It is all well and good to have a fast wetsuit, but how long does it last? I have swum in many different brands and styles of wetsuits, however 99% of my training was done in the pool, with only racing occurring in my wetsuits. Even at the peak of my career racing in a wetsuit wasn’t a common occurrence, on average I might have competed in five to ten, 1.5 km ocean swims each year. Additionally, I was always sponsored by a wetsuit brand so that I would get multiple new wetsuits each year, and I would never be wearing a wetsuit long enough to wear it out. Rather, I would give them away to friends, family or another swimmer who needed a wetsuit.
In 2018, I crossed paths with a triathlete who pushed his wetsuits to the limit, swimming crazy distances in the bay near my house. Lucky for me, he kept detailed notes on each wetsuit's performance but more so the volume of km’s he swam in them and their durability before they deteriorated past a point of no return.
There are a lot of variables that contribute to a wetsuit’s lifespan outside of the total km’s swam. They include:
- Number of times a swimmer puts the wetsuit on i.e. are they swimming lots of 1km swims or fewer longer swims of 5 to 10 km. This is important as wetsuits stretch more every time you put it on.
- The use of petroleum-based lubricants (such as Vaseline) to prevent chaffing around the neckline. These lubricants get absorbed into the wetsuit, speeding up the deterioration of the neoprene. This can often be seen as increased stretching or flacking of the neoprene.
- How careful an athlete is putting the wetsuit on will reduce the number of fingernail marks in the neoprene and reduce the risk of splitting seams.
- Drying the wetsuit inside out and out of direct sunlight will prevent UV damage.
Below is a detailed list of my friend's notes on all his wetsuits, along with how many km’s he swam in them before they deteriorated, and he needed a new one. I have removed the brand names of these wetsuits but kept the price range in RRP:
- Brand A (Elite wetsuit $1,200 AUD): Wetsuits #1 and #2 held up for 300km each, but the shoulders wore out. Wetsuit #3, with over 300km, needed some seam fixing, even though it was almost new.
- Brand A (Mid-range wetsuit $600 AUD): Covered 430km with a few repairs but is on its last legs.
- Brand A (Mid to Entry-level wetsuit $300-400 AUD): Returned after 100km due to pre-existing marks; swapped for another model.
- Brand B (Mid-range wetsuit $600 AUD): Currently at 140km, worn under the armpits but still hanging in there.
- Brand B (Elite to mid-range wetsuit $900 AUD in 2010): Wetsuit #1 worn out after 390km; wetsuit #2 after 260km.
- Brand B (Mid-range wetsuit $700 AUD in 2012): Three wetsuits collectively lasted over 1200km until worn out under the armpits.
- Brand C (Sleeveless $400 AUD): Still in good condition after 240km.
- Brand C (Thermal wetsuit $1,100 AUD): Wetsuit #1 lasted about 180km; wetsuit #2 about 150km.
- Brand C (Elite wetsuit $1,300 AUD): Developed holes after 200km.
- Brand D (Entry-level wetsuit $400 AUD): Not very buoyant or warm, got less than 300km.
- Brand D (Elite wetsuit – unknown price): Lasted about 200km over 15 years.
Overall thoughts:
- Brand A, elite wetsuit is comfortable but only lasts about 300km, with some seam issues.
- Brand B, mid-range is the most durable, but sadly, there's no equivalent available now.
- Brand B, elite to mid-range is comfortable, fast, lacking buoyancy, not very warm, and not durable except for 1 out of 3.
- Brand C is buoyant but lacks durability with issues in design or thinness under the armpits.
- Brand D has lost its leading-edge status over time.
It must be said that this is one swimmer’s experience with different wetsuits. Additionally, several factors may contribute to the rate at which a wetsuit deteriorates, as discussed above.
Overall, it’s clear from this swimmer’s experience with different brands that the mid-range wetsuits made using 39-cell Yamamoto neoprene, last longer than the elite, top-of-the-range wetsuits. This is expected as the high-grade neoprene used through the shoulders in the elite wetsuits, wears quicker, simply due to the thinner and softer nature of this material, which is the provider of the greater level of flexibility while swimming.
Although 90% of wetsuits all use Yamamoto neoprene, they are not all made in the same factories, and they do not have all the same panelling. The different panelling can result in increased tensions on some of the seams, which may subsequently split. Although most wetsuit brands are very good, if you find that a brand of wetsuit keeps splitting in the same part of the wetsuit, chances are that it may not be designed to a high standard. Additionally, as the wetsuits are made in different factories, quality may vary, which is simply just something to note. Personally, I have worn three of the four brands discussed above; I never had any issues with them. However, as noted at the beginning, I never used a wetsuit for an extended period.