Orca Swimrun Wetsuits Review

Welcome to the fifth Löw Tide Böyz swimrun gear review show! This review is once again co-hosted by our friends Annie and Brooke from the Swimrun Labs.

This episode is all about Orca Swimrun Wetsuits and Accessories. Brooke and Chris have used several Orca suits so they review while Chipper and Annie ask the questions. It’s good stuff so let’s get right to it.

Orca has been around for a long time with triathlon, open water, free diving and kids gear. Relevant for this show is their evolving line of Swimrun-specific wetsuits. Their first iteration of suits, The Core and RS1 suits, were basically triathlon suits where they cut the legs and sleeves off and put the zipper in the front. We’ve seen an “evolution of industry-standard” with their second iteration of suits that we’ll talk about later in the show.

The Orca Swimrun Core Wetsuit Review (Generation 1)

Both Brooke and Chris have used the Swimrun Core. It’s Orca’s entry-level wetsuit that runs under $200. (You can read Swimrun Labs super in-depth review of the Core here.) It has the standard zipper in the front and it’s definitely a swimrun wetsuit with thick-ish neoprene on the chest and thigh region with thinner shoulder and back neoprene. It comes with removable neoprene sleeves for colder conditions, a small hip pocket that can hold one or two gels or the team bandage, a whistle and a medium size zippered pocket in the lower back. It’s a versatile suit that works well in various water temperatures and was overall pretty good in the water. While running, the thick thigh neoprene didn’t feel super inhibiting but hip flexion might be an issue for a really long event. Brooke has issues cabbing down in the suit but it wasn’t a deal breaker. 

PRO-TIP: you don’t need a lot of hip buoyancy in the suit if you’re using a large pull buoy like the Ark Sports Keel. (You can listen to our in-depth review of the Keel here.)

LTBz Pull Buoy Ranking

Brooke: 3.5 PULL BUOYS

It’s not a fancy suit but it gets the job done. It’s held up for 3 years with a lot of use and wear and tear. It you’re looking for something fancy, then there are plenty of options but it you want something that won’t break the bank and will perform well in a lot of conditions, then you can’t go wrong with the Core. 

Chris: 3 PULL BUOYS

The price point was great. Other than the mobility issues that Chris had in the shoulders (which might totally be his own issues) the Core is a great training suit and pretty versatile so it’s great for beginners or folks using a separate training suit than their racing suit. That being said, there are newer suits that have better/newer technology.

The Orca Swimrun RS1 Wetsuit Review (Generation 1)

The RS1 is the mid-range/top of the line suit that Orca offers. The material is very similar to the Core except that the shoulder material is a little thinner. The suit comes with removable sleeves, a two-way zipper in the front, a small pocket in the upper chest that stores a whistle and has a very large pocket in the back for almost too much storage. Unlike the Core there isn’t an external pocket in the hip. The neoprene material in the hips is still very thick neoprene but there is a small thinner panel in the hip flexor region. The suit goes for $399. 

LTBz Pull Buoy Ranking

Chris: 3.5 Pull Buoys

It’s a great suit. For the price point, you’re not getting so much more for the money. It performed well in the water and on land and is pretty durable. If you’re an Orca fan, skip the Core and get the RS1.

Second Iteration/Generation Orca Swimrun Wetsuits

Since we’re on the topic of Orca wetsuits, we thought it would be instructive to discuss the new suits that Orca has released since Chris and Brooke got their suits. Orca’s new offerings are the ORCA Perform and new RS1. As expected, the new suits follow the newer style of swimrun suits that other brands are making where the entire lower half of the suit (from the lower waist down) is a thinner material designed for ease of running and the upper part of the suit is where the traditional neoprene is placed for warmth and buoyancy. The new RS1 has what looks like a new style of zipper. We couldn’t totally figure out how it worked so we can’t tell if it was a positive or negative. (If anyone listening has used it, let us know what you think!)

Orca also makes a separates suit where tops and bottoms are sold separately. We didn’t know what to think about this, but it seems like a good idea to get a good fit if you have an odd body type.

Other Orca Swimrun Products

Orca offers a bunch of accessories for swimrun including calf guards, a pull buoy with Velcro straps, a neoprene undershirt with storage, belts and a tether.

Overall Impressions
If we’re talking about affordability, you really can’t go wrong with either the Orca Core Wetsuit or the blueseventy Alliance Swimrun Wetsuit (you can listen to our review of that suit here) for the price point. We think that the decision should be based on where the swimrun wetsuit will be used. If you’re in a cold climate, then go with the Alliance. The Core is a more versatile suit for warmer conditions. 

Overall, Orca is doing some cool stuff in the swimrun space and they are definitely trying to innovate that we totally appreciate. 

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.