RTS Custom Helix

Choosing the right wetsuit for you can feel a bit daunting at first. However, it ultimately comes down to several key factors, and determining where you fall within these factors will help narrow down the options until you find the wetsuit that best suits you and your goals in the water. 

These factors include: 

Budget, Competitiveness, Frequency of Use, Swim Distance, Skill Level and Water Temperature

First, knowing how much you are willing to spend will often eliminate some options, allowing you to focus on a few models during your research. The more competitive athlete will prioritize performance and speed in their wetsuit search and should chose one at the top of our line like the Helix or Reaction.

Those swimmers who frequently use their wetsuit will be best served with a wetsuit that offers more comfort as well as more durability. The Reaction and Fusion are both very flexible and comfortable, and more durable than our Helix. 

Likewise, swimming longer distances puts more load and fatigue on your shoulders, so choosing a wetsuit with more flexibility such as the Reaction, will help you swim longer with less fatigue.

Your skill level matters, because the higher end wetsuits are designed to enhance advanced swim mechanics and speed. A swimmer with less connection to their stroke mechanics will not see any benefit from the advanced designs over our entry level suits so like will be perfectly happy with the buoyancy and positioning of the Sprint or Fusion wetsuits.

Lastly, water temperature can make a difference in your choice if you’re swimming at the ends of the spectrum. This will vary for each individual, but swimming in colder water, such as temperatures below 56-58º may require the Thermal Reaction to stay comfortable, and likewise, those swimming at the top of the allowed range for a wetsuit, 72-78º, may find themselves overheating in a full sleeved suit. The large open arm holes of the Sleeveless Reaction allow the suit to keep your core temperature cooler overall. In addition, for some body types, the Sleeveless Reaction may be the best choice as it is easier to get in and out of without the burden of dealing with the full arms.

Identifying the right size wetsuit for you is only half the battle. Often, more important is how you put that wetsuit on. Someone who puts a wetsuit on poorly will feel that a properly fitting wetsuit is too small, where as someone skilled at getting a wetsuit on correctly can find they can wear even a size smaller than is recommended for their height / weight. 

We highly recommend you watch our Wetsuit Fit Videos prior to putting on your wetsuit for the first time. 

You can also read through our detailed fit instructions to ensure you understand the most important aspects of a wetsuit fit. 

In a nutshell you want to make sure the wetsuit is pulled above your ankle bone and fits snugly in your crotch (with no space or gap). You’ll want to work it up over your hips and into your chest before putting your arms in. Work one arm up at a time, making sure the end of the sleeve sits about two fingers behind your wrist bone. Work all neoprene up your arms so that it is not being pulled or tight at the shoulders. Finally, once you think you’re in… take a moment to go back and adjust every section, moving more neoprene up through your legs for the most flexibility in your hips, then up through your core and arms to relieve any tension in the neck and shoulders. 

Tips: Expect the first few times you put a wetsuit on to take up to 15 minutes. Have a friend help you, especially when zipping up, and never force the zipper. Make sure to take your time, and use the pads of your fingers to avoid a tension tear, where your fingernail can easily slice into the neoprene as it’s being stretched.

Quick answer? YES

In fact, we encourage it. Our wetsuits are designed for swimming, not standing around on land, and they will feel best in the water while swimming.

Try the wetsuit on at home to get an idea of the fit (is it huge and gaping on you, or just right?). Then head to the nearest beach, lake, river or if needed pool and go for a swim (please don’t wear your wetsuit to drive there, it adds stress at the base of the zipper and can rip).

When in the water, a tight wetsuit will feel looser, pressure on the chest and neck should lessen, and overall it will feel better than standing around on land in the wetsuit.

If you find areas that feel tight or are restricting movement, simply take a moment to adjust the neoprene around that area to alleviate the issue. After your swim, be sure to rinse your wetsuit thoroughly and hang to dry away from direct sunlight and heat. 

Read more on taking your wetsuit out for a swim here.

Your Blueseventy wetsuit is a high quality piece of equipment and should be treated with care. Making sure to follow a few steps each time you use the wetsuit will help keep the wetsuit is top shape and prolong it’s life. Always rinse your wetsuit in fresh water after each use. Turn it inside out and allow it to completely dry away from direct sunlight before turning it back right side out. 

