Our wetsuits are designed for open-water swimming. From thermal-lined to natural and shorty styles, find the wetsuit that keeps you warm and helps you swim naturally.
We've been open water swimming in the outdoors since before we can remember. We delight in a dip when hiking in the Welsh hills; being drawn to nearby rivers and streams; sneaking into local reservoirs or Alpine lakes and swimming in the oceans year-round.
A wetsuit designed specifically for swimming is a great way to increase your comfort in the water, and a properly fitting wetsuit can help you swim faster by reducing drag and improving buoyancy.
Buying your first swimming wetsuit
When choosing a wetsuit for swimming it is especially important to choose a wetsuit that fits. A badly fitting wetsuit may still keep you warm, but its not going to be much fun when all your mates effortless glide away leaving you like a beached seal.
So the first question to cover is what is so special about a swimming wetsuit vs a general purpose wetsuit? To answer this think of all the things you love about swimming. Is it that feeling of fresh water against your skin? Is it the quest for a smooth, effortless action as you propell yourself dolphin like through the waves? Is it that feeling of weightlessness as you roll on to your back and watch the clouds float by?
Swimming wetsuits give you freedom to invoke your waterspirit and swim as nature intended. Our suits are also designed for outdoor swimming, so have some additional, thoughtful features added to make your outdoor swims safer and more comfortable.
All of our wetsuits have flashes of colour at the neck, wrists and ankles for improved visibility, and deep back zippers with a lanyard so you can get in and out of them yourself.
The key features we want you to think about when choosing an outdoor swimming wetsuit are:
- Insulation. Temperature retention for extending swim time
- Comfort. Good fit promotes freedom of movement
- Buoyancy. To promote a natural swimming style
From swimming in icy lochs to short summer dips, our range of outdoor swimming wetsuits has everything to go where the water takes you.
- Silvertip cold water swimming wetsuit
- Lotic open water swimming wetsuit
- Terrapin outdoor swimming wetsuit
- Element two-piece wetsuit for swimming or SUP
- Tarka shorty wetsuit
- Straven womens swimsuit
SilverTip
We spent over 12 months developing the innovative fleece-lined Silvertip, sending several samples and prototypes to be tested by our swimming-focused Alpkiteers and our good friends at the Outdoor Swimming Society.
SilverTip is a fleece-lined swimming wetsuit with much higher thermal properties than our other wetsuits. We've designed it to be suitable for longer swims, colder water and hardy winter swimmers.
Using 3mm-5mm panels of GlideSkin neoprene, we’ve paid very careful attention to balancing the buoyancy with the fleece lining, providing a comfortable and supportive swimming action. The Silvertip is a serious suit for serious swimmers - swimmers who want to swim year-round, in cold water, or spend longer in the water, pushing your distance.
Lotic
The Lotic was our very first outdoor swimming wetsuit. A classic all-rounder, it uses neoprene panels of varying thicknesses (from 1.5mm to 4mm) to perfectly balance buoyancy, freedom of movement and swimming comfort for swimmers of all abilities.
By targeting the back, leg and bum area (3.5mm, 3.5mm and 4mm respectively) these panels give you a bit of extra lift in the lower body and promote a more efficient swimming position. Multiple panels of GlideSkin neoprene increase swimming hydrodynamics and improve stroke efficiency. GlideSkin also provides better water repellency and reduces heat conduction, making it warmer than bog-standard neoprene.
Best for: all types of swim activity, splash and stroke; all swimmers, all year round - that's all. Perfect for a Great North Swim attempt.
Terrapin outdoor swimming wetsuit
The Terrapin is our most neutral swimming wetsuit. 2-3mm thick for lower buoyancy, it features a GlideSkin front for performance and the cut provides unrestricted arm and shoulder movement for comfort and maximum swimming efficiency.
Unlike other similar wetsuits on the market, the Terrapin is designed specifically for outdoor swimming. The less buoyant nature allows a more natural swimming style and is ideal for those who want the thermal protection of a wetsuit, but not the buoyancy. The Terrapin is perfect for swims around 2 miles in length (or 30min-1hr in the water) in typical UK swimming conditions.
Best for: quick sea dippers, mountain tarn splashers and experienced skin swimmers looking for a neutral-form swimming wetsuit.
Element two-piece swimming and SUP wetsuit
For Element, we've designed a dual-component wetsuit system that offers both flexibility and versatility. This allows you to put together your own system from a choice of jacket, vest, pants and shorts. It empowers you to decide your warmth level on or in the water while ensuring unrestricted swimming action. It's not only excellent for standup paddleboarding (SUPing), but also a suitable replacement for the conventional open water swimming wetsuit.
We've incorporated Glideskin neoprene for smoother movement through the water, strengthened with nylon in areas prone to wear and tear. We've adjusted the thickness in specific sections to enhance flexibility and motion where it's crucial. The jacket and vest features a front zipper for ease of wear, accompanied by a pocket suitable for soft flasks or gels.
Of course Element is recyclable at end of life with Circular Flow.
Best for: Standup paddle boarders, swimmers looking to mix and match.
Tarka shorty
When it’s too cold for just a swimsuit but too warm for a full wetsuit, the Tarka natural rubber shorty strikes the perfect balance. With short sleeves and legs for freedom and 2.5mm Yulex® rubber to warm your core, it’s made for swim-runs, SUP, and wild swims where mobility matters.
A stretchy Yulex® build and soft recycled lining feel great against the skin, while a long rear zip makes shoreline changes a breeze.
Best for: Standup paddle boarders and swimmers looking for unrestricted warmth.
Straven swimsuit
Straven is an insulated shorty swimsuit designed for women who love the freedom of outdoor swimming but want a little extra warmth. Made with 2.5mm Yulex® natural rubber and a soft, 100% recycled lining, it blends the feel of a classic one-piece with the core warmth of a wetsuit.
The long sleeves and boy-short cut keep you moving freely while taking the edge off colder water, making it ideal for year-round dips and longer swims. Lightweight, flexible, and quick-drying, it’s perfect for adventurous days when the air’s warm but the water isn’t.
Best for: Female swimmers looking for additional core warmth during their outdoor swims.
Our core wetsuit technologies
Yulex is a natural rubber foam from internationally certified deforestation-free sources. It's a plant-based alternative to traditional neoprene for swimmers who refuse to compromise between comfort, performance and the planet.
Glideskin is a smooth, rubbery outer surface. Glideskin is used selectively in high-performance areas to balance speed, warmth, and comfort—making the suit well-suited for wild swimmers who want streamlined performance without sacrificing durability.
Explore our full mens wetsuits and womens wetsuit range and accessories.
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