Advice please, what wetsuit(s) for sea swimming?

My grown-up and daughter and her equally grown-up boyfriend (6’5” tall*, him not her) have recently moved to Dorset and would like to keep swimming in the sea through the winter months. I said I’d buy/help towards a wetsuit for them both for Christmas but have no idea what type they’d need. Does anyone have any experience of such things and be able to offer any advice? Things such as thickness, body coverage, where to buy**, will they need hats and gloves – that sort of thing. I had no idea swimming wetsuits were different, but according to Decathlon** they are! Many thanks.

* Is this likely to be a problem?
** Are Decathlon wetsuits any good? Reviews seem a bit mixed.

So many questions
Fit is the most important thing
You will need to go to a shop really
If the suit is oversized it will flush constantly, and they work best by holding a layer of water next to your skin which your bod heats up. This is then a mini thermal store.
Flushing is where movement lets in new cold water and pushes the warmed water out by the ankles. This makes you cold.
Yes swiming wetsuits are a thing, softer with less padding than a surf suit.
Wetsuits are in short suply, but as he is tall he may be ok.
Take a chair, decent wetsuits are expensive.
Decathlon probably fine for may to nov. Many locals just use a shorty, then go 3/2 in winter.

Orca do a range of open water, as opposed to triathlon specific wetsuits, and one of those is designed for winter swimming. Unfortunately, as above, it will be expensive.

Very much depends if they want to swim (i.e. front crawl and cover distance) or just do cold water immersion and a float about. If the former then definitely need a swim specific wetsuit. As above, fit is key so try them on. If the latter, a decent surf suit will be fine, in fact you’re more likely to find a warmer surf suit for properly cold water where swim wetsuits tend not to be that thick.

I’ve got an Ion semi dry 6/5 for winter and it’s lovely and warm. If you really feel the cold a tight fitting merino T-shirt or long sleeve boosts the suit warmth too.

I have a HUUB suit as does my wife, I previously had a blue seventy suit which wasnt so keen on once started using it despite having tried it on in a shop and used their endless pool to check for fit. Have found HUUB very good with assisting with the right size if you cant get to a shop. When my wife had her last one they sent her a few sizes and did a video appointment with a lady from them, she was really helpful and definitely got the right size suit for her.HUUB often have some good sales on and have suits for all different needs and prices.

I thought all the cool kids were skins swimming these days…

Wiggle do swim suits if you didn’t know already.

When in stock the alpkit silver tip (https://alpkit.com/products/silvertip-mens) is great for actual longer swimming in the winter. Gloves and socks probably needed too.

But it depends on how long they want to be in. If it’s for the winter buzz and it’s more about the experience than actual swimming for fitness I’d question the need for one. In the winter oddly as a total package of changing, swimming and changing back I get less cold without the faff of a wetsuit. If I planned on being in longer than 15mins in the winter I’d maybe switch back to the suit. I am in the Highlands and mostly swim in rivers and lochs. Water temp is down to 4 deg now and has a few more degrees to go. Last winter was all about cracking open a hole in the ice and going for a quick dook. Wim Hoff and all that. Just swimmers, a pair of neoprene socks and gloves and a hat (neoprene surfers if I planned on going right under, bobble if just dropping in).

As convert says; are they actually planning to swim any distance or to dip for the cold water experience?

If it’s the latter then I’d spend money on some good gloves and socks (Lomo Tri-X?) and a “dryrobe” of some sort. I’ve found these to be invaluable through the winter. My wetsuit won’t be used now until March/April I guess, but my swims/dips are also in Highland lochs and rivers so a different scenario.

Also, be aware that thicker/warmer wetsuits add a lot of bouyancy which can feel odd and off-putting, affecting swim stroke.

Many thanks everyone.

All good advice above, but I would echo the “good fit essential” moments, particularly if they plan to swim rather than just go into the water. Different makes fit different people in different ways.

Either get them to a shop, or if that’s not possible buy from somewhere that doesn’t mind you sending them back. Most good wetsuit makers realise that the fitting guides are just that ie a guide. I sent three or four wetsuits back before getting one I am happy with (BlueSeventy).

