A swimming wetsuit and a tri suit are two different layers. A swimming wetsuit is a neoprene garment built for open water, including the swim leg of a triathlon. A tri suit is the race kit you wear through swim, bike, and run. Some triathletes say "tri suit" when they mean "triathlon wetsuit," so I'll cover that distinction too.
Two different jobs
A Blue70 swimming wetsuit is swim-specific. It is cut to let your shoulders rotate freely, and its neoprene panels lift your hips and legs so you sit higher in the water. That added buoyancy improves body position. It is not a personal flotation device, and it does not replace swim competence, event safety cover, or race rules.
A triathlon wetsuit is a swimming wetsuit built for race-day use. At Blue70, the same wetsuit models serve open-water swimmers and triathletes. The key distinction is between the neoprene wetsuit and the non-neoprene race kit.
A tri suit is a thin, fast-drying race garment designed for all three sports. It has no neoprene, no buoyancy panels, and no meaningful thermal protection. You can wear it under a wetsuit in cool water, then bike and run in it after the swim.
What a Blue70 swimming wetsuit does
Blue70 wetsuits use Yamamoto neoprene in 38, 39, and 40 cell grades, so the shoulder area can be built thin and pliable while the legs carry more structure, and that combination is designed to reduce shoulder fatigue and help you hold a longer stroke.
Buoyancy equals speed. A wetsuit lifts your hips and legs, which flattens your body position and reduces drag. The benefit is proportionally larger for newer or less experienced swimmers. Advanced swimmers also gain body position support, but the biggest difference usually shows up when you are still learning to hold horizontal alignment.
A wetsuit is not waterproof. It allows a thin layer of water inside, and your body warms that layer for insulation. For water below roughly 56 to 58°F, a purpose-built cold-water suit such as the Thermal Reaction adds meaningful warmth. It is fully lined with Zirconium jersey, which provides added thermal protection. That does not remove cold risk. Acclimatization, exposure time, and water temperature still matter.
Above roughly 70 to 72°F, a full-sleeve wetsuit can feel too warm over longer swims. Sleeveless suits or swimskins become the more comfortable choice. Wetsuit rules and temperature cutoffs vary by race organizer and sanctioning body, so check the current rulebook for your event.
Fit matters before any of those benefits show up. A Blue70 wetsuit should feel snug on dry land and more comfortable once you are in the water. A suit that is not pulled up fully, especially through the shoulders, will restrict your arm movement and tire you out faster.
What a tri suit does
A tri suit is a thin, fast-drying race kit, usually one piece or two pieces, designed for all three sports. It has no buoyancy and no meaningful thermal protection in cold water. The small pad in the shorts is for the bike leg, not for swimming. You wear it on its own in warm water or in non-wetsuit swims, and you wear it under a wetsuit in cooler conditions.
Blue70's focus is the swim-specific layer. The wetsuit goes over your tri suit on race morning and comes off in transition. That means the wetsuit needs to move with your shoulders during the swim and release quickly when you pull it off.
Race morning: how the two work together
Put your tri suit on first. Then put your Blue70 wetsuit over it. The wetsuit adds buoyancy and thermal protection for the swim. In T1 you strip the wetsuit, leave the swim in the tri suit, and head to your bike. The tri suit stays on for the rest of the day.
That is why wetsuit fit is not just about comfort in the water. A suit with a lower neckline, like the Fusion, can feel less restrictive without losing the watertight seal. A suit that fits correctly through the torso and legs will come off faster than one that is too tight or not pulled up.
Practice the exit. A wetsuit that is snug on land will be easier to remove when wet, especially if you clear your feet at the ankle and leg openings. The less time you spend fighting neoprene in T1, the better your transition flows.
Which Blue70 wetsuit fits your swim
Choose by how often you swim, the water temperature, and your race goals.
The Sprint at $325 is the entry-level suit. It is a practical first wetsuit for a sprint or Olympic-distance race.
The Fusion at $420 is a mid-range best seller. The 2021 redesign added a lower-sitting neckline for comfort without losing the seal. It suits shorter, frequent swims.
The Reaction at $680 uses higher-grade neoprene than the Fusion. It is the stronger choice if you train once a week or more and swim longer sessions.
The Thermal Reaction at $785 is the cold-water option. The full Zirconium jersey lining provides added thermal protection when the water drops.
The Helix at $995 is the flagship race suit. It uses thin, flexible neoprene in the shoulders, a catch panel to preserve feel for the water, and LIFT buoyancy panels. It is built for race-day performance, not heavy daily training. The thin neoprene breaks down more quickly with frequent use.
For warm water or an easier fit, the Reaction Sleeveless at $395 and the Glide Short John at $210 are lighter options. The LIFT Buoyancy Short at $150 is another option for swim training when you want hip and leg lift without a full suit.
The short version
A swimming wetsuit is neoprene. It adds buoyancy, supports body position, and provides added thermal protection for open-water swimming. A tri suit is your race kit. It adds no buoyancy, but it carries you through swim, bike, and run. On race day, the two work as layers: tri suit on first, wetsuit over it, wetsuit off in T1.
If you are unsure which Blue70 wetsuit fits your swim, take a test swim. You can swim in a Blue70 wetsuit and still return it if it is clean, dry, unmodified, and still has tags attached. Happy Swimming!
