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Swim Gear Sponsored by Zoot

This page will have information on the latest equipment and gear. It will contain reviews by athletes (yes you can submit one if you like), local retailers and manufacturers.

Wetsuits

Our Wetsuit Sponsor Zoot has a full line of wetsuits but the most exciting is the all new Zenith. This suit is revolutionary in its design. There is a podcast review and discuss about the Zenith on the Competitors Radio Show with Bob Babbitt and Paul Huddle.

Could this be the fastest wetsuit ever? The new Zoot Sports Zenith is designed and built from the INSIDE OUT - a suit with 2mm flexibility and 5mm flotation. Learn more about how you can perform on the cutting edge in the water. Listen to the Zenith Podcast or go to www.zootsports.com to watch ZootTV and learn why the Zenith is the choice of top pros like Samantha McGlone, Kate Major and Luke Bell.

Here is a page with the brief history on the evolution of wetsuit design starting in 1987 and culminating with the Zenith. If you are the kind of person who loves to read about all of the Technical facts here is a page just for you.

The Ultra Speedzoot by Zoot Sports

Karen Sing, Wetsuit Product Manager at Zoot Sports, has designed a revolutionary Speedzoot for non-wetsuit legal races. Karen, known as the “Queen of Neoprene”, has developed a non-bouyant racesuit, with the same coating as the Zenith, to be worn over race day wear, in open water non-wetsuit races. The Speedzoot is the first garment designed specifically for open water swim races.

The Speedzoot was introduced at Kona last year, to an overwhelmingly positive response. Athletes have found that it takes minutes off of an Ironman swim time! With more races being non-wetsuit legal due to higher water temperatures, the Speedzoot gives the benefits of a fast coating without the warmth and buoyancy of a wetsuit. The Speedzoot is allowed in all USAT races.

The body of the Speedzoot is designed using Biowrap and Dynamic X panels for compression and support. The coating is SCS Nano, which stands for Super Composite Skin Nano. It is a Yamamoto neoprene-trademarked and patented coating that is hydrophilic (water loving). When SCS Nano material is underwater, a microscopic layer of water is attracted to it, allowing the material to flow through the water faster, as it is water against water. The drag coefficient is further reduced by the Nanoscopic bubbles on the surface of the SCS, decreasing it by another 10%. The streamlined fit and hydrodynamic coating propel the athlete through the water, and the rear zip allows for quick removal in transition.

Coefficient of Dynamic Friction	Human Skin	Reg. Neoprene	Reg. Lycra	Fastskin Lycra	SCS	SCS-nano
Wet (Under water)	2.00	5.00	4.80	1.30	0.032	0.026

When trying on a Speedzoot, the fit should be similar to a wetsuit. Wear your race day apparel underneath the Speedzoot to get an accurate fit. The Speedzoot should be tight and should fit like a second skin. The stretch in the materials will allow a tight fit, without any discomfort.

For strong swimmers, the Speedzoot is a great option to a wetsuit. If an athlete doesn’t require the buoyancy of a wetsuit, but would like the speed of a SCS Nano coating, the Speedzoot will provide the decreased drag coefficient and a faster transition time.

The Speedzoot is available at select Zoot Sports retailers in Ontario. For further information, please see the Zoot Sports website at www.zootsports.com

Happy Racing!

Jenn Winters, Zoot Sports rep for Ontario

Getting The Most Out Of Your Wetsuit

Fit and Putting It On

Triathlon wetsuits are designed for surface swimming, and fit like a second skin, which is probably different from any other type of wetsuit you may have worn. They are also made of lightweight materials with fabric inside, smoothskin rubber outside. This rubber is not as abrasion or tear-resistant as neoprene with fabric on both sides, which is what is used in surf, dive, and water ski suits.

Getting the suit on is easier if both you and your suit are dry and cool. A small amount of baby powder on your legs and arms works wonders. PLASTIC GROCERY BAGS OVER THE FEET AND CALVES ALLOW THE SUIT TO SLIDE UP VERY EASILY. Use fingers and finger tips to pull on suit, NEVER DIG YOUR NAILS INTO THE SUIT TO GET A BETTER GRIP. Use steady and firm force, no pinching, yanking, or excessive stretching.

