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"Mike's
approach to coaching really brings out the best in your
performance" Chris, Berkshire |
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Robson Greens Wild Swimming Adventure in 2XU
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 UK
TV star Robson Green sported an infamous 2XU
E:1 wetsuit in his latest two part documentary
for ITV. 'Wild Open Water Swimming' featured Robson
Green dipping his toe in some seriously extreme
open water swim conditions. The journey began in
a rather tame lido but he swiftly progressed to
scary adventures, freezing conditions and natural
whirlpools in the ice cold seas of Scotland. The
series was an epic quest and a fantastic program
for all the family to watch.
The first of the two part series saw Robson hitting
the waters close to his North East home in the River
Tyne. Temperatures were just a little colder than
his regular training lake Liquid Leisure, where
he began his training during the warmer summer months
(www.openwaterswimming.co.uk).
The near freezing Tyne conditions meant Robson was
out almost as quickly as he went in!
In part two Robson left behind the chlorine pools
and continued on his epic journey to colder, fresher
waters. Throughout the adventure he meets a diverse
number of amazing open water swim enthusiasts that
should motivate even the most fair weather swimming
fan amongst us. Inspired by the recent loss of his
father, Robson's ultimate goal is to swim to the
Holy Island off the North East Scottish coast in
his memory. For the last challenge Robson braves
the cold waters in an impressive non-wetsuit swim
against the tide and survives to tell the tale.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/2009/dec/09/robson-green-wild-swimming-russell-brand
During this epic open water swim series Robson Green's
2XU's E:1 (Elite) wetsuit provided him with a multitude
of benefits, some more obvious than others.
For buoyancy the E:1
wetsuits has 5mm 39 cell Yamoto neoprene to
support the core body mass in the water. 39 cell
neoprene has a specific gravity = 0.13, the most
buoyant on the market. By keeping the body out of
the water (less submerged surface area) Robson benefits
from better hydrodynamics. With water providing
10x as much drag as air, the improved hydrodynamics
make a huge difference to overall speed. Robson
could have done with this on his last swim against
the tie to Holy Island.
Still on the hydrodynamics, the E:1
wetsuit has nano SCS (silicon coating) which
means the dynamic friction coefficient is only a
fraction of regular neoprene. Less friction equals
greater speed though the water and 2XU's one piece
design from the neck to the knee further reduces
drag to increase Robson's speed through the water.
In open water swimming, wetsuit flexibility is paramount.
It is the underarm panel which is key in dictating
the degree of shoulder and arm movement, releasing
the swimming stroke action and allowing a complete
extension along the latissimus dorsi. On the E:1
both the neoprene and inner lining materials have
been selected for maximum flexibility - 520% Stretch
Neoprene with 4 way stretch. Complemented by the
highly flexible hollow polyester fibre lining means
Robson has a much freer stroke and less resistance
to the overall power output.
To further increase Robson's power, the rough capsule
texture on the anterior forearm (rather than the
smooth SCS coating on the other panels) grips the
water with greater surface areas and enhances the
overall power of Robson's catch. This is nothing
to do with his fishing adventures!
We are sure anyone inspired by the program will
be pleasantly surprised by the joys of open water
swimming and we hope they follow in Robson's footstep
by choosing a first-class OWS wetsuit from 2XU
to further enhance their experience.
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