swimrun gear

Welcome to episode 166 of the Löw Tide Böyz - A Swimrun Podcast!

We have a new edition of Gear Talk with Annie and Brooke of the Swimrun Labs this week. In this episode we do a deep dive into the shoe that we can’t stop recommending: the Adidas Terrex Speed Ultra Trail. We geek out on the shoe as well as talk about the other shoes in the Terrex line that we have tried and rank it all at the end with everyone’s favorite Pull Buoy Rankings.

It was unanimous that we loved this shoe. It was light and responsive, a non-issue in the water, and even allowed for prancing. Five pull buoys were awarded by everyone and we can’t recommend these shoes enough.

Enjoy!

That’s it for this week’s show. If you are enjoying the Löw Tide Böyz, be sure to subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast player and leave us a five-star review. You can find us on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcast, and on YouTube. You can also follow our meme page on Instagram. Email us at lowtideboyz@gmail.com with any feedback and/or suggestions. Finally, you can support our efforts on Patreon…if you feel so inclined.

Thanks for listening and see you out there!

-  Chip and Chris

Welcome to Gear Talk with our friends Annie and Brooke from Swimrun Labs.

In this episode, the gang catches up after several months since the last show and go through their various gear choices for Ödyssey Swimrun Casco Bay and the Folsom Swimrun. 

Since this was the first show in a while there was a lot of new gear that was discussed, including the new Ark Sports UTÖ Air, KORP, and VIGG suits, the VJ Ultra 2 shoe, the Adidas Terrex Speed Pro Trail shoe,  Frank Paddle Pro Carbon Fiber swim paddles, and Two Toms Body Shield.

Stay tuned for future Gear Talk episodes!

That’s it for this week’s Gear Talk show. If you are enjoying the Löw Tide Böyz, please be sure to subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast player. You can find us on Apple Podcast, Spotify, and Google Podcast. You can also follow our meme page on Instagram. Email us at lowtideboyz@gmail.com with any feedback, suggestions, and/or meme ideas. Finally, you can also support us on Patreon…if you feel so inclined. 

Welcome to Gear Talk: The Löw Tide Böyz and Swimrun Labs review show!

In this episode, we break down all the different training aids that you can use to take your Swimrun training/racing to the next level.

Before we get into that discussion, we have a few gear updates.

GEAR UPDATES

Just a few gear updates this week.

Brooke finally tried some HOKA ONE ONE shoes (Speedgoats) and she’s really liking them as an alternative to her usual INOV-8 shoes that she uses.

Chipper finally pulled the trigger and ordered a Red Original Pro-Change Robe for those chilly mornings on the pool deck. That leaves Chris as the only member of the group just using a towel.

SWIMRUN TRAINING TOOLS DISCUSSION

Since it’s still the off-season, we thought that it would be good to talk about what people can do now to come back stronger for the (hopefully) upcoming Swimrun season.

We all recommend that if you’re planning on trying to improve this off-season that you get an understanding of your fitness metrics. Whether that’s heart rate zones or RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion), understanding where you are at will help you get to where you want to go. Chris used to use songs to calibrate what zone he was in. For example, if he could sign Toni Braxton’s “Unbreak My Heart” while on the bike it meant that he was riding his bike in zone 2. If he couldn’t belt out the lyrics, it meant he was above where he wanted to be.

Overall, we recommend that athletes have a plan for what they want to work on. Having a purpose for each session will help keep you focused on your progress. Along with purpose, since this is a gear show, we thought that we would list some of the types of training tools that you can use to take your performance to the next level. 

Strength Tools

Stretch cords, therabands and/or stretch bands are a cheap and effective way to add some resistance to your routine to add more strength that will help you become more injury-proof and, uhm, stronger. Check out the Swimrun Labs page of training tips for using stretch bands.

Bosu Balls or other products that create unstable or wobbly surfaces are also great for working on the smaller muscles to prevent injury.

