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Anyone seen a sleeved swim skin?

Josh ChurchJosh Church
in General Training Discussions
Looking for a new swim skin, ripped mine  down the chest 3 inches pulling it off in Raleigh. 
I have heard sleeved swim skins might be on the market but didn't know if anyone has seen any yet.

On the other hand, are their any recommendations to fixing my swim skin? It's in great shape 3 yrs old but only used 6-8 times. 
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Comments

  • Mike RobertsMike Roberts
    They're rolling out.  I've seen Blue Seventy (TriSports might sell), and I know @tim cronk has a . . . Kiwami?  That's probably wrong, but he'll likely chime in.

    You know the pros will be wearing them in 6 weeks in Kona, and I'm sure Roka, Huub, TYR, 2XU, De Soto, Orca, Zoot, etc. will be sure that their athletes are wearing one, even if they're not ready for retail.  

    The big question is, will anyone try to compete with Xterra in the race to make the ugliest speedsuit?


  • tim cronktim cronk
    I swam in my kiwami today and yesterday, covers the sleeved trisuit just fine... It has a top down zipper on the back which is different and a little harder to unzip, I will probably extend the zipper pull a couple inches to resolve that... It is also more difficult to remove quickly due to the sleeves... Is it faster??? 
  • Josh ChurchJosh Church
    Thanks @Mike Roberts and @tim cronk
    I've actually never seen kiwami before, I'll check it out. 

    That's a tough choice, to go sleeved or not, just like is it faster?? I'm sure we all hope so but who knows. It's mental speed right? lol 

    Mike I know ugly right. My xterra was all black before they went crazy with the design. But the xterra is so cheap right now, if I go with a sleeveless one. It's hard to pass it up. 
  • ironmarianneironmarianne
    ^^ following, no I don't need to hard to get out!  let me know.. cuz I still don't have a good handle on all of the EN sponsors/codes dealios... m
  • Dave TalloDave Tallo
    I can't see the possible benefits of sleeves ... help me?
  • Dave TalloDave Tallo
    Oh - and a ripped skin can easily be repaired (in order to be legal, it needs to bea textile, and can be fixed by any seamstress/tailor).   Ideally, you would have a person with a machine that does a flatlock stitch.    I repaired a 8" vertical tear from the neck to chest on an xterra, with no changes to its functionality.
  • tim cronktim cronk
    Dave Tallo said:
    I can't see the possible benefits of sleeves ... help me?
    Mr. Aero ,  Fabric is faster than skin in the air, water is a thicker medium ?
  • Dave TalloDave Tallo
    That's the rub - in air, yes.   But I don't know of the same holds true for water.    Recall that we aren't allowed to use 'slippery' swim skins, and the only claimed benefit of what we can use - the textile swim skins - is to compress us into slightly smaller tubes to decrease the frontal area moving through water.   

    I get that it's a thicker medium, but I just haven't seen the evidence that in water, skin is slow.  (But I guess I've found my internet project for the morning!)
  • Al TruscottAl Truscott
    Dave Tallo said:
    I can't see the possible benefits of sleeves ... help me?
    To cover the sleeves on the tri suit. Presumably the tri suit fabric is stickier in the water than the swim skin fabric? Or else to make one puny arms even punnier? But hen, the broader the arms, the more surface area to push against the water? Oh, it boggles the mind...
  • ironmarianneironmarianne
    ^^okay well the idea of squeezing me into something and getting out of something,right now doesn't sound fast at all.   :) Think I will save the money and go old school in my tri shorts/singlet.  I will not be the cool kid tho.....!!!  ha.  there is that "cool factor" that adds to the speed!  I actually don't like wetsuits either.... 
  • Josh ChurchJosh Church
    Thanks for always chiming in @Al Truscott and @Dave Tallo

    Im going to check around and see about getting mine repaired for CHOO then look at what's new next year. 
  • Dave TalloDave Tallo
    Well I'll be darned.  

    http://accelerate3.com/kiwami-aquarush-my-impressions/


  • Larry PetersLarry Peters
    Did that article convince you to try a sleeved swim skin @Dave Tallo ? If so, how did you like it?

    PS. In a BTA thread, you recommended using rubber bands to secure BTA bottle. I'm doing that this season & love it. It save a ton of weight, and is inexpensive. Thanks! Congrats on the Kona slot!
  • Dave TalloDave Tallo

    @Larry Peters - Thanks!  I haven't needed a swimskin for the last few years, so the question was more academic. 

    (Until recently, that is, when I now have to see if my sleeveless skin from 2016 is still tight and hasn't lost any of its elasticity.  If I need a replacement, I would consider a new sleeved model, but only because it's faster in the water, instead of it the choice being driven by wanting to keep my sleeved bike/run skinsuit on.  On that issue, I would probably keep the bike/run skinsuit rolled down, if only to keep the fabric in the arms and shoulders tight, and not stretch it out of shape prematurely.)   

    Glad the elastic band tip helps, too!  It's really satisfying to simplify and the weight savings is a bonus!     

  • Larry PetersLarry Peters
    Ok, cool. Thanks a lot for the info @Dave Tallo ! Nice (appears to be) new profile pic too! ;) 
  • Josh ChurchJosh Church
    @Larry Peters I like my Kiwami. Cool colors too, nice and snug but comfy.
  • Larry PetersLarry Peters
    edited August 9, 2018 5:48PM
    Cool, thanks for the recommendation @Josh Church ! Good luck at IM Choo!
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