Product Brochure www.huub.co.uk 1
WE ARE HUUB Our aim is to create better products combining science, research and practicality. Team Huub has 4 decades worth of experience gained in the field of endurance sports ( yes, we’ve done the miles, but still have the passion!). Focussing wholly on the athlete and maximising performance and comfort, we’ll explore both the odd and the conventional to create the best. We are not slaves to fashion, but to form, fit and performance. We believe quite simply that we have delivered what competitors want. What’s more, we know our suits work, because the science says so. The Huub team understand the specialist technical and scientific fields associated with triathlon, including hydrodynamics and swim stroke analysis. From smart scientist Huub Toussaint, clever Swim Smooth guys Adam Young and Paul Newsome to pragmatist Dean Jackson, we are focused on bringing cutting edge innovation to our products, whilst retaining a sense of reality and accessibility.
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SCIENCE/ TECHNICAL INFO
THE HUUB DESIGN TRIANGLE
Since the sport of triathlon began two of its disciplines were able to fall back to many years of research and the benefits to be had within running and cycling product development. Swimming for triathlon is a different story. Swimming with wetsuits is seen by many as the “Easy option” for open water swimming, and the hardcore of the sport will not allow wetsuits for such challenges as the channel crossing and other marathon swimming feats. Wetsuits for swimming did not exist until triathlon gave them a place, yet time trial bikes and running shoes were firmly planted in development and the product was exciting.
SWIM SMOOTH The catalyst for the design-team are the world’s leading swim coaches Swim Smooth who introduced innovative design features which actually improve your stroke technique whilst swimming in your Huub suit! Extensive design, testing and development at their home base in Perth Australia gives you the perfect suit for your individual build, experience and stroke style. Find out more at www.swimsmooth.com and www.swimtypes.com
For the past 24 years the wetsuit has evolved very little aside from the development of more flexible and buoyant neoprene materials. Manufacturers still offer the same material, the same thickness and the same make up with key differences unverified and unsupported with science and testing. And what we find kind of bizarre, there are three parts to a triathlon and the swim is currently the one area the majority of athletes can drastically improve their performance through identifying their own body type and choosing a product designed to increase their performance rather than having to settle for one product that suits all.
Huub Toussaint VU University Amsterdam, Department of Human Movement Sciences. PhD-‐Mechanics and energetics of swimming. Huub has had 3 decades researching and developing human movement for sport. Huub comes from a swimming background and still swims at least 8 Km/week. He has (co-)authored about 110 scientific papers, 75 about swimming. He was the first to measure the drag reducing effect of a wet suit (published in 1989). At present he acts as the chief scientific officer of the National Fieldlab Swimming in Eindhoven, the Netherlands.
Cycling- You choose stack and reach, rim depths, bard widths and materials to suit you. Running- You choose shoes on: foot type, weight, terrain, widths and running style. Swimming- You choose a wetsuit, you swim, there are no great differing body type options….Until now. We understand at Huub that in order for our products to make a difference, we need to understand how products currently available perform and how we make changes be they minor or major. The ultimate goal for us here at Huub is to maximise your potential. By aligning ourselves with the worlds leading experts we are able to squash a few myths and realize a few ideas, some surprisingly we have been believing for years to improve our performance yet have no benefit whatsoever.
National Swim Research Centre Eindhoven With the great assistance and testing facility of one of the worlds leading swimming research centres based in the technology hub of Eindhoven. “InnoSportLab de Tongelreep”
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DIFFERING TYPES OF SUIT. It’s been wrong of the wetsuit industry to offer one type of suit for all types of swimmers. To think that we all float, swim and propel ourselves the same as each other is such an error that has taken too long to recognize. Huub understands that with over 85% of triathlon competitors not coming from a swim background the product mix in today’s retailers is completely out of sync with the needs of the athletes. Most athletes need help raising hips and legs due to their backgrounds being cycling and running. How much they spend on a product should not offer differing and sometimes irrelevant buoyancy’s. Fortunately, here at Huub we all understand this, we know that with the correct suit the majority of swimmers will reduce drag through the water by up to 30% (How much would you pay for that on your bike?) You will find in our range two levels of suit and two types of buoyancy for our wetsuit line, pretty easy really. The type of suit is defined by the buoyancy to give you a correct body balance for your unique make up.
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THE GOOD STUFF X-O-Skeleton Researched with Huub Toussiant and Swim Smooth, the X-O-Skeleton is the spine and support structure of the suit holding the core of the swimmer straight and aligned in the water. Many swimmers increase their drag and lose efficiency by fish-tailing their hips side to side as they swim, the X-O-Skeleton supports the swimmer and allows them to cut through the water arrow-straight and encourages good body roll for a more efficient stroke. The grey highlighted areas of the X-O-Skeleton are made of a super-high buoyancy material used in life jackets (NBR). Substantially more buoyant than neoprene, the material also has much reduced stretch. Hang on, reduced stretch? Yes, that’s right, used in the right places and cleverly cut into the skeleton structure, these stiffer components of the Exo Skeleton hold you straight and aligned through your core. Don’t worry, the chest, shoulders and arms of your Huub suit are super-flexible but in the core area of the back and hips, the stiffness of the X-O-Skeleton holds you straight and aligned.
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THE GOOD STUFF
Bicep Release ™
Crossover Alignment.
No Forearm Catch Panel
To assist in developing a high elbow catch for great arm stroke propulsion. A concept developed by Swim Smooth in Perth Australia, these panels allow the bicep to expand naturally as the elbow is bent, dramatically reducing the restriction of the suit. The result is near-zero arm fatigue and an improved bentelbow catch and pull-through under the water!
Up to 70% of swimmers cross-over the centre line in front of their head when they swim, losing propulsion and causing them to snake through the water. With Paul Newsome and Adam Young at Swim Smooth we developed a unique overreach system which restricts the crossing-over movement and helps pull the lead arm straight. Another feature of our suits that actually improves your stroke technique as you swim!
One of the first things The Professor did was show us his research on forearm catch panels.... Thanks Huub! His flow modelling and high speed video footage shows they do not produce any additional propulsion and could well reduce it. Every design feature of every Huub suit has to give a proven benefit to you the swimmer, everything else we discard.
Calf Release ™
Breakaway Zipper
Our man Huub Toussaint specified a new Achilles-friendly calf release system. This super-flexible area of the suit creates less pressure on the calf and achilles, and gives more range of movement. The result is a more efficient kick technique with less risk of cramping. No need for a fancy three letter acronym just great wetsuit design!
First seen on Quintana Roo wetsuits, this zipper is the best design in the market with a super-fast exit with one-pull release. You can also zip-up without assistance (not all zippers allow this… shocking but true). Great work you guys at QR! (we will never claim a design improvement if someone else developed it first)
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RESEARCH Research for us is a discovery, discovering not only solutions to problems but also problems that have previously been ignored or unidentified. Our unique partnership with Swim Smooth swim coaching and their research into swim types that has helped us address key issues affecting swim performance. By piecing this together with coaching organizations across the globe and the experts at the University of Amsterdam human movement centre, we are able to ask where all parties believe improvements can be made. Of course, we also research every change we make in our products and ensure its not just change for change sake.
SCIENCE Once our research has identified areas of improvement where we can maximize the athletes potential, we turn to the scientists, you know, the really clever ones who spend hours observing the interaction of the body through water, those who measure drag in its many forms, Wave Drag, Form Drag, Spray Drag, Interference Drag, Pressure Drag,‌I know, you thought the simple stretch of a suit and a piece of neoprene drag coefficient was what made it fast? If only it were that simple.. Huub Toussaint and his Team of Experts are working year round at the Einhoven Research centre where constant testing is undertaken to deliver the numbers and statistics needed to better understand human movement through water. There will be some products where this is not relevant, but for all the products we swim in, The Science will dictate the product..Every time.
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REALITY The reality is where our 23 year industry veteran comes in. Dean Jackson, our pragmatist, takes the research and Science gathered and then creates a product with the simple goal of maximizing the athletes performance. Combining current technologies and materials while also challenging the norm and searching for improved options in all areas of suit performance. He says that working with the talent of Swim Smooth, Huub Toussaint and the Eindhoven research centre makes his job so much easier, but we also know working for three of the world leading wetsuit brands gives a knowledge rarely equaled.
WHAT DO THE NUMBERS MEAN?
3:3
3:5
4:4
3mm upper and lower body material thickness
3mm upper body materials and 5mm lower body materials
4mm upper and lower body material thickness
3:3 is only found on the women’s AURA suit for one good reason: Women have less dense and unique body muscular structure making the female swimmer more naturally buoyant. The extra flexibility of a thinner, lighter suit is obvious, but design work by Swim Smooth shows the reduced buoyancy helps you sit at the right level in the water and avoids that feeling of being too high and unbalanced. The thinner material means the suit is a lot easier to put on and remove, and the reduced bulk is much more flattering to the eye. Altogether a more intelligent approach to women’s wetsuits!
85% of triathletes come to the sport from a non-swimming background and many suffer from low sinking legs in the water as they swim. Of course the buoyancy of any wetsuit helps bring the legs up higher but never before have wetsuits been designed specifically for these swimmers with a large buoyancy difference between the upper and lower bodies. Until you swim in one of these suits you won’t believe how high your legs can be, they will feel glued to the surface and your potential as a swimmer will be truly unleashed!
