Wetsuit Review 2013: Nineteen Rogue

Initial impression

The blue zebra like patterns against the black of the body is extremely eye catching. You will stand out on the start line at your next event, but not in an over the top ‘bling’ kind of way. No fancy packaging came with this one, it is truly all about the suit, which is obviously feature rich.

Features

Buoyancy

The buoyancy of the suit is limited to the areas that need it, for example the thicker panel at the front of the suit should aid in correct body position (note it is not an overly buoyant suit though, so you will not be bobbing on top of the water).

Flexibility

The designers at Nineteen were clever, and gave us flexibility where we need it and structure/ support in areas where flexibility may be less relevant. The compression nature of the core aims to provide stability and from testing the suit, it certainly achieves this.

Zipper

A reverse zipper means you will need help getting into this suit, but it does effectively remove bulk around the neck

Transition speed

I race tested this one and had no problems getting it off. The neck does have a unique “Uncollar++” which is designed to create a seal around the neck area. You will need to get used to this feature when putting your suit on and taking it off, but it is really not complicated.

Sizing

I found the sizing to be standard (womens small for me). Note that the neck does come up higher than some other suits, a feature designed to keep water out. The fabric around the neck is light and very smooth on the edges “I can’t imagine you will get neck rubbing with this one.

Calf panels and arm catch panels

The forearms do not have the visible blade paddles that you see on other suits, but instead have a catch panel that increases the surface area with which you are initiating your catch, almost like a built in ‘paddle’ effect. Similarly the ‘elbow elevator’ is built into the forearm, a substantially thicker piece of fabric aimed at encouraging high elbows. The material thickness around the calf area is much thinner than the bulk of the suit

Why you want this suit

This suit is not aiming to fix your stroke but is aiming to transition you from pool to ocean/lake with minimal disruption to your stroke efficiency. You should feel ‘natural’ in the water, not like you are lifting or dragging extra weight with you. If you want a good balance of buoyancy and flexibility (in the right places) and want to look good for the T1 pictures, this could be the wetsuit you have been looking for.