There are also swimming-specific stretch cords that have paddles built in that are perfect for warm-ups before swims.

You can also check out Episode 17 of the Podcast with Strength and Running Coach, Nate Helming for more training tips.

Run Tools

Not a lot of tools here, just vary your stimulus by running hills or terrain that you’re not used to. Try different shoes, maybe load up a backpack with some water bottles, or work on downhill running. Don’t have a hill in your area? Maybe there is a bridge that you can do hill repeats on. Basically, where there is a will, there’s a way. 

You can also check out Episode 30 of Podcast with Running Coach, Mario Fraioli for great insight on how to vary your workouts while you prepare for a particular race.

Swim Tools

Swimming has the most training aids by far. Here we break down the tools that we use. As we mentioned above but especially with swimming, having a training plan or focus for each swim will help you improve.

“Essentials”

Pool Pull Buoy

Ankle Strap

Snorkel

Swim Fins

Swim Paddles

Depending on what you're trying to work on in the pool, these essentials can really help you work on your technique to become a better/faster swimmer. Just like strength or running, adding external resistance will help make you stronger. Note: if you’re new to ankle straps make sure that you pair it with a pull buoy because it will cause significant drag. Wearing an ankle strap can also simulate the resistance of swimming in shoes.

“Nice to Have”

Multiple Sizes of Swim Paddles

Kick board

Neoprene SIM shorts

Swim bands/stretch cords

These Swim toys are nice to have to mix things up and create new stimuli. If you’re Brooke, you can get a kettlebell and walk the bottom of the pool while holding it. (Just remember to drop it and get to the surface to breathe.

“Baller Status”

Dry robe 

Garmin Swim 2 watch (underwater wrist-based heart rate)

Garmin HRM-Swim Heart Rate Monitor (to pair with your existing GPS watch) 

Dry robes are pricey but they are super comfy and easy to change underneath. There are several brands out there including Red Original, Dry Robe, and Smoc Smoc. Here’s a video with a review of all the dry robe styles out there.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

We hope this episode gives you some ideas on gear that you can get to help make 2021 your best Swimrun season yet. Let us know if you’re using a product that you love that we didn’t mention and think that we should. Stay safe and happy training!

That’s it for this week’s Gear Talk show. If you are enjoying the Löw Tide Böyz, please be sure to subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast player. You can find us on Apple Podcast, Spotify, and Google Podcast. You can also follow our meme page on Instagram and on Twitter. Email us at lowtideboyz@gmail.com with any feedback, suggestions, and/or meme suggestions. Finally, you can also support us on Patreon…if you feel so inclined. 

Welcome to Gear Talk: The Löw Tide Böyz and Swimrun Labs review show!

In this episode, the gang shares their holiday gift ideas for the Swimrunners in your lives…or just yourself.

Before we get into that, we have some gear updates.

Gear Updates

Just a few short gear updates this week.

Annie tried out the Seavenger SeaSnug socks during a walk in her neighborhood and got a blister on her foot. She pretty decided not to even try them on a run after that. (Sorry Brooke!)

Chris used the SurfEars 3.0 ear plugs during Ödyssey Swimrun Austin and they worked beautifully. Chipper could rest assured that Chris could hear him even though Chris may have been ignoring him.

High Gear, Low Gear

New segment alert!!! In this new segment, the crew will break down what gear they wore at their latest race and give their High and Low rankings on what worked well and what didn’t work so great. Chipper and Chris recently raced Ödyssey Swimrun Austin and shared their kit setup and what they liked/didn’t like.

Chipper’s Swimrun Kit:

Speedo Vanquisher 2.0 goggles

Ark Sports ORNO 2

Ark Sports Kangaroo top

Regular sport underwear

Swiftwick Aspire 12 socks

Hoka One One Speedgoat EVO shoes

Ark Sports Keel+ (Lasso Mount)

Ark Sports Blade Swim Paddles (Medium)

High Gear award: The Keel+ worked perfectly and Chipper had no issues whatsoever. 

