Aropec Flying Fish

The Flying Fish is Aropec Sports’s top of the range wetsuit. Competitively priced, this newcomer to the wetsuit market is aimed squarely at mid-pack swimmers and triathletes who want a decent suit but aren’t willing to shell out the best part of a grand for the privilege of all the latest bells and whistles. That said, for under £200 we were impressed with the suit’s performance and features.

First impressions are that the Flying Fish is a well designed and robust suit, capable of standing up to the rigours of training and racing. Build quality is high – it feels like a more expensive suit. The design is attractive enough, with a white and green decal on the right shoulder and Aropec branding on each arm, the chest and back. Unlike some wetsuit brands, the Flying Fish doesn’t make you look like a superhero (it is up to you whether this is a pro or con). 

The suit is made up of a combination of 2mm and 3mm neoprene, making for a lighter and more flexible suit but at the expense of warmth and buoyancy. Thicker leg panels, however, create lift for heavy legs while ‘draining channels’ are designed to increase swimming speed by diverting the flow of water around the body. Super stretchy neoprene gives flexibility around the shoulders and elbows to reduce fatigue and maximise arm movement, and a special smooth coating on the fabric increases speed in the water.  

On first use the suit was a little tight around the shoulders and armpits, but a quick hitch up of the arms soon fixed that problem. The suit felt fast and comfortable, and there were no issues with rubbing on the neck. Session over, the suit was removed easily using the ‘open top zipper’ – one short, sharp tug of the cord and the zip comes completely undone (particularly useful in a triathlon). 

Verdict: the Flying Fish is a flexible and fast high-performance wetsuit that offers great value for money.