Smoothskin outside, zipper in back. DON’T RUSH You’ll get hot, bothered, and sweaty, and not in a good way.
Don’t forget the plastic bags over the feet.
Pull the suit over feet and ankles to 1-3” above ankle bones. Work legs up gradually over thighs and hips front and back, paying close attention behind knees and hamstrings.
Get suit as high as possible into crotch without voice change. Torso, sleeves, and collar will feel restrictive if crotch is too low.
Fold sleeve cuff back 3”, pull sleeve up to 3” above wrist bump. Put on body, work arms into sleeves one at a time. Adjust sleeves so that suit is high into armpits, eliminating large air pockets. Flip cuff down into position.
Pull suit body up front and back. Adjust sleeves and torso, eliminating large folds in stomach, low back, elbows, and crotch.
Position internal zipper flap flat against your back, zip up suit while pulling your shoulder blades together, check that internal flap is not folded.
Stretch flap and fastener closed, being sure the hook and loop doesn’t rub your neck. Don’t ever hesitate to ask for help. Shop employees, friends, race volunteers, fellow athletes, and even spectators will no doubt be thrilled to help with your suit.
Recheck legs, torso, collar, and sleeves, position zipper pull cord for easy transition, and go swim fast!! Best to remove the grocery bags from your feet now.
IS THIS THE RIGHT SIZE? Suit will be snug but not restrictive. If suit feels loose or leisure-suiit- comfortable out of water, choose a smaller size. Suit should feel just right when in swimming position in the water, out of the water it’ll feel too tight and uncomfortable.

Care and Feeding

Here are some guidelines to help prolong the life of your suit.

Good Stuff:

Use caution and take your time putting on your suit. Tip: Put plastic grocery bags over your feet and ankles, it’ll help the suit slide up. Then you just pull them off over your feet. Pull the legs up a little at a time, and make certain that the legs are all the way up front and back.
Use Bodyglide around your neck if you are concerned about chafing. Rinse your suit with cool, fresh water after each usage and make sure all salt and dirt has been washed out of the zipper. To clean your suit, use specially formulated Wetsuit Shampoo; follow package directions for best results.
Hang inside out to dry on a thick plastic, not wire hanger.
Store in a cool, dry place inside out, lying flat, folded once across the waist.
For travel:
- Lay suit flat, zipper side down
- Fold legs up over chest
- Cross arms in X over chest
- Fold up in half at knees
Your wetsuit is an expensive and technical piece of training and racing equipment, and a little common sense will go a long way.
While using this or any other ZootSports product, remember to have fun, go fast, and encourage your friends to do the same.

Bad Stuff:

DON’T use petroleum jelly, cooking spray, tanning oil, or any kind of grease, oil, or solvents on your suit. They will cause irreparable damage. We have read lots of comments on websites, forums, and newsgroups advising the use of these substances. DON’T DO IT! The stuff ruins the suits, rots the glue, and makes it impossible to re-glue.
DON’T use your WetZoot for any sport or recreation other than swimming.
DON’T hang a wetsuit for more than a week. The thinner rubber in the shoulders will stretch and crack. For storage tip, see #5 of “Good Stuff.”
DON’T expose your suit to heat or direct sunlight. Both deteriorate the neoprene and glue.
DON’T toss your suit in washing machine or dryer, and do not dry clean or iron.
DON’T yank or pinch your suit when putting it on. Fingernails, sharp objects, and friction are the enemies of neoprene. Also, don’t let it drag on the ground or get caught in your bike wheel while you’re riding to the race. For small repairs, see “How to Repair Your Suit” in the next section.
DON’T sit, kneel, or squat in your suit for more than 5 minutes. Zoot’s neoprene is very flexible, but sitting and kneeling put extra stress on the seams and rubber.
DON’T try to shorten or alter your suit yourself. What seems like a good idea usually isn’t after you see the results.
DON’T leave your WetZoot crumpled wet in a bag or car trunk, it will mold and/or mildew. If your suit starts to smell bad, try “Mirazyme” mentioned in “Extra Products” at the end of this section.
DON”T try to squeeze yourself into a borrowed wetsuit or one that fit 25 lbs ago. Wetsuits don’t shrink, and are sometimes tighter after the off season.

AUGH! I have a small tear in my suit and a race tomorrow morning!

1. For tear through rubber but not through fabric backing. You will need:

Wetsuit glue (available at surf shops, dive shops, and tri/bike shops that sell wetsuit repair supplies.)
Toothpick or coffee stir stick
Optional: Cellophane tape (Like you have on your desk or use for gift-wrapping,) Alcohol wipe.

WORK IN A DRY, WELL-VENTILATED AREA AWAY FROM DIRECT FLAME AND HEAT SOURCES! Suit must be clean and dry.

Open up the small tear and brush out dust, dirt, and sand. Use alcohol wipe to remove all greasy residue (fingerprints or sun block.)
Using a toothpick or coffee stir stick, apply a thin layer of glue to both sides. Let dry, then apply a second thin coat.
Let dry until sticky, then press both sides together, and pinch the edges.
At this point, you can put a small piece of the tape over the repaired area to keep it stable; otherwise just allow suit to lie flat in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area away from direct heat sources for 2-3 hours or overnight.