Our 4:4 wetsuits are for the stronger swimmers who already have a great horizontal position and do not need the redistributed buoyancy of a 3:5 wetsuit. You’ll find perfectly distributed buoyancy to maintain the balance, harmony and efficiency of your stroke technique just as it feels in the pool. Like to use a bit of kick as you swim? No problem, these suits will let you do just that with a smooth natural action.
As we designed these sophisticated high technology suits, we increasingly moved away from neoprene towards new materials with properties of increased buoyancy and specified levels of stretch.
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ARCHIMEDES
Available in
3:5
4:4
The best wetsuit in our opinion ever created. The Archimedes (named after the great Physicists and Mathematician Archimedes and his Buoyancy principle) This suit quite simply delivers the buoyancy and flexibility that you would expect along with a host of benefits created by the experts in scientific and practical swimming development. Available in two versions, because we do not all swim the same. Presented in 3:5 and 4:4 versions for those with sinking legs and those with good body alignment. No other suits on the market today aids your stroke, kick and body position like the Archimedes.
KEY FEATURES • X-O Skeleton for body alignment and Buoyancy • NBR X-O Skeleton for aided buoyancy (3:5 Version only) • Bicep release for stroke efficiency • Arm Crossover alignment for correct positioning and
reduced snaking/Fish tailing in the water
• Calf Release for improved kick, propulsion
and circulation
• Break-away zipper for Transition speed • The most flexible lining material available • Neoprene flexibility, thickness and stretch
combination unmatched in the industry.
The only Top level statement wetsuit available in two differing buoyancies. 4:4 and 3:5 Because irrelevant of your swim style, you still want the best.
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AERIOUS
Available in
3:5
4:4
One suit, two differing buoyancies and the perfect combination of what you need to really maximize your potential. Flexibility, Stretch, stroke alignment and the exclusive X-O Skeleton. No other suits on the market today aids your stroke, kick and body position like the Aerious.
KEY FEATURES • X-O Skeleton for body alignment and Buoyancy • Arm Crossover alignment for correct positioning and
reduced snaking/fish-tailing in the water
• Break-away zipper for Transition speed
4:4
• The most flexible lining material available • Neoprene flexibility, thickness and stretch
combination unmatched in the industry.
The only Mid level statement wetsuit available in two differing buoyancies. 4:4 and 3:5.
3:5
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AURA
Available in
3:3
We felt it about time that the female wetsuit was more than a sculptured mens suit designed with curves and patterns that simply fit the female form. We felt it was time to look further into the needs of the female athlete when swimming. Ladies, you are different, yep , don’t say we are not a sharp bunch here at Huub. We know you are smarter, brighter and totally more caring than your fellow men. But we also noted a few other differences: You have less dense muscles, you have a much less tendency to have a leg sinking swim style and you certainly don’t need those more super hero style looking suits. The Unique buoyancy levels of the Aura allows the swimmer to maintain an effective kick and waterline position designed to maximise flow around the body and improve swim speed by not lifting the body too high out the water.
KEY FEATURES • Unrivalled 3mm neoprene for correct buoyancy level
and all over body flexibility never before offered in a female suit.
• X-O Skeleton for body alignment and Buoyancy • Arm Crossover alignment for correct positioning and
reduced snaking/Fish tailing in the water
• Calf Release for improve kick, propulsion
and circulation
• Break-away zipper for Transition speed • The most flexible lining material available • Neoprene flexibility, thickness and stretch
combination unmatched in the industry.
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AEGIS
Available in
3:5
Delivering the unique to “Huub” 3:5 buoyancy balance that assists lifting thighs and hips to create a more linear and faster swim position. The 3mm chest and 2mm shoulders give the suit flexibility…unmatched. The Aegis represents the entry into the Huub wetsuit line. Taking the DNA of the top Archimedes suit and translating into a wetsuit package featuring Smooth Skin on EVERY panel. Review the competitor at this level, you will not see a full Smooth Skin suit. Female version available in the Huub exclusive 3:3 Buoyancy split.
KEY FEATURES • Unrivalled 3mm neoprene for correct buoyancy level
and all over body flexibility never before offered in a female suit.
• High stretch lining combined with thinner and more
flexible outer smooth skin.
• Neoprene flexibility, thickness and stretch
combination unmatched in the industry.
• Multi- panel shoulders and chest designed to allow
neoprene grain stretch that conforms to body shape and stretch.
• Speed cut ankle for easy release in transition. • Large Velcro contact area for neck comfort adjustment
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ACCESSORIES
THE HUUB TOWEL ™
SWIM SOCK.
SKULLCAP
RUCKSACK
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www.huub.co.uk