Hough

Fit is everything.  The 'mm' is how many millimeters thick the neoprene is.  Typically you will see 2mm in the shoulders and arms where you want maximum flexibility.  5mm is the maximum allowed under the rules.   While more 5mm all around is a simple solution for float, some manufacturers will put 5 in the legs and 3 in the chest to float the legs higher than the chest to create a more neutral plane.  This construction is better suited to marginal swimmers rather than top swimmers.   

scott dinhofer

Paul Hough said:

.  This construction is better suited to marginal swimmers rather than top swimmers.   

what do they have for people like me who are less than marginal swimmers?  

Al Truscott

I use two different wetsuits: DeSoto First wave (two piece), which has 5 mm all around in the legs and arms, 2 mm in the shoulders and chest. And an Xterra Vendetta, with 5 mm in the from of the legs, 3 mm in the back, 2 mm in the arms and shoulders. I don't notice any difference in speed or flexibility (the DeSoto is amazingly flexible d/t its two piece nature), I but do notice a big difference in WARMTH. I wear the De Soto when it's less than about 72 F, the Xterra above that. If you are cold intolerant, consider that factor. 

Paul Hough

Scott Dinhofer said:

Paul Hough said:

.  This construction is better suited to marginal swimmers rather than top swimmers.   

what do they have for people like me who are less than marginal swimmers?  

That's what the DeSoto Water Rover was for with 10mm panels.  The ban on anything over 5mm came after that.  I figure they wanted to head off a race to the top where we would all be floating on the equivalent of chaise lounge pool!