Hot Weather
Swimrun Gear

Updated August 2024

Hot weather swimrun gear is an alternative to that wetsuit! When you are doing an event in the summer months or in a hot climate, you don't need a wetsuit - in fact, it's better NOT to wear a wetsuit!.

It's really nice to race without the resistance and weight of the wetsuit, and many readers contact us for advice about alternatives.

While it's perfectly possible to wear just a swimming suit, it is not ideal. For a start, the material is usually quite thin, and if you are wearing a swimrun belt for attaching a tether, carabiners to hold paddles, and a float, things can start to rub. You are also exposed to the effects of UV light, jellyfish, coarse seaweed, etc.

A really great option is a triathlon suit!

The Garmin Swim 2 is an excellent watch for Swimrun!

Check it out at Amazon HERE!

Garmin Swim 2 GPS Watch

What are the advantages of wearing a tri suit for swimrun in hot weather?

You are not running with the weight of a wetsuit.
Water drains out of a tri suit faster than a wetsuit.
Evaporation off the surface of a tri suit provides more cooling on the run.
You have much more mobility for swimming and running.
You still have some jellyfish and UV light protection compared to a basic swimsuit.

A man wearing a red and black triathlon suit applying sunscreen to his right arm.

Richard in his trisuit before training!

What are some potential disadvantages in wearing a tri suit?

Many tri suits (particularly the top-end, more expensive suits) are aimed at cyclists, and have some features aimed at reducing aerodynamic drag on the cycling section of a triathlon. In swimrun, we don't go as fast as an ironman triathlete on a bike, so we don't need those features, and they may even inhibit us.

Such as:

Full body compression to reduce drag on the bike may be more constrictive than we need.
Use of 'Aero" fabrics to reduce drag, but may be unnecessary in a swimrun.

Hot Weather
Swimrun Gear

So, which triathlon suits would be suitable (excuse the pun!) for swimrun races? Here are our suggestions based on our experiences:

Zoot Trisuit Core

Front view of a man wearing a black Zoot Core triathlon suit with a blue band across the chest.

Zoot Core trisuit

The Zoot Core Tri Aero racesuit is at the top end of the Zoot range, and our readers are buying this suit now! This is a high-quality tri suit that is very comfortable during even long races, and will keep its shape over several seasons.

For more information and the best price CLICK HERE!

Zoot Trisuit LTD Aero
(also sleeveless available)

Zoot LTD Aero triathlon suit

The Zoot LTD Aero is similar to the Core Tri Aero. It is slightly less expensive, and is a popular choice. It also comes in a sleeveless version, like the ones we are wearing in the photo below, for an even cooler experience.

CLICK HERE for more information and best price on the LTD Aero tri suit!

A man and woman in triathlon suits run through a forest at the Bologna swimrun race.

Richard and Mogsy racing in their triathlon suits at Bologna, Italy.

Synergy Women's Tri suit Pro

A woman modeling a white and black Synergy Ladies Trisuit.

Synergy trisuit

The Synergy Triathlon tri suit is a mid-range price suit, slightly less expensive than the Zoot suits, but still good quality.

For more information and the best price CLICK HERE!

LADIES, don't forget to check our page on Swijin sports underwear for the ultimate solution on what to wear under your tri suit or wetsuit!

Sparx Premium Triathlon Suit

Sparx trisuit

The Sparx Premium triathlon suit is a quality suit at a budget price. This is a good 'starter' suit if you want to see how you go racing in a triathlon suit instead of a wetsuit. Great if you are on a bit of a budget!

For more information and the best price CLICK HERE!