Orca Breathe arrival and Trubridge Videos - update

[Orca_Wetsuits]

Hi guys - just to let you know we've just received the shipment of Breathe wetsuits. We just need to photograph them and then will get them up on orca.com - hopefully by early next week. As many of you will know already, the Breathe will be less expensive than the Free - it is based off the RS1 Fullskn/Equip Lite, with 1-2mm flatlock stitched panels, but includes the free dive specific features of the Free, with the neck gasket, waterproof reverse zip and water flow/drainage system.

Also, Will and Brittany Trubridge popped into our offices last week and we got some cool video interviews with Will, so we will be uploading those to our YouTube and Facebook soon.

If you want to keep up with news on our Freediving developments follow our Facebook page as we'll post updates.

Any question, email simon@orca.com.

 

[trux]

Thanks for the information. Will the suits be available at distributors on all continents within the week (or two), or will you just start selling it in NZ?

 

[Orca_Wetsuits]

Hi - we will be holding stock in NZ, UK and Hong Kong. The suits will be available online in all regions and we will just ship from whatever office makes sense for freight costs.

The Free and Breathe are handled directly by Orca as our distributors around the world tend to be more focussed on triathlon. And for retailers to hold a decent size split would be fairly expensive.

 

[Jouskari]

Sweet! can´t wait..

 

[Orca_Wetsuits]

Breathe now online

Hi guys - further to my early post, the Breathe is now online if you are interested.

Cheers,

Simon

 

[Jouskari]

Cool! looks sweet!

 

[trux]

Nice! It is just disappointing that the wetsuit is 30% more expensive in Europe than on all other continents (including the UK/Ireland distributor). Well, I may ask someone in the UK to send it to me, but it is an unnecessary hassle. The European filial should definitely rethink their pricing policy, and match their price with others!

 

[Orca_Wetsuits]

Hi Trux - unfortunately the pricing is not as simple as just setting a price and then converting currency. As you'll be aware there are other things we have to consider including duty and tariffs, paying quota etc. But given the feeedback from many free divers re: not being able to afford the Free, one of the goals with the Breathe was to offer a price point that more people could access. Relative to the Equip Lite you get all of the free dive specific features for not much more money.

 

[trux]

Hi Trux - unfortunately the pricing is not as simple as just setting a price and then converting currency. As you'll be aware there are other things we have to consider including duty and tariffs, paying quota etc.

Yes, I understand that, but I do not believe that the situation in the continental EU (Orca Europe) is really so dramatically different than at our EU co-citizens offshore (Orca UK/Ireland). It is still the very same EU. And as for the paying quota, I believe the European Orca should have much less problems with ordering quantities than the much smaller UK/Ireland branch. But of course, if they set their prices 30% higher than all other distributors worldwide, it is not surprising they won't meet the expected sales quota. Many people will find a way to get it from anywhere else but them.

 

[Orca_Wetsuits]

Hi Trux - there is far more involved in pricing than just the factors mentioned, but I don't this forum is a place to debate business models and international pricing structure ;-)

As mentioned in my first reply to you in this thread, Orca handles free diving itself, not through our existing triathlon distributors. This is because our distributors are focussed on triathlon and they have no experience or resources to do free diving.

Orca is committed to the sport, as you can see from the development of the Free and Breathe and working with Will and other free divers. The number of free diving wetsuits we make compared with triathlon is a very small %. We're doing our best to keep pricing as low as possible, but there will always be a difference between different regions of the world - just as there is with most products.

 

[Jouskari]

And there are cheaper options around also. But the Breathe seems to be pretty sweet. Have to wait until my friend gets his so I can try it out.

Really awesome that Will and Orca have made a freediving specific suit available. It was really time for an option to the elios suits.

 

[azapa]

Hello there Simon.

The suit looks cool. I have and love and old RS1 and would like to compare:
- warmth - the RS1 is almost like no suit with the nylon panels and non-glued stitching letting water flow in. Is the breathe warmer? hope so
- sizing - I can j-u-s-t get into my size 5, I am 179cm, 68Kg, 76 waist, 96 chest (not fully inhaled). With the new size chart, that seems to make me a 6 in a breathe??

Thanks

 

[Orca_Wetsuits]

Hey if you have the old RS1 Fullskn, then the Breathe would be quite similar in construction and thickness. If you have the RS1 Swimskn, then it would be different - then Swimskn was a very thin material, more like the Speedo suits they used to wear in pool swimming. The new Breathe is 1-2mm, so not super thick and does have flat lock stitching, rather than the "glue and blind stitch" of other wetsuits like the Free and triathlon wetsuits.

At your height, squeezing into a 5 is pretty good going. I would say the 6 would probably be the best.

 

[chrismar]

At your height, squeezing into a 5 is pretty good going. I would say the 6 would probably be the best.

I'm 184cm and 79kg and use a size 5 Alpha and Apex2...

 

[Orca_Wetsuits]

Yes, ultimately the tighter you can wear the wetsuit the better. With triathlon we probably have to give a bit more allowance for the swim stroke, whereas for free diving with the more considered movement it may not be as big an issue. Also, with the 1-2mm neoprene there would be more stretch than a more typical 3-5mm tri wetsuit.

 

[nh77]

Hi,
the warmth is my biggest concerns. Is the Orca Breathe good for heat protection?
I know that everyone is different but for me, after 20min of O2 table in pool I'm getting really cold and after 30min I'm shaking like a leaf... I can't keep relax.
I'm 175cm/98 chest and 73kg. Do I have to buy a smaller size like an 5 or another thicker wetsuit?
Thanks for the advise!

 

[cigarlung]

I want a Orca suit for warm water diving I am wondering if i can use a S3 2011 or S3 2010 or is there to much boyancy the price is reasonable also like the Breathe however it is much more expensive. Please give feedback I want to have less drag and start pushing my depth will be diving on a regular basis so I also wonder about wear and tear thanks

 

[Orca_Wetsuits]

Hi NH77 - the thickness of the Breathe will provide some thermal protection, but of course not as much as a 5mm suit. I will ask Will to provide more info/suggestions on what you can do. Based on your dimensions a size 6 seems most likely to fit. One thing I have heard is that some free divers wear a merino wool or similar base layer under the wetsuit (we also make the Heatseeker, which is a 0.5mm top with a thermal lining) and this provides additional warmth.

Hi Cigarlung - I'm not sure the S3 would be ideal for free diving. It is our entry level triathlon wetsuit so is probably the least flexible. It also does not have the collar and zip features of the Breathe or Free, so water entry may be an issue. Also, the underarm area is jersey, not smoothskin so you may get some water entry there as well.

 

[cigarlung]

Thanks for the fast response all best with your suit sales

 

[Buzz Numinous]

Hheeeeelp please I'm abit worried I want to buy a breath or a free but I'm worried about the sizes and if they will fit me I'm 6 foot tall 92 kg 106 chest and 91 waist thanks for any help