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So I am a “small man” in wetsuit sizing!

Written by Fiona February 07 2011

Sailfish Vibrant wetsuits for men and women

Now, now I don’t want any jokes about my boy-ishness! While I won’t be offended I expect my boyfriend will! Thanks to the nice guys at Discover Swimming I have just taken loan of my Sailfish triathlon wetsuit and after trying on a few sizes, both male and female, the expert opinion is that I am a “small man”! Rather than taking this as an insult and worrying about what this says about my physique (flat chest?!) I am going to see the positives. These are that I must be taller than the average woman, and slim of legs and hips! Woohoo!

I tried on a medium women’s, a small men’s and a small long men’s Sailfish Vibrant wetsuit. The leading brand Sailfish was recommended to me by a number of triathlon buddies. These friends are much more experienced in open water swimming than me and have also tried a range of wetsuit brands. The Vibrant version is perfect for novice open water swimmers like me. It’s at the cheaper end of the budget but still offers great buoyancy and flexibility.

With a triathlon wetsuit the suit needs to fit very neatly. However, the main difference between a swimming wetsuit and, say, a surfing wetsuit is around the shoulder area where there needs to be enough freedom of movement for the triathlete to swim. All of the Sailfish wetsuits I tried where tough to get on (rather like wrestling with the neoprene) but only one offered the most snug fit. So now I’m apparently set to get into the freezing cold water and do some swimming practise so that I can try to prepare  for swimming 1500 metres. In the London Triathlon. Yes, I’m scared.

So I have ended up with a men’s small! I really don’t care so long as it fits well and doesn’t prevent me from managing to swim! I have heard that swimming in a wetsuit adds buoyancy so I am looking forward to trying it. My first outing will be at Club La Santa in Lanzarote at the end of the month. I’ve booked a *sneaky trip to this fab sports resort with the Glasgow Triathlon Club.  I’ll be blogging to tell you how I get on with the wetsuit.

If you like the sound of the Sailfish wetsuit (they do look very good, too… if any wetsuit can actually look good!) then check out Discover Swimming. These guys know their stuff and they sell only tried and tested swimming kit. They hire and sell a range of wetsuits and they’ll ensure you have the right fit. Contact Discover swimming to find out about their fitting service or local stockists.

* (The trip seems “sneaky” because it’s the first time I’ve been away for a week in school term time ever. Little Miss is staying with her dad who lives close by and I’ve decided that I deserve a week of fun and sports after many years of being single mummy.)

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