Can’t really help with suits. But my partner swims in the sea the whole year. She says hats, gloves, socks, are really important to get right if you want to stay warm. And hot chocolate for after. 😀

Yes get them a decent flask as well, I am still swimming in the sea it’s 14 degrees here in Spain, I bought a wetsuit hat but don’t like the extra buoyancy.

There was a piece on radio 4 last week about when the body starves blood to the brain when too cold, v similar symptoms to a stroke. Make sure they build up gradually and don’t stay in too long too soon. The chap had been sea swimming and couldn’t remember anything after, went to a and e, took ages to diagnose it. Sorry I can’t remember the name of the condition.

It’s called “hydrocution” in French, Poolman. It kills about 20 or so people a year in France out of around 250 drownings. There are a number of factors which include cold blood being pumped around by a heart that goes into overdrive but pumping through arteries narrowed by the cold. Victims lose conciousness and drown.

Enter water under 18°C slowly even wearing a wet suit so that the extremeties shut down slowly and core/brain temperature remains high enough.

I’m a standard size and use Aquaman suits, Madame bought a made to measure Snug over 20 years ago and it’s still going strong – not cheap, good value.

Snugg were worth it when wetsuits were pretty poor quality and fit. Unless you are a really weird shape, or are a Newquay local and want to advertise the fact then they aren’t worth it.

cold water response varies greatly from person to person. With a wetsuit on I wouldn’t expect it until ~11/12 deg ish. I find earplugs make a massive difference strangely.

Without a wetsuit, I get the huffs and puffs from about 15 deg down. Which is pretty much all year round on dartmoor…

How slowly should i enter the water when falling off my board when its 12c in the English Channel?
Very slowly, fairly slowly, relatively slowly or not at slowly at all.
Ion do some good beanies that make cold water entry more bearable, plus refusing cold water entry exhalation makes it safer.
When its chilly i have pre filled my suit with 2pints of warm water through the collar to give extended sailing time,
Velco on the ankles amd palmless mitts
Now im on the wrong side of 50 i have a simple rule. If the air and sea combined temps dont reach 20 i dont bother. Eg air 11 and water 9c is ok, and survival in a decent winter suit would be a decent length of time for the lifeboat to rock up.
Nb
This is windsurfing so could be a good mile off shore, not splashing aroind in chest deep water 10mters out.

You’re unlikely to be hot when you fall in the Channel. The deaths here tend to occur when it’s hot. It’s not the same falling into water off Aberystwtyh at 12°C when you’re already chilled as falling in to water at 18°C when it’s 35-40°C and you’re soaked with sweat. The latter is more of a shock IME.

I found myself in a situation similar to your final post in the Channel. The wind dropped to nothing, there was a good swell and the current was taking me onto the rocks – it didn’t look good. I failed to get the mast out so swam for it to the nearest beach then ran up the beach and to the nearest phone to try and avoid the coast guard launching a pointless rescue. When they put me through the guy just said we’ve rescued your board would you like to come and pick it up.

I too was lost in the minefield of swimming wetsuit earlier this year, got some great advice to look at Orca’s, but it was the online shopping, stock levels and returns policy which stopped me ordering.

I eventually by accident found a local store which stocked Orca wetsuits and the sizes I could be, trying them on helped and I purchased that day.

My advice would be, give then cash so they can go to a shop and try them on before buying, or go visit them and go to the shop too. I’m in Devon so not too familiar with Dorset, the stores I know of which have stock of sea swimming wetsuits is Tri-Uk in Yeovil or AS watersports in Exeter.

There might be stores closer, it would be worth looking for a local Tri or sea swimming ciub and asking.

give then cash

Sound advice generally… :-)

There’s no particular need to get cold with the right kit, unless for some reason you want to.

I spend quite a lot of time through winter in the north sea (sub zero air, 4-5 degrees C water) without getting cold because I wear decent surf wetsuits with hoods, gloves and boots. And that’s mainly hanging about sitting on a board for a couple of hours. if I was swimming I’d be overheating.

