KIT ZONE
HUUB AEGIS III
£349.99 Do you need a thermal wetsuit? And should it be the Aegis?
When Blueseventy launched its Thermal Helix tri wetsuit in 2016, it was one of those ‘why hasn’t anyone done this before?’ moments. With its warm and fuzzy zirconium internal layer, here was a suit that made swimming in all seasons bearable; offering a psychological boost before braving the waters and, anecdotally, adding warmth in the water. The Huub Aegis, Roka Maverick Pro (£700 but currently down to £400) and Zone3 Aspire (£425) soon followed in Blueseventy’s neoprene slipsteam (Blueseventy also released the Thermal Reaction, £436) with their own thermal creations, some boasting fleecey inners (Zone3), others (Roka) strategically-placed thicker panels and liners for warmth retention.
To us, thermal wetsuits initially seemed a welcome if inessential purchase if you already had a tri wetsuit. Over time, and especially after a year spent swimming solely in the UK, we’d now flip that and say that a thermal wetsuit is our primary neoprene outfit, offering more versatility and durability than a conventional tri wetsuit that largely appeals from May to September only.
As for off-season swimming,