2. For small (1” or less,) tear through rubber and fabric, you will need the above plus an iron, 4 sheets of white paper (newspaper is OK in a pinch,) and a patch or strip of “Melco heat tape,” (available from dive shops and tri shops that sell wetsuit repair supplies.)

TO REPAIR THE FABRIC SIDE:

Cut a patch or strip of tape the size of the tear plus ¼” extra on all sides. If all you have are strips of tape, you can overlap.
Place paper around patched area to protect the suit from the heat of the iron.
Follow directions for the heat tape. If there are no directions, set your iron to the “Wool” setting, no steam necessary.
Use the pointed tip of the iron, with moderate pressure, and move the iron over the tape. Don’t leave the iron in one place longer than 1-2 seconds, or you will scorch the fabric and weaken the neoprene.

3. THEN FOLLOW DIRECTIONS #1 ABOVE TO REPAIR THE SMOOTH RUBBER OUTSIDE.

4. For larger tears or for alterations, contact a surf or dive shop near you, Karen@zootsports.com or 760 477 2299 ext 108.

Great Wetsuit accessories and where to get them:

Wetsuit Shampoo, glue, and Hanger, by McNett: Tri-, Surf, or Scuba Shop.
UV Tech conditioner and Mirazyme by McNett.
BodyGlide: Use around your neck, armpits, and inside your biceps (sleeveless suits.) Purchase at your tri, run, or swim shop.
Suit Juice: Spray-on liquid makes suit easier to put on and take off. www.suitjuice.com
Tear-Aid: Very sticky plastic patches for wetsuits. Good for emergencies and big tears: www.tear-aid.com. Warning: These don’t come off!
Sharpie Metallic Marker: for putting your name on the suit: Staples or other office supply store.

How’s My Zoot Wetsuit Made?

1. Blindstitch: Interior stitching done with a curved-needle machine which only pierces halfway through the neoprene. The seam is triple-glued first, and the combination of the glue and blind-stitching create strong, flexible, comfortable, and waterproof construction.
2. Lining material: The fabric is laminated to the neoprene. Zenith and ZootOne wetsuits have Super Stretch Polyester lining, and ZootTwo has high stretch nylon jersey.
3. High Stretch Heat Tape: is ironed onto high stress areas as an extra reinforcement.
4. Neoprene: Yamamoto # 39 low density, high buoyancy and flexibility foam. Yamamoto Corporation consistently produces the highest quality and most technologically advanced neoprene in the industry.
5. Smoothskin Rubber: All WetZoots have a Super Composite Skin coating (see page 2 for details on SCS.) Zenith and ZootOne feature SCS-Nano, and ZootTwo has SCS.
6 Triple glued seam: The suits are glued together first, allowed to cure, and then blind-stitched.

Zoot Sports is the Official WetZoot Sponsor to the HSBC Triathlon Series

Zoot Retailers - Click on the store name for web details

Durham Swimwear 282 King St West Oshawa, ON 905-579-9300	Running Free 708 Denison St Markham,ON 905-477-7871	Enduro Sport - Leaside 94 Laird Dr Toronto, ON 416-449-0432
Bialkowski Trysport 77 Bowes St Parry Sound, ON 705-746-8179	D’Ornellas Bike Shop 1894 Lawrence Avenue E Scarborough, ON 416-752-3838	The Long Run 257 Queen St South Mississauga, ON 905-819-4761
Clarkson Cycle and Fitness 103A Pine St South Thorold, ON 905-227-0810	Velocity Bike and Multisport 161 Mississaga St East Orillia, ON 705-329-0367	Runner’s Choice 247 King St North Waterloo, ON 519-884-5361
Runner’s Edge 111 Fourth Avenue St Catherines, ON 905-984-5333	Runner’s Den 860 King St West Hamilton, ON 905-523-7866	Runner’s Den 9 Grand River St North Paris, ON 519-442-1056
Impala Bicycles 1818 Dundas St East Whitby, ON 905-434-4530	Fresh Air Experience 311 Victoria Ave Thunder Bay, ON 807-623-9393	Runner’s Life 174 Charlotte St Peterborough, ON 705-876-8960
Cycle Works 593 John St North Bay, ON 705-472-5662	Tri & Run Sports 255 Glen Miller Road Unit 8 Trenton, ON 613-392-7752	T.I. Cycle 711 King St East Gananoque, ON 613-382-5144
Gearheads 3420 Petawawa Blvd Unit G Petawawa, ON 613-687-4624	Gears & Grinds 199 York St Kingston, ON 613-544-7704	Bushtukah 250 City Centre Ave Unit 120 Ottawa, ON 613-792-1170