Welcome to Gear Talk with our friends Annie and Brooke from Swimrun Labs.

In this episode, we have a roundtable discussion regarding the different tiers of Swimrun wetsuits (entry-level, mid-range, and high-end) and what features you typically get for the money.

Make sure to check out our companion video on YouTube to get a closer look at the different tiers of wetsuits.

Gear Updates

Annie tested out the HOKA ONE ONE Torrent 2 shoe. She wanted to really like them but they didn’t work out for her for Swimrun. She also recently tried the Saucony Switchback 2 shoe for Swimrun and found that the shoe did not drain water very well. She plans on drilling little holes and reporting back if that solves the draining issue.

Annie has also been practicing in the Ark Sports Korp and has been very happy with its durability. She also went commando for a Swimrun practice and is now a convert.

Chipper wanted to shout out the new Precision Hydration PF 30 Energy Gels. Chipper, Chris, and Annie have all tried them and think they are great!

Wetsuit Suit-Out

We get questions every week asking us for recommendations for wetsuits. Our answer is always “depends.” There are a lot of considerations in deciding what wetsuit to settle on. 

Free Suits

If it’s your first Swimrun and you have a triathlon or surfing wetsuit hanging around, you can totally use that with either zero or a few modifications by cutting the legs above the knees and the arms above the elbow. You can also check out the Swimrun Swap Meet on Facebook for a used suit.

Entry Level

These suits cost on average under $250. They have few bells and whistles but there are some really great options out there including the Synergy Swimrun Wetsuit and the Ark Sports Korp. (We have full reviews on both!)

Mid-Range

These suits run on average under $450-500 and offer a lot of upgrades from entry-level suits including thinner neoprene, different materials, and sometimes come with arm sleeves. The Ark Sports VIGG and HEAD My Boost suits are great examples of this range.

High-End

These suits will offer premium everything and you definitely get something special for the price. They are lighter, they wick water away better, and generally more flexible. The Ark Sports ORNO X is a great example of what is available at the pointy end of things.

Discussion

We all agreed that there are some features that we love and features that we can live without. We all thought that having Gen 2 bottoms, suits with good shoulder mobility, toothy zippers, a comfortable neckline, and removable arm sleeves are essentials for us. 

Chipper also really likes having a kangaroo pocket in the back.

Annie really loved having a thermal core panel in the suit. If you tend to not lead the swim legs then something a bit warmer might be a good idea.

We all thought that internal pockets in a suit, cargo pockets on the bottoms, Three-quarter leg length, dual zippers to help with cabbing down, mini pockets for a whistle (or a joint), and Gen 1 neoprene bottoms weren’t things that would entice us towards purchasing a suit. Brooke likes zippers that end at the waist so that they don’t get tangled up with the pull buoy and/or tether belt.

Closing Thoughts

All in all, there’s a Swimrun wetsuit for every budget. We hope that this episode has helped lay out what features you get for the money and, more importantly, what features you will find most important. Make sure to check out our companion video on YouTube to get a closer look at the different tiers of wetsuits.

That’s it for this week’s Gear Talk show. If you are enjoying the Löw Tide Böyz, please be sure to subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast player. You can find us on Apple Podcast, Spotify, and Google Podcast. You can also follow our meme page on Instagram. Email us at [email protected] with any feedback, suggestions, and/or meme ideas. Finally, you can also support us on Patreon…if you feel so inclined.