Low Gear award: Chipper thought that he had his shoes dialed in but during the race it felt like the uppers of the shoes felt a little stretched out and his foot was moving around in the shoe.

Chris’s Kit:

Aqua Sphere Kaiman goggles

Ark Sports VIGG

Ark Sports Kangaroo top

Swiftwick Aspire 12 socks

Salomon Slab Amphib shoes

Ark Sports Keel+ (Simple loop waist mount)

Roka Swim Paddles (Medium)

Ultimate Direction waist belt (Discontinued)

High Gear award: Pretty obvious here, but Chris thought that the Ark Sports VIGG was the perfect wetsuit for the air and water temperature in Texas.

Low Gear award: Chris thought that the Ultimate Direction waist belt was less essential this race because of the Kangaroo top from a storage perspective and it was basically being used to store the compression bandage and attach the tether. 

Holiday Gift Guide for Swimrunners

Now for the main event! The gang broke our ideas for cool gifts into three categories to take into account different budgets.

Stocking Stuffer/White Elephant Gift Level (Under $30ish)

Annie:  Ödyssey Swimrun hand-Thrown, Custom Glazed Coffee Mug ($30)

Brooke: Zoggs Predator Next Gen Swim goggles ($19.99)

Chipper: Swim Stretch/Bands ($15.99)

Chris:  Swiftwick Aspire Socks ($14.99-29.99 depending on sock height)

“Nice” Gift Level (Under $100)

Annie: NU Orza Pull Buoy ($50)

Brooke: Wild Swimrun Annual Club Membership ($58)

Chipper: NU Lapa Bra ($60)/NU Lapa Shirt ($90)

Chris: SurfEars 3.0 Ear Plugs ($59.95)

Trying to Impress/In the Doghouse/No Limit (No $ Limit)

Annie: “Year of Swimrun” (Price Unknown; Entry to either Orcas Island or Casco Bay Swimruns, Two full Swimrun kits (a beginner kit and an intermediate kit, training camp weekend in Europe with Wild Swimrun, and private coaching by Swimrunner John Stevens)

Brooke: Ödyssey Orcas Island Long Course Swimrun Race Entry ($450-$650 depending on when you register)

Chipper: Ark Sports VIGG ($430)

Chris: All expenses paid trip to ÖTILLÖ Malta (Flights: ~$2,000; Hotel: ~$1,000; Food/drink: ~$500; Race entry: ~$650)

Closing Thoughts

That’s our best thinking on what to get to that special Swimrunner in your life. If you’re on the fence about what to get, giving the gift of race entries is a great way to support race directors and help keep the sport of Swimrun growing in the US and elsewhere. We hope that everyone has a great Thanksgiving holiday and remember to stay safe, wear a mask, and all that.

That’s it for this week’s Gear Talk show. If you are enjoying the Löw Tide Böyz, please be sure to subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast player. You can find us on Apple Podcast, Spotify, and Google Podcast. You can also follow our meme page on Instagram and on Twitter. Email us at lowtideboyz@gmail.com with any feedback, suggestions, and/or meme suggestions. Finally, you can also support us on Patreon…if you feel so inclined. 

Welcome to our third Low Tide Boyz swimrun gear review show! This review is co-hosted by our friends at Swimrun Labs and we’re super stoked to have them back for another episode.

This show is all about swimrun shoes! Instead of doing a specific review of a product this week, we thought it would be helpful to take a big picture look at Swimrun shoes and all the considerations that should go into selecting the right pair for everyone. 

Let’s get right to it!

Global Considerations in Selecting a Swimrun Shoe (or a pair of shoes to use for Swimrun training or events.)

