Ark Sports KORP Wetsuit Review

Update: Ark has released an updated Korp for 2022! Check out our video for our first impressions and overview below!

Welcome to Gear Talk! As always, this show is co-hosted by our friends Annie and Brooke from Swimrun Labs.

In this episode we do a deep dive into the Ark Sports KORP Wetsuit. This suit has gotten a lot of attention lately due to Ark deeply discounting the suit by 50% for a week that caused the corner of the internet that cares about Swimrun to freak out. We know that a lot of people purchased these suits so we breakdown all of our thoughts on this amazing piece of kit.

But first, we are unveiling a new segment...

Untethered Thoughts

We got a great email from Jasper from Belgium with some feedback about our winter open water swimming AND our swim paddles episodes. We really appreciated him taking the time to write to us and that inspired us to create this segment.

Jasper (who has a PhD in physiology) wrote to us to clear up that the reason that people tend to pee more when it’s cold is that kidneys are flushing fluid out in order to release pressure from your system to send blood to your core to keep your organs warm. Hence, you can get more dehydrated in cold water so make sure that you’re on top of your hydration all the time, but definitely during cold events.

Jasper also had some feedback on some swim paddle testing that he did and had some interesting findings. He found that if he shortened the distance from the tip of the swim paddle to the tip of his fingers that this made his swim times be faster with less shoulder strain. It totally makes sense that if you shorten the lever arm (length of the arm with paddles) that this reduces the torque on the shoulder. If your paddles have extra holes for straps, try to moving them so that your fingertips are closer to the edge of the paddles and see if that works for you. 

Thank you again Jasper!

Reach out to us if you have anything that you’d like to share with us to be part of this new segment. 

New Gear First Impressions

We have two items to discuss this week. 

Chipper and Chris got the NU Orza Pull Buoy courtesy of The Swimrun Labs. This pull buoy is comparable in size with the new Ark Sport Keel s and comes with a pre-drilled hole and a yellow paracord for mounting. We’re excited to check it out and do a full review on a future episode.

Chipper and Chris also got a special delivery from Frank Paddle a few weeks back with two sets of carbon fiber swim paddles to test. Their first impressions are that these things are incredible! A full review will be coming out soon. If you want to learn more about these paddles in the meantime, check out episode 50 of the podcast with Frank Paddle’s founder, Fredrik Bengtsson.

Finally, Annie was recently contacted by a couple of companies that are designing Swimrun-specific undergarments for women. Handful (that’s the name of the company) sent over some prototypes for the ladies to test and Innovenia reached out for some customer feedback. Here is the survey link for the Innovenia research. 

Announcements

Chipper and Chris were in the garage where most of the show ideas seem to be born and they came up with the idea to create a “Swimrun Swapmeet” on FB. This is a forum for people that are looking for Swimrun gear to buy, sell or trade. So if anyone got one of the KORP suits on faith but the sizing didn’t work out, we have a place for you to try to trade it. Join the Swimru Swap Meet today! 

The Wetsuit Details from Ark Sports

Ark Sports describes the KORP as “the optimal all-round” wetsuit. Their website states that “the suit is designed to cover the whole spectra of swimrun races, from shorter sprints to longer full-day adventures. This suit is designed for the athlete who prefers a lightweight and flexible suit where comfort is key.”

The KORP is Ark’s entry-level option but the suit is packed with tech. The suit has the following features:

• Premium Yamamoto LIMESTONE neoprene

• Low weight

• Scratch-resistant surface

• Running+

• Master buoyancy belt - 3 mm

• Anti-leak neck

• UltraFlex inner liner

• Back pocket with zipper closure

• Separate arm sleeves included

A medium-size suit weighs in at a ridiculously light 550 grams (19.4 ounces).

Running Impressions

Running in the KORP is a dream! This “Gen2” wetsuit (a wetsuit little to no neoprene below the waist) like the rest of the Ark Sports suits designed by Daniel Sand, is optimized for running. You can learn more about Daniel on episode 53 of the podcast. The bottom of the suit uses Ark’s Running + fabric that is great to run in and comparable to the Running ++ fabric that Ark uses on the UTÖ and the VIGG. The neoprene on the top of the suit is thin and comfortable to run in.

Chipper and Chris took the KORP on a hilly trail run. Cabbing up and down was not a problem at all. Chris thought that the neckline wasn’t as comfortable as the VIGG suit.

Swimming Impressions

Chris and Chipper tested a suit in the pool. They both thought that the suit was comfortable to swim in. There was some water that got in through the neck closure and pooled in the lower back but that might be mitigated by making sure that the neckline is sealed right. More testing is required.

Brooke tested the suit in open water and did have an issue with the neck seal and had some water pool in her lower back while swimming. She didn’t have any discomfort with the neck closure that Chris and Chipper experienced.

This suit felt a little more durable than other Ark Suits that we’ve tested. (Check out our review of the Ark Sports ORNÖ)

Transition Impressions

The KORP cabs down and up easily and transitions shouldn’t be an issue with this suit. We did have some questions about the placement of the zipper on the back pocket. We thought that it could have been better to either move the zipper to one side or the other or stick to the flap pockets that other Ark suits employ.

Pull Buoy Rankings Rankings

Brooke 4 Pull Buoys

Brooke thought that there is some room for improvement with the suit. She plans on racing in the suit this year. She knocked off some points for the neckline seal issues and for Ark’s “no returns” policy.

Chipper 4.5 Pull Buoys

Chipper thought that for the price point, this suit is good for everyone from beginners to advanced. The suit is durable, comes with separate arm sleeves, and versatile enough to be used in most races.

Chris 4 Pull Buoys

Chris gave the KORP 4 pull buoys but wants to give it 4.5 buoys if he can solve the neckline discomfort. Overall, this is an amazing suit that checks off a lot of boxes. He plans on training in it and maybe racing in it depending on the event.

Overall Impressions

If you’re looking for an entry-level wetsuit to use in a variety of training and racing conditions then look no further than the Ark Sport KORP. This suit packs in a lot of tech for the price point and won’t be obsolete anytime soon.

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.