Wetsuits for open water swimming

Which wetsuits are best for breaststroke swimmers? You’d be surprised how long it took me to find the answer to this, so to save you the pain, here’s a comprehensive list of available wetsuits with a more natural buoyancy. These were all available in the UK in 2021, either new or pre-owned. This list is in no particular order of quality, availability or price.

• Sailfish Atlantic/Edge
• Sailfish G-Range 7
• Selkie- (looks to be out of stock)
• Zone3 Aspect (earlier model Align)
• Orca SW Openwater
• Huub Aura 2 3:3
• Huub Alpha-Beta
• Blueseventy Reaction 4:5:4
• Dare2Tri to Swim 2.0 wetsuit
• Alpkit Terrapin
• Head Explorer 3.2.2 (earlier model:Breaststroke)
• Head OpenWater Shell

Why do you need a different wetsuit for swimming? Many wetsuits are described as ‘open water’ but they are actually for Triathlon. This means they are great for racing in front crawl/freestyle but not much else. Triathlon wetsuits are cleverly weighted to lift the hips and legs right out of the water, which is not desirable for regular recreational breaststroke swimming. I have found it possible to swim in a 3:2 surfing wetsuit, but they are generally less flexible, with padded knees.

If you’re a regular person who enjoys the sensation of taking a dip, but doesn’t want to get too chilly in the process, the wetsuits listed above should give you a more natural feeling in the water. Most of the links are for women’s wetsuits, but they all have men’s versions.

Much has changed since this page first went up. Open water swimming is popular and the wetsuit makers are starting to acknowledge the market for recreational swimmers instead of obsessing about competitions. A few brands now have both a fancy and an entry level low-buoyancy suit. Some are still reluctant or undecided.

And I finally found myself one in an old stock sale! It’s a Zone3 Align. Very nice: warm and flexible although, like most swimwear, a little short in the body for me. I cannot review or recommend any of the rest of these. But I am also not associated with any of the companies, or any outlets, so this list is as unbiased and comprehensive as possible.

I hope I’ve saved you some time!