Store your wetsuit on a wide suit-style hanger to avoid creasing. We recommend hanging it on a thick pants hanger so that it’s folded over at the waist. This will alleviate stress on the shoulders where the neoprene is thinner and more delicate.

Never leave your wetsuit in your car, or in direct sunlight, or any other area where heat can be intense for extended periods of time. Avoid or limit use in chlorinated water. 

For more care tips, such as how to pack for travel, recommended lubricants, etc please read our full care article here. 

Blueseventy wetsuits are crafted from the highest quality of neoprene available. Unfortunately this means that they are more susceptible to damage than your average surfing or dive wetsuit. It's fairly easy to accidentally rip the neoprene when getting into and out of the suit. Fingernail nicks are the most common issue and are most often seen on the legs and arms of a wetsuit.

The next most common are small tears at the seams of the suit. These are usually the result of pulling too hard when putting the suit on or by catching or pinching the seam of the wetsuit with your nails. As we make every effort to ensure that our products use the highest quality materials and craftsmanship available, you too should use the utmost care with your wetsuit to avoid accidental damage. Should a tear or fingernail cut occur, then repairing it yourself is a very simple job.

Always wear the white cotton gloves that come with your wetsuit to prevent damage from fingernails while putting your suit on. For further care information click here.

In order to repair a tear or nick you will need neoprene cement glue. We recommend Aquaseal Neo Neoprene Cement. You can easily purchase it from us, here. The Aquaseal cement comes in an easy to use tube that you can apply directly to the damaged area.

For small fingernail nicks or other tiny repairs, a paperclip can be helpful to spread the glue and avoid a mess. If the tear is larger than 0.5-1" you may also want a small brush (such as an artists painting brush) or a spatula (which can simply be a thin piece of plastic or card).

Follow these steps to repair your wetsuit.

Step 1:
Fold the wetsuit over at the point of the tear so that it opens up to reveal the insides of the two surfaces that need to be glued back together.

Step 2:
Apply a thin, even layer of Aquaseal glue to both surfaces. If it is a nick or tear that does not go completely through the neoprene and liner you can carefully fill the nick area with glue. Too much glue will overflow when you press the sides back together, too little and you won't get a complete seal. (You can always add additional coats if needed). Continue to hold the cut open while the glue dries (5 minutes). Do not rejoin the surfaces while the glue is still wet or tacky.

If repairing a small nick, the tip of the Aquaseal tube may be too wide to get a clean application of glue. We recommend using a paperclip for small repairs.

Simply squeeze a small drop of glue onto the tip of an unfolded paperclip and paint the glue inside the nick.

Step 3:
Keeping the tear open, allow the glue to dry for 5 minutes. We've found the easiest way to do this is to use a clothespin or small clamp so that you don't have to stand there holding your wetsuit for 5 minutes. The glue looks glossy when wet. It will become more matte when dry. Once it appears dry, check it by gently touching the glue surface. When dry, it will feel only slightly tacky and will not stick to your finger.

Step 3a:
The instructions on the Aquaseal mention applying a second coat of glue once the first has dried for 5 minutes. Apply the second coat in the same manner and allow to dry for 10 minutes.

We've found that for smaller nicks this second coat isn't always needed. Please use your own judgement on your repair if you need one or two coats of glue. The second coat will likely create a stronger bond.

Step 4:
Flatten out the suit so that the two surfaces come together. The bond is instant.

Step 5:
Press the two surfaces firmly together.

And you're done! *
The Aquaseal creates a solid bond that will not pull apart even when the neoprene is stretched out, such as when you're putting on your wetsuit.

Notes:

The suit can be used in the water straight away. However, the maximum bond is achieved over a period of 4 to 6 hours. Therefore, you should use extra caution to avoid putting any immediate pressure on to the repaired surface if you need to get into your wetsuit immediately.

*If you find you've completed all the steps and the tear is not completely sealed you can easily repeat the steps, to fill in the area that did not seal. We also find that it can be useful to use the paperclip to apply a thin seal along the seam of the repaired tear. Use a baby wipe or damp paper towel to remove any excess glue from the around the repair site while it's still wet. Allow the new layer of glue to dry completely.

After completing the repair process this tear was not completely sealed. We squeezed open the remaining bit of tear, added a new layer of glue and let dry.