If you’re lining up for your first triathlon, there’s a good chance the swim is the part that feels the most mysterious, and certainly the most dangerous. Swimming in open water, in a tight rubber suit, surrounded by people kicking and splashing… it certainly was never the thing that drew me to triathlon. But, you know what can make it a bit more fun? A proper wetsuit (for races that are wetsuit legal of course)!

First thing: Good news, you might not even need to buy one straight away. Shocking, I know, but please read on. Depending on where you live, there may be a local tri shop or swim shop that rents them out. This is potentially a great starting point if you’re unsure. It lets you try the whole experience without committing straight away. If you end up buying a wetsuit afterwards, many places will actually deduct the rental cost from the purchase price (anecdotal evidence here, but it did happen to me). So you’re basically testing before committing, which in triathlon terms is a mega luxury!

Now, if you decide to buy one, you’ll immediately run into a problem: the price range is absolutely unhinged. Not as bad as with the bikes, but still, just super wild price differences between brands and even within a single brand. Madness.

If you’re new, or like me, it’s very easy to assume that more expensive automatically means better. But that’s not how you should look at the pricing when it comes to swim wetsuits. Basically, here is what I learned: If your goal is not to win your age group, but simply to get through the swim feeling calm, comfortable, then the priority is not pure speed. It’s buoyancy. You want a thick wetsuit.

And yes, that is usually what the cheaper wetsuits from established wetsuit brands deliver! No cutting-edge tech “aero” madness which costs an arm and a leg just to shave off a second over a one-hour swim, but more a focus on keeping you floating. It doesn’t sound heroic, I know. But it is what it is. A slightly more buoyant wetsuit will help keep your hips and legs higher in the water, which immediately reduces drag. For most beginners, that alone is worth far more than a few seconds of improvement from a higher-end suit.

So instead of chasing the fastest, skinniest suit, look for the most supportive one, as thick as the rules allow it.

A quick word still about sleeves versus sleeveless. Well, there’s a whole debate… Some people love sleeveless suits for shoulder freedom. Others prefer full sleeves for better buoyancy and warmth. Choose your poison. I don’t like to be cold and live in Belgium, so I need those sleeves!

Watt I’ve Learned

The beginner wetsuit decision easy to overthink. Consider renting first if you can. If you buy, don’t over-focus on speed claims or top-end pricing. Prioritise buoyancy, comfort, and proper triathlon-specific design.