That said, I do prefer to get changed inside in the warm and shower off, exposure in carparks being an issue. (Half thought of working this into my favorite pre-changing robe era joke about how an old woman almost had a stroke, but wasn’t quick enough. However, I am now too old to say this with any conviction as she’d have to have been very slow.)

Dorset?

There’s a big old warehouse place in Bournemouth where I got my last windsurfing wetsuit.  At the time they were more than happy for me to try on loads but perhaps check if that is still the case.

https://www.wetsuitcentre.co.uk/swim.html

I’ve got an Alpkit one (can’t remember the name of it – blue trim, neutral buoyancy). The fit is excellent and it’s was great for longer swims up until mid-October when I got ill. Not been back in since, probably should.

Only challenge I find with a wetsuit is getting the bloody zip up! Happily there’s usually a few other swimmers around.

Interesting point about just using gloves, hat and bootees for short winter dips. Might try that.

Only challenge I find with a wetsuit is getting the bloody zip up!

are chest zips not a thing in swimming wetsuits?

rarely see a non-chest zip wetsuit in the surf these days and my next summer suit will more than likely be totally zipperless.

Nope, all (mostly) back zips.

Interesting point about just using gloves, hat and bootees for short winter dips. Might try that.

One (main) advantage is that you’re not struggling with a wetsuit afterwards, so you can get dried and warmed up sooner. I mostly use a pair of bouyancy shorts and a zipped neoprene vest (and the socks and gloves)

Looking at picking up something to store and transport my sea swimming wetsuit in, the current reusable shopper isn’t the best.

Would I be right in thinking that any dry bag would be okay to put a wet wetsuit in and not leak water onto me or my cars interior? Then would a 30 litre one be enough space for a swim wet suit?

I’ve got one of these;

https://www.sportsdirect.com/gul-50l-heavy-duty-dry-backpack-881012

Keeps all the wet gear in one place and room enough for a couple of wetsuits, towel, goggles, tow float and so on.

Nope, all (mostly) back zips.

Some newer swimrun wetsuits have front rather than back zips, e.g. ones from Huub. Not too thick though so maybe not ideal for winter sea swimming.

No wetsuit can chuff right off! (I do run cold though)

@oikeith

We have found changing bags are really good for chuckling wet stuff in and getting home without soaking everything. Depends on how far you’re walking to swim.

https://www.wiggle.co.uk/northcore-changing-mat

As someone already posted, Wetsuit Centre were brilliant when I ordered my first swimming wetsuit mid-pandemic. Gave them height, weight etc and ended up with an Orca. Their service was brilliant.

Yellow builder bucket for transporting wet kit to and from car. Cam also be used to stand in to get chsnged in stoney car parks

following with interest..
as part of my idea to complete the ‘london classics’ in the next few years, i’ll be needing a swimming wetsuit.
The wiggle ones (something 3..) seem quite nice..

DrP

I wouldn’t store a wetsuit in a dry bag. Unless you want to dry retch every time you open the bag…

If you know what size you want then it’s worth looking on ebay as there are a couple of sellers that sell returned but tried on wetsuits, sometimes with a small nick. Tri sport resort seems to be essentially the Wiggle returns dept. I got a wetsuit with a couple of nicks in (the rubber is really soft) for about £30 a couple of years ago. It’s fine but I don’t often use it as for a short dip in the sea (not claiming any real swimming done) you get colder putting it on and removing it. YMMV!
For actually swimming it’s good kit.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/str/trisportresort

+1 for builders bucket. great bit of kit! also useful for gopping post ride bike stuff

They decided on a pair of those nice Dryrobe thingies plus hats/gloves/booties. They’re only about a ten minute walk from door to cove so fingers crossed that gets them back in the water. 🌊 🏊‍♀️ 🏊‍♂️

Just make sure the gloves and wetsuit boots are easy to remove when it’s cold. I have had a few that have been near impossible when you are freezing and shaking