1. Drainage
2. Tread
3. Cushioning/Stack Height
4. Buoyancy 
5. Good Fit
6. Particle Size Impermeability/Water Permeability

In general, you shouldn’t do anything different for swimrun than you wouldn’t do for trail running. If you’ve never run in Hokas or minimal shoes, then you shouldn’t go all in because there is a risk of injury. From a medical perspective (courtesy of Annie and Brooke from Swimrun Labs) is to make sure that you take a graded progression to make sure that you don’t go down an injury rabbit hole. Another consideration is that studies have shown that runners that train in various models of shoes have seen a reduced occurrence of injury by 39%.

With all that, let’s talk about specific considerations for Swimrun.

Swim Considerations

Overall, shoe performance in the water should be a net neutral. Swimming with shoes is an unnatural experience and they create a lot of drag. Some of this is mitigated by using a large swimrun pull buoy but at the end of the day you are swimming with shoes and the best that you can hope for is that they are a non-factor. 

The features of the shoes should be considered based on the general considerations above. For example, Asher Clark of Vivobarefoot mentioned in Episode 23 of our podcast that they used bright orange on the soles of their swimrun shoes so that partners could easily spot their partner swimming in front of them.

Rule of thumb: you shouldn’t feel annoyed while swimming.

Run Considerations

Obviously, shoes are pretty important on the run. 

A great place to start is looking at what shoes you already have and preferably a trail shoe since most if not all Swimrun events are on trails. Not all shoes are created equal so you should make sure to try a couple of shoes because a sloshy shoe will get annoying quickly and not all shoes will feel this way. Does the shoe drain well? Do they retain a lot of water and feel waterlogged?

It is important to test the shoes on various terrains (after swimming in them) to make sure they will work. You can also get technical and soak the shoes in a bucket and then weigh the shoes, wait 2 minutes and then weigh them again to see if they shed a lot of water.

Getting into the water is also loaded with considerations. Speaking of loaded…do your shoes load up with rocks and sand? This can get annoying quickly but it doesn’t happen with every shoe. This is where particle size permeability can come into play and help you have a better race experience. Basically, you want particle impermeability and water permeability.

Another consideration is having an integrated insole in the shoe that you settle on. Removable insoles are basically sponges for water that can lead to sloshiness on the run. Depending on the course, a shoe with a rock plate or a tough sole to prevent sharp rocks from causing discomfort.

Roundtable Discussion, A.K.A. “Shoedown”

This is probably the best part of the show but it’s too much good intel to write it all down. So just listen to the show for all the golden nuggets of wisdom shared.

Overall Impressions

If you haven’t figured it out already, shoes are an individual decision and there are a lot of options to chose from. It’s best to start with what you currently have and experiment in training to make sure that they meet all or most of the general considerations mentioned at the outset. If you have a couple of shoes that work well all the better for injury prevention and for having options depending on the terrain of your next swimrun event. 

Feel free to hit us up if you have any questions about this special episode and/or reach out the Annie and Brooke from the Swimrun Labs on their website or on their Swimrun Labs Facebook Group.

Handy List of Shoes Mentioned on the Show

Altra Superior

Altra Vanish XC

Hoka One One Evo Jawz

Hoka One One Speedgoat

Hoka One One Speedgoat Evo

Inov-8 X-Talon 212

Inov-8 X-Talon 220

Merrell All Out Crush

Salomon Amphib

Salomon S-Lab Amphib

Vivobarefoot ECS Tempest

VJ Shoes IROCK 3

That’s it for this week’s special edition show. If you are enjoying the Löw Tide Böyz, please be sure to subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast player. You can find us on Apple Podcast, Spotify and Google Podcast. You can also follow our meme page on Instagram and on Twitter. Email us at lowtideboyz@gmail.com with any feedback, suggestions and/or meme suggestions. Finally, you can also support us on Patreon…if you feel so inclined. 

Welcome to our second Low Tide Boyz swrimrun gear review show! This week we are reviewing the Ark Sports Keel Pull Buoy. This review was co-hosted by our friends at Swimrun Labs and we think that you will enjoy this review as we left no stone unturned for this one.

