Xterra Wetsuits Lava Pants Triathlon Wetsuit Pants

Editing review after an open water swim - I'm a 5'4" female, 130 lbs, pear shaped, size 8 regular clothes. Based on size chart I am an XL but I ordered L because I have a small waist and was worried it would gap and create drag. It is very tight at the hips, loose enough at waist that it has to be cinched very tight. Water gets in at the waist if it's not tightly tied, definitely gave me drag. They are a nice step between full suit and no suit, but did not help my speed at all like others reported. This fit is not good for anyone with a female shape - should have ordered a sleeveless women's suit instead. I'm stuck with this item now - got a small nail tear first time I put them on. (I've had a Blue Seventy suit for 6 years with no issue with the material).Had high hopes for this item, very disappointed. Xterra - PLEASE make these in MEN'S AND WOMEN'S SEPARATE SIZES. There is no such thing as unisex! Unisex just means more sizes of men's - or straight - very little allowance for women's shapes.

I'm a female and these shorts come in Men's size. I used the size guide and it had me at Men's Large. it was too big. The knee area was loose. Xterra recommended me to try the shorts, eliminating the loose knees. I swam in the Men's large shorts; too big. It was like a parachute in the water. I was concerned going down to Medium would be too tight in the waist, but it was not. Well, after spending $90 in shipping to try the different types of Lava pants/shorts and sizes, I've settled with the Medium Shorts. Because it's only in men's sizes, the shorts are a little long making them hit the top of my knees. But, I don't want to ship them back again. I've been using these shorts for two weeks now and they are amazing. I can feel how I should be moving my hips, I'm able to swim "downhill", and it's great being able to use these shorts instead of a pull buoy. I Even having spent the price of another pair of shorts in shipping, I recommend the product. I'm 5'4" 135 pounds.

Thanks to storms I had to wait over a week before my first try of these pants.It was worth the wait, my friend who recommended them was saying they are like a cheat mode on swimming and that they are. Comfortable if a little snug, make sure to order right by hip (not waist) size, and even then my thunder thighs struggled a little. They sit low and that feels a little odd at first. But in the water....Easy button for sure, so happy to have these. Faster and with less energy expended. Thats a huge win.

I got my pants in yesterday and took them to the pool today. I swam a 1500 with my normal bathing suit and a 1500 right after with the lava pants and the time to complete was about 8.5% less for what felt like less effort. These will be a staple in my bag from this point forward. On a different note about the seller ... i mistakenly ordered a size XXSmall -- at 6'4 and 209 pounds that just won't work -- they were amazing to intercept the order and ship the correct product (XXL) and still have them here in a hurry. Great Stuff!!!!

My primary intent was to use the Lava pants in open water when wetsuits are technically legal but the water is warm enough that overheating is likely.I have been using these during training under two conditions and never more than 50% of my time in the pool: 1) my legs are thrashed and I have a long swim or 2) I'm working on speed intervals. I will say that I've shaved about 15-20 seconds per 100 yards. Yes, this seems like a lot but it makes a pretty big difference to have NO sink to your lower half. Perhaps those who have strong swimming backgrounds would not see the same improvements. For those of us without strong swimming backgrounds (most triathletes I've met), be careful not to get too attached to your Lava pants. The more you use them the less you want to swim without. That said, these probably should not take away from drills that will ultimately improve that sinking lower half!

Some of us are just not naturally "floaty." By using the Xterra Lava pants, I can actually kick longer and stronger while having my legs properly drafting behind me while doing a pool workout. Since I live in a city where the water temperatures don't get into the 60's until later in the summer, I spend a good amount of the year doing indoor pool workouts while training for triathlon, and the Lava pants give me the sensation of a wetsuit OWS without overheating. The pants would get a five-star rating if I could figure out some way to cinch the pants tighter so they don't fall slide off. With that said, you should wear the pants with either swim trunks that are well fitted, or for ladies, a one-piece suit. A time or two, the pants started slipping down and pulling at my two-piece bottoms. You must cinch the pants tighter, and then risk getting a knot so tight you cannot remove them easily. Other than that, they are an excellent purchase that has helped me improve my swim speed and comfort. And no, they are not "cheating", any more than using swim training fins or hand paddles or front snorkels are cheating.At last, I am floaty!

Product is great for my swim training! Fits according to size. Not so happy about the "muffin top" from the way they fit on the waist but that is on me not the pants! A higher cut would be nice for us old ladies!The company was quick to ship and even checked to see if I was satisfied with my purchase.

Like these pants for training the fit is tighter than most so I would order a size up next time but overall great quality