Blueseventy

Fusion Women's Wetsuit

We consider ourselves lucky that some still believe that you needn't pay a fortune to obtain quality. And applying this ideology to the world of triathlon is the Washington-based Blueseventy. Sure, wetsuits like its Helix are amazing for anyone that's willing to spare no expense, but for those of us who have jobs outside of triathlon, falling near the middle of the Blueseventy wetsuit line is still a favorable position to be in. Accordingly, the Fusion Women's Wetsuit takes the key attributes of both the Helix and Reaction, and combines them into a far more affordable package. You still retain a full Yamamoto neoprene construction, SCS coating, and some of the thinnest, most flexible arms in the business. However, where the suits differ really only comes down to select cell densities and a touch of torso flexibility.

Blueseventy produced the Fusion with a buoyancy ratio of 3-4-4. This means that the cell density of the suit's buoyancy sectors varies throughout its construction, from 3mm to 4mm. At the chest, you'll find a lateral panel of 3mm Yamamoto neoprene. Additionally, the torso runs 4mm down to the lower legs. This maximizes buoyancy by keeping the hips high in the water, creating an efficient, 'downhill' swimming position. At the lower legs, where articulation is less frequent, you'll find that Blueseventy incorporated a 4mm Yamamoto neoprene.

So, you might be asking yourself, why is any of this important? Well, just as curvy, sleek shapes minimize your drag coefficient on land, a wetsuit's level of buoyancy is the minimizing variable in the water. The supporting science behind this claim is fairly elementary -- water is around 1000 times denser than air, and it produces a potential drag coefficient 10 times that of air, as well. So, minimizing your body's submergence is vital to optimizing hydrodynamics. Accordingly, Blueseventy awarded the Fusion with a maximum thickness that nears the IFR limit of 5mm. Additionally, by placing 4mm panels along the back of the hips, you'll experience less body roll through your stroke, maximizing the efficiency of your movements.

However, buoyancy amounts to nothing if your flexibility is inhibited by dense neoprene. And, not surprisingly, this is where the Fusion truly shines. In fact, you'll find that the Fusion features a thin 1.5mm neoprene in the arms and underarm gussets -- the same thickness found in the Reaction. In addition to this, Blueseventy carried this flexible construction throughout the Fusion. The central chest panel features a 3mm density, while the back panel uses a 2mm density. And to accelerate T1, Blueseventy placed its 2mm Orange A-Flex material at the back of the lower legs. Essentially, this makes this retention point far more malleable, making entry and exit of the suit a speedy affair.

It's also worth noting that all of the chest and back panels are constructed from SCS-coated Yamamoto neoprene. And if you're wondering what SCS is, it's a hydrodynamic, silicone coating that provides an added level of buoyancy, while lowering the suit's coefficient of kinetic friction. Without entering into a physics lesson, the coefficient of kinetic friction is most simply described as the ratio of the force of friction between two bodies, and the force pressing them together. And in this case, the two bodies are your body and the water and friction occurs concurrently with their motions. So, in the real world, SCS acts almost like an accelerant as it reduces the friction between yourself and the water, ultimately requiring you to exert less force in order to gain more speed.

The Blueseventy Fusion Women's Wetsuit is available in one color and in the sizes WL, WLA, WM, WML, WMS, WS, and WXS.