We first learned about the Keel while researching swimrun brands to interview for show and quickly became obsessed with this pull buoy once we bought one a put it through its paces. Ark Sports is a great company that we are really rooting for. If you want to learn more about Ark Sports, check out Episode 7 on our podcast where we interview the co-founder of Ark Sports, Christofer Sundberg. 

The Pull Buoy

By way of introduction, Ötillö rules state that the maximum size that a pull buoy can be to be “legal” for any race is 32 cm x 30 cm x 15 cm. You can even use more than one pull buoy but the total size needs to be the same.

The Ark Sports Keel Pull Buoy comes in at 28 cm x 26 cm x 12 cm. It costs 45 Euros or 50 dollars plus shipping to the U.S. from Sweden. (Ark Sports is currently working on setting up U.S. distribution so the shipping costs will come down in the near future.)

According to the Ark Sports website, the Keel was developed and optimized by the world’s best swimrun athletes and the swimrun community. Its distinctive shape claims to minimize drag and maximize floatation in order for you to move as fast as possible through water. 

The pull buoy is made of EVA foam provides massive floatation with a rating of 46.1 Newtons. (The force of gravity on Planet Earth is only 9.8 Newtons.) Needless to say…this pull buoy really floats!

The Test

We all tested the buoy extensively in training and raced with the Keel.

The Swim Review 

Have we mentioned that this pull buoy is super buoyant? So buoyant that you want to be careful in the water because if you’re not bracing yourself, you could flip over in the water. The Low Tide Boyz tested the Keel with other pull buoys in the pool it was pretty clear that the Keel was faster than the Ark Sports Pontoon, the Roka Pro Swim pull buoy and a TYR Swim Float buoy by about 5 seconds per 100 yards (this was not a super scientific study). 

The ladies of Swimrun Labs also put the Keel to the test in a much more controlled trial…that took five days…where they tested 4 types of pull buoys and 1 calf flotation device and found that the Keel was the fastest option. (You can see the results of their study here.) They also found that the Keel was a great leveling agent because it put you in an optimal position for swimming. They experienced some chaffing from the shape of the buoy and the girth of the buoy did require some adductor work to keep the buoy in place. This appeared to be mitigated by using the lasso system to keep the pull buoy in place.

The Transition Review

Swim to Run: 

This was mostly a non-issue with the Keel. Due to the massive floatation we all recommended making sure your bracing yourself as you come out of the water because the Keel will explode out of the water to the surface and that can be interesting if you’re not ready for it. The shape of the buoy was also conducive to placing it on the hip or back depending on a swimrunner’s preference. 

Run to Swim: 

This transition was a bit more complicated. Given the buoyancy of the Keel, it was important to make sure that we were ready to enter the water and start swimming because if not the pull buoy would affect entry into the water. In effect, you have to drown the pull buoy to place it between your thighs if you already waded into the water before being set to swim. Getting horizontal immediately is the best way to get going without having the buoyancy affect you. One point of note is that since the pull buoy is asymmetrical you want to make sure that it’s point the right direction.

The big zoom out is to get to know how the pull buoy acts in the water because it requires a bit of practice to understand how it works.

The Run Review

Running with the Keel takes some forethought. If you’re using the thigh attachment method, it could cause problems on really technical trails getting caught on branches and brush. The lasso/back method resolves that problem, but It takes some getting used to as well. The material of the pull buoy doesn’t slide around and stays in place which is nice.

Low Tide Boyz’z Rankings

Chipper: 4.5 Pull Buoys

Chipper thinks that the Keel is the gold standard of swimrun pull buoys. It looks good and it durable. He docked some points for the cost and for training with the Keel to make sure that you know how to wield it by the time race day comes around.

