Finisterre Nieuwland 2mm Yulex long sleeve swim wetsuit review: a long sleeve, durable, wetsuit alternative with impressively green credentials

Although I’ve always been a water baby, I only started open water swimming seