For those of you who have already joined the Cult of Cool, you can now order custom made shirts that feature your very own, hard-earned Lake Monster number! Here’s what they look like:

And for those rare and intrepid souls who did 1/2 mile or more in sub-35F water temps, you can get your Lake Monster Elite (a.k.a. “Ice Monster”) number on the back instead:

Just send me a quick note at srhernan [at] gmail [dot] com, and I’ll get back to you with pricing and sizing options.

And finally, for all the rest of you who haven’t yet made it out to Ladder #1, you can always check out the OWC store where you can buy a whole bunch of really cool OWC stuff!

But until you actually come out and swim with us, you will have to gnash your teeth in silent envy and/or caterwaul with rage whenever you see one of us sporting our ultracool Lake Monster numbers!

Back in May 2009, my 5-year-old Ironman Instinct finally ended its useful life for my purposes. So I went to a number of Chicago-area multi sports stores and tried out a variety of brands including Zoot, BlueSeventy, and Orca. While they all looked great and had some really neat features, none of them seemed like much of a departure from my Instinct.

As chance would dictate, I received an email ad from Xterra Wetsuits about their Spring 2009 special on their Vortex 3 and Vector models. I had seen Xterra’s wetsuits at a number of triathlons and swim events, but I had never had an opportunity to try one out. This is because the company has a direct order business model that doesn’t use distributors. So the only way to get one is to order directly from Xterra or to visit their factory outlet store near their San Diego, CA headquarters.

Given an attractive price point ($199), I decided to give the Vortex 3 a shot.

Appearance and Fit

I ordered the fullsuit version of the Vortex 3 directly from Xterra’s website. The company shipped out the product the same day, and it arrived four days later. Also included in the package was an Xterra mesh wetsuit/swim bag and an Xterra latex swim cap – both unexpected surprises.

As you can see, it’s a pretty sharp looking wetsuit:

Probably the most significant visible feature of the Vortex 3 is the 5mm layer of neoprene that extends from the neck to the ankles on the front side of the wetsuit. This maximizes swim buoyancy – especially in your lower extremities. The 5mm (versus the 3mm-4mm used by other companies) really made a difference for me as my lower legs tend to sink and drag if I’m not swimming at a fairly brisk pace.

This thicker layer also provides a high degree of insulation against colder water temperatures. In fact, I delayed writing this review until I could test the Vortex 3 in our winter swim conditions. And I am happy to report that the wetsuit provides very adequate thermal insulation even when the water temperatures fall below 40F (4.4C).

But my favorite feature is undoubtedly the fully-body X-tra Stretch Liner:

This highly flexible inner liner covers the entire inside of the wetsuit. Not only does the X-tra Stretch Liner provide excellent flexibility and range of motion, but it also makes the Vortex 3 very easy to get on and off.

Performance

As mentioned earlier, I recently field-tested the Vortex 3 in icy Lake Michigan, and I was very pleased with how the product held up under these extreme conditions. I wore it over my thermo shirt and neoprene dive hood, and the wetsuit provided plenty of insulation without causing constriction around my neck or letting in excess cold water. I also had a full range of swim motion in my arms and shoulders despite this rather snug set up.

During my numerous training and event swims in 2009, the Vortex 3 performed exceptionally well in terms of buoyancy, swim ability, and thermal protection. There are, however, a few minor issues I had with the Vortex 3 that definitely warrant mentioning.

First of all, given Xterra’s direct sales model, you can’t really try on a Vortex 3 before you purchase it. You have to rely on the detailed sizing chart on their website and hope that you choose the right size. I was actually on the border between two sizes, so I chose the larger one. This proved to be a mistake, and I had to go through the return/exchange process to get my correct size.

Second, the Vortex 3 fullsuit is a very well-insulated wetsuit that retains a LOT of heat. And while this is highly desirable in colder water conditions, I could see this becoming a problem during longer swims in warmer water temperatures. In fact, there were a couple of times that I interrupted my swim to take off my Vortex 3 as I was feeling somewhat overheated.

My final critique of the suit involves its outer lining. For some reason, it seems more vulnerable to fingernail gouge marks than other wetsuits I have used. So you have to be extra careful putting it on or you’ll easily end up with one of these:

The Bottom Line

Overall, I am very pleased with the quality, fit, and performance of the Xterra Vortex 3 fullsuit. I think it’s a great all-around wetsuit that you can use for both training and competing. It’s priced at $400 on their web site, but the company occasionally runs time-limited promotions where they offer the wetsuit at a 50% discount.

So if you’re in the market for a new wetsuit and feel comfortable with ordering one directly from the manufacturer, I highly suggest you check out what Xterra has to offer. You’ll get a really high quality wetsuit for a price significantly lower than that of a comparable – or even lower quality – wetsuit at a local retail outlet.
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** UPDATE – 5/5/10 **

I have to be honest here. This wetsuit has not lived up to my expectations since writing this review in January 2010. It turns out that the suit is much more vulnerable to rips and tears than I expected. In fact, despite being very meticulous in putting the wetsuit on and applying copious amounts of Suit Juice during the process, I still somehow managed to develop very frustrating rips and rents in numerous places.

And let me tell you something, folks. It is NOT pleasant to have cold water rush in through rips located near some of the more, er, “delicate” areas of the human anatomy.

Here are a few pics showing the rips and the repair jobs I had to do (I used both Black Magic and Aquaseal)

I don’t have long fingernails, so that’s not the issue here. I think that the wetsuit just has a shorter shelf life – especially when exposed to more extreme temperatures. And once it reaches a certain point, it just starts to deteriorate where it’s thinner (forearms) and where you place the most stress putting it on (legs and crotch).

So I cannot, at this point, strongly endorse this product.

** UPDATE – 5/25/10 **

Many of you have read this review, and a few of you have contacted me directly about it. Let me just clarify a few things.

First, I purchased this wetsuit in May 2009, and it did perform quite well for an entire year. I deliberately waited until January 2010 because I wanted to see how the suit performed under extreme cold water swimming conditions. And as I had originally reported, the Vortex 3 did indeed perform quite well even under the most extreme swim conditions.

My primary issue with my Vortex 3 was that the softer outer neoprene layer seemed to be much more prone to tearing after having to endure three months of sub-40F water temperature exposure. And to be fair to Xterra – these are not typical swim conditions that most triathletes practice in or face on race days.

One other FYI – when I informed Xterra recently of this issue, they immediately sent me another Vortex 3 as a replacement. So while I may have had some frustrations with my Vortex 3, this doesn’t necessarily imply that you will have the same experience. And even if you do, Xterra has definitely demonstrated that they are willing to go above and beyond to make their customers happy.

I hope this further clarifies everything for everyone. If anyone has any other questions, feel free to send me a quick note at srhernan [at] gmail [dot] com. Thanks!

Here’s the final cut of the marketing piece we did for Suit Juice. We’ve got some additional footage that we’ll most likely post separately, but be sure to check out our recent masterpiece!

Here are some pictures of the technical shirt many of us received for doing the Harbor Lights Triathlon:

As you can see, whoever did the printing on these shirts did a pretty good job. The images and logos are clearly printed on the synthetic fabric, and the colors and textures are uniform.

Now here’s what at least one OWC customer received from Zazzle:

Yep…that’s heat damage to the micro fiber fabric, folks. They clearly don’t know what they’re doing.

Which is why we no longer use them.

There’s an interesting article in today’s Wall Street Journal about the ongoing debate among Masters Swimmers on whether or not it’s legal or ethical to use some of the newer, “high-tech” swimsuits.

The Federation Internationale de Natation (FINA) issued a ruling over the summer stating that, beginning in 2010, only suits made from “textiles” that do not create “air trapping” effects will be allowed in competitive events. But there’s still a lot of debate going on as to what exactly constitutes a permissible swimsuit. And in the meantime, these “supersuits” have wormed their way into the layswimmer’s turf.

My take on this is simple. I think it’s silly to be constantly obsessed about shaving one or two minutes off of your swim time unless you’re an Olympic athlete or a serious (read professional) competitor. What this means is that you’ve allowed a hypercompetitive mindset to subvert a health and fitness one.

So go ahead and get one of these if you want to be the fastest person in your swim lane. Just remember one thing, though. You’re still mimicking a hamster on a wheel – you’re just doing it faster.

I just received the OWC mugs I ordered last week, and they are pretty righteous:

Be the first in your office/household/classroom/gym/cell block to own one of these collectors’ items. Click here to order yours today!

Just a quick FYI. Xterra Wetsuits, our sponsor, has given us special discounts on their various products. Most of these discounts are ongoing, but they have placed a time limit on the discount for their high end wetsuit, the Vendetta.

So if you are interested in getting one of these “elite” wetsuits at a special discount, send me a quick note at srhernan@gmail.com as this offer expires JUNE 30, 2009.

My 2004 Ironman Instinct has developed several major rents in one of the legs that makes it essentially beyond repair at this point. While I will be able to continue swimming with the help of some strategically placed duct tape, I am currently seeking a replacement wetsuit. So in the spirit of directness:

I am looking for a triathlon wetsuit manufacturer who is willing to sponsor Open Water Chicago by providing me with a new one.

So what’s in it for you, you might ask? Well, to begin with, we get a decent amount of exposure in the local endurance and recreational sports communities. We conduct our events in a highly visible area where we come into direct contact with large numbers of individuals training for triathlons and marathons. In fact, many Lake Monsters are active in and well connected with various triathlon and marathon training groups in the Chicago area.

Second, we’ve been getting more and more media inquiries with regards to our swim group and the issues surrounding lake access and open water swimming in Chicago. I have no doubt that this will continue in frequency and intensity, so any sponsoring entity is sure to receive high levels of positive exposure going forward.

So here’s the deal…you provide me with one of your high quality products and I’ll make sure you get massive exposure both on this site as well as externally out at any of our swim venues. This means links to your site, logos featured prominently here as well as out at our meetups, and anything else we can negotiate to our mutual satisfaction.

Any interested party can contact me directly at srhernan(at)gmail(dot)com.

Remember, this is a one-shot deal. Whoever jumps on this first is going to get several years of marketing exposure in a major U.S. market.

Here’s the set-up I use this time of year when the lake temperatures start to dip below 50F:

First layer

• Tyr swim jammers with dri-fit underwear
• ONeill 13 Ounce Thermo-X Short Sleeve Crew

I can’t say enough about the ONeill Thermo-X. Candidly, I think this is the most critical piece of equipment in this set-up. This “rash guard” is built for surfers who are out cavorting in 50F water, but it works great for swimming. Not only does it allow for a full range of swim motion, but it also keeps heat in my core and wicks water away from the surface of my skin. This is especially important for me since I have very little body fat. Consequently, the Thermo-X shirt gives me that extra layer of “seal blubber” that I need!

Second layer

• Full body triathlon wetsuit
• Deep See neoprene diver gloves
• Deep See neoprene diver booties (7mm)
• Deep See neoprene diver hood (3mm/7mm)
• Aqua Sphere swim goggles or a Cressi Minima freediver mask
• Petroleum jelly

Ideally, the only exposed areas of your skin should be your forehead, your mouth, and the lower part of your face. This is where you will want to apply the petroleum jelly to protect yourself from the cold water.

The diver hood covers your head and neck, and I usually tuck it into my wetsuit to add an additional layer on top of my upper torso. Some of the other swimmers prefer to swim with it outside. Regardless, it makes a HUGE difference in preserving the heat in your core.

So far this set-up is working great for me. I prefer to use the goggles over the freediver mask since the goggles are much less cumbersome – and I still do a fair amount of breathing through my nose. However, I may switch to the mask in the lower temperatures.

That’s it! Now you have no excuses for missing any of our meetups…

In order to swim comfortably in the bracing waters of Lake Michigan, I gear up in layers.

1) Tyr jammer swimsuit

2) ONeill 13 Ounce Thermo-X Short Sleeve Crew designed to keep my “core” warm

3) A full body wetsuit

The final cold water accessories are a neoprene swim cap, neoprene booties, and neoprene diving gloves.

This is the gear set up I use for swimming in 50F – 56F (10C – 13.3C) water. The only other items I add to this are my swim goggles as well as petroleum jelly to use on the exposed areas of my neck and face.

Once the water temperature exceeds 56F (13.3C), I “pare down” my equipment accordingly:

57F – 62F (13.9C – 16.6C) – Eliminate the gloves, booties, and neoprene cap (use latex swim cap)
63F – 68F (17.2C – 20.0C) – Eliminate the thermo shirt and consider switching to a “farmer john” or “shortie” wetsuit
69F+ (20.5C+) – Eliminate the wetsuit

Let me emphasize that these are guidelines that I formulated based upon my personal experience with cold water swimming. Other people might have different temperature thresholds, and they might very well be comfortable swimming without a wetsuit at much lower temperatures. Indeed, there are multiple factors that influence one’s cold water tolerance such as age, gender, body fat%, and overall physical conditioning. However, this is a good benchmark if you’re just starting out. You can always adjust upwards or downwards once you get more exposure to varying water situations.