Chris: 4.5 Pull Buoys

Chris loved the Keel but docked some points for the cost and the fit. It’s not as comfortable as it could be due to the design. That being said, this pull buoy does make you faster. Similar to how the Nike 4% running shoes essentially make you faster (if you know how to run in them) over the marathon distance due to the technology on board, the Keel pull buoy will make you faster in the water. 

Swimrun Labs’s Rankings

Annie: 4.5 Pull Buoys

Annie thought that the Keel is a super powerful pull buoy, that looks cool and increases performance. She docked it .5 pull buoys because of those slightly overdesigned elements that could lead to some discomfort for certain body types.

Brooke: 4 Pull Buoys

Brooke agreed with Annie’s take on the Keel. She arrived at 4 pull buoys by docking .5 pull buoy lost for being overdesigned and another .5 for the cost of the Keel. It’s a little cost prohibitive for people getting first into swimrun when you include shipping from Sweden. All that being said, the performance gains offered by the Keel in the water are undeniable.

Overall Impressions

Overall, we would definitely recommend the Arksports Keel Pull Buoy. It’s pricey but it checks off all the boxes for what a swimrun pull buoy should provide. While it might be slightly overdesigned and not as comfortable as it could be, it’s still an amazing piece of swimming technology. Not only will it literally make you faster in the water, you’re supporting a great brand that is synonymous with the sport of swimrun.

Welcome to episode twenty of the Low Tide Boyz, a Swimrun Podcast!

On this week’s show we have the CEO of blueseventy, John Duquette. We had a great conversation about the brand and their expansion into swimrun.

For shout outs this week we are saying hi to Sossi! She’s a Bay Area swimmer and former triathlete that is a big fan of the show. She recently reached out to Chris to let him know that there was a swimrun team (in blueseventy Alliance swimrun wetsuits incidentally) training at Aquatic Park. While we appreciate the intel it was made funnier by two other of our friends letting us know that they saw a team out there on the same day! This week is also her birthday so HAPPY BIRTHDAY SOSSI!

Training continues this week with Chipper starting to ramp back up on volume and Chris keeps reliving the glory days with a lot of volume of running, cycling and cross-training. Make sure to join our strava club to follow along with our workouts and other LTBz fans.

Now for this week’s interview. We were lucky to get a chance to talk to John about the history of blueseventy and their development of their swimrun wetsuit.

John Duquette started racing triathlon in 1999 and since then has competed in multisport, running and cycling races all over the world. After working at a Seattle running store for 7 years he joined the team at blueseventy in 2007. In 2015 he was named CEO and purchased the brand in 2017. After 20 years in the endurance space he’s seen and experienced enough to tell stories well past last call in the local pub. While he still enjoys racing his mountain bike his primary focus now is making sure his two children develop a love for the outdoors and making sure his dog gets enough exercise to keep him from chewing up his running shoes.

The company was actually founded in 1993 as Ironman Wetsuits and did business under that brand name until 2006. The company rebranded as blueseventy in 2006 and John joined the team in 2007. blueseventy is a small company where everyone is an athlete and into open water swimming.

Swimrun first came onto the their attention from their distributors in Europe. They started working on a suit for 2 years before they ended up releasing their suit. Mike Orton, a former Olympic swimmer, was the chief designer of the suit that was perfect for swimming and geared for durability. The Alliance Swimrun wetsuit was the result. (You can read our swimrun gear review of the Alliance Swimrun wetsuit here.)

The next version in development will have a zipper on the front and the back, sleeves that are removable and re-attachable and better materials. They will also start working on a new performance-based suit. They are also working on additional products that are specific for swimrun like new swim paddle designs and larger pull buoys.

John and the folks at blueseventy were cool enough to set up a discount code for our fans to use for 20% off of the site. Just use the code SWIMRUN at checkout for 20% off everything on their site.

That’s it for this week’s show. If you are enjoying the Löw Tide Böyz, please be sure to subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast player. You can find us on Apple Podcast, Spotify and Google Podcast. You can also follow our meme page on Instagram and on Twitter. Email us at lowtideboyz@gmail.com with any feedback, suggestions and/or meme suggestions. Finally, you can also support us on Patreon…if you feel so inclined. 

Welcome to the first ever Low Tide Boyz swimrun gear review! This week we are reviewing the blueseventy Alliance Swimrun Wetsuit.

blueseventy was cool enough to send us a couple of suits to put through the paces and they gave us their blessing to do an unbiased review based on our experience and, admittedly mediocre, athletic abilities. Check out the suit at blueseventy.com and remember to use the discount code SWIMRUN for 20% off anything in the store.

The Suit

Overall, the blueseventy Alliance swimrun wetsuit is a great suit. With a bunch of key swimrun features such as two internal pockets, front zipper, built-in tether loops, large back pocket and rubberized neoprene for durability, this suit is definitely versatile and durable. It comes with fully taped long sleeves that athletes can cut to their desired length. (We didn’t cut the suits for reasons we’ll explain later.) 

The blueseventy Alliance is available in men’s and women’s specific styles and retails for $270. This price point already makes this a very economical suit that is built to last. It comes in one colorway, black with orange elements. We weren’t huge fans of the orange but it is great for visibility in open water so we can’t knock it that much for that. 

The Test

We tested the suits while doing our swimrun trainings leading up to Ötillö Catalina in the Bay Area. The water temps were pretty chilly and in all, we spent about 3-4 hours in the suits putting it through the paces of swimming, running and transitions.

The Swim Review 

The suit was great in the water. Given how cold the conditions were when we were testing the suits, we definitely appreciated the thicker neoprene of the Alliance. As mentioned above, because of the cold conditions we ended up not cutting the sleeves we were liking having the extra coverage. 

This is definitely a swimmer’s suit. Good buoyancy throughout the torso. The shoulder neoprene felt just right, not too thin and not too thick. The neck was comfortable and the zipper didn’t feel obtrusive in any way. As mentioned above, we were really appreciating the thickness in cold water but we were worried about potentially overheating if conditions were warmer.

The Run Review

We felt that this was definitely a swimmer’s suit…when we were running. Given the thickness of the neoprene, we experienced some overheating on the runs and on one occasion we stopped to cab down because Chipper was “roasting.” We also experienced some hip impingement while running. We felt that the neoprene in the hip flexor region was a bit too thick for long running efforts and thought that this could lead to run fatigue. That being said, we did see teams at the Catalina race run in the suits no problem so this issue might be athlete-specific. 

Low Tide Boyz’z Rankings

(We’re unveiling are new pull buoy ranking system for our gear reviews! 5 pull buoys being the best and 1 pull buoy being the worst.)

Chipper: 3.5 Pull Buoys

Chipper though that the blueseventy Alliance swimrun wetsuit was good suit for certain races/ water temps but was worried about it in warmer races. It’s a good value swimrun wetsuit and its durability really makes this a perfect training suit. The suit could have used some exterior pockets in the thighs and more accessible areas for nutrition storage since the internal pockets we are bit tough to access without a lot of effort. Overall, he plans on training in the suit and maybe racing in it, if the weather conditions seem to indicate that the Alliance is the suit to use.

Chris: 4 Pull Buoys

Chris gave the Alliance 4 pull buoys for mostly the same reasons as Chipper. For him, the value of the suit at $270 (or $216 with the 20% off discount code SWIMRUN) made it a great suit for beginners or folks that want to have a more cold weather suit in their stable of options. He wasn’t a fan of the orange on the suit but he’s a diva and everybody knows that. Finally, if getting cold during a swimrun—especially towards the end of the race—then this suit is a great choice. 

Overall Impressions

Overall, we would definitely recommend folks checking out the blueseventy Alliance swimrun wetsuit. We are definitely stoked on the suit and plan on using it in training pretty regularly. Check out the suit at blueseventy.com and remember to use the discount code SWIMRUN for 20% off anything in the store.