As an experienced triathlete, Empfield was able to identify what was needed to make a good swimming wetsuit. These criteria still form the core components of swimming wetsuits today. “My intention was to make a suit that: had thicker rubber to aid flotation; impeded the entry of water into the suit through specific modifications of surf designs at the neck and wrists; employed smooth-skin rubber on the outside, such as that used in dive suits; used glued and blind-stitched seams to create less drag; had hyper- flexible shoulders; and used a rear-zip design for a quick exit.” Out of all of these, Empfield believes that the improved neck design was the only really new addition to wetsuits. “All the other features had been used variously in the wetsuit industry, but the confluence of all these elements hadn't yet appeared in the same suit,” he says.
MODERN REFINEMENTS Since then, wetsuits have improved but mostly just as refinements of Empfield’s original concepts. However, the stiff competition between triathletes to get the edge in open water means manufacturers invest considerable resources in improving wetsuit technology. The approach by many has become decidedly scientific. As Steve Nicholls, CEO of wetsuit manufacturer Blueseventy,
explains, there are only two ways to make a swimmer go faster: increase propulsion and reduce drag. Wetsuit makers look at both, but it’s the drag component where the biggest differences are secured. Drag has three components: ‘surface’, ‘pressure’ and ‘wave’.
Surface drag is perhaps the easiest to understand as it results from the friction between your body, or wetsuit, and the water. Most wetsuits now incorporate some form of slippery coating to help you cut through the water. Unfortunately, says Nicholls, surface drag only accounts for about 5 per cent of the total drag. Wave drag results from the formation of a wave around a swimmer and only seems to be relevant to top-end swimmers at around a speed of 2m/s. The biggest component, pressure drag, results from your position in the water. And this is where wetsuits can really make a difference. “The best way to make a swimmer go faster is if youcan improve body position,” says Nicholls. It’s not quite as simple as just using a thick layer of neoprene to lift a swimmer in the water, however. Good swimmers tend to be flatter in the water than poorer swimmers, who often have their legs much lower in the water. It therefore makes sense to vary the buoyancy in the suit depending on the type of swimmer it’s aimed at. Some manufacturers do this – you can feel differences in balance and buoyancy when trying on suits – so, when trying to decide which to buy, you should take your personal needs into consideration. It’s also true that the benefits of lifting a swimmer higher in the water would be lost if the suit prevented reasonable movement of the arms and shoulders. “The challenge is to design a suit that helps the swimmer maintain their stroke,” says Nicholls. Manufacturers tackle this problem through the thickness and quality of neoprene around the shoulders, and in the design of the panels. A lot of progress has been made in this area over the past 20 years. All the top-end wetsuits we tested (see ‘The Great Wetsuit Test’, over the page) had good flexibility, but there were still differences in how each felt, emphasising once more the importance of personal preferences in wetsuit choice.
ENHANCED PROPULSION Many wetsuits incorporate panels on the forearm that are intended to give swimmers a better purchase on the water. By bringing your forearm into the equation as well as your hand, the theory is that you create a bigger paddle, apply more force to the water and hence move faster. Nice theory, but it’s proved hard to test in practice. “There is
very little evidence to support the idea that forearm panels increase propulsion,” says Nicholls. Blueseventy therefore foregoes grip panels on its Helix suit. “The Helix has a fabric forearm covering that’s supposed to increase your feel of the water rather than provide additional propulsion,” says Nicholls.
BELLS AND WHISTLES There is evidence to suggest that providing support for the body’s core could also boost propulsion, by providing a stronger base from which to drive the arms. A properly fitted wetsuit should be tight around the core and hence provide some support. Beyond that, manufacturers have experimented with a range of technologies such as extra-buoyant neoprene, special coatings, zip variations and so on. It’s difficult to know what difference these changes make. Some people feel good knowing they have the best of everything and others just swim for pleasure and don’t care. If your aim is to enjoy swimming and you’re not fussed about saving a few seconds here and there, we recommend choosing a suit you feel comfortable swimming in, and that fits your budget. Turn over the page for our reviews of some of the best suits on the market today – we’ve tried them, tested them and timed them for you, so you don’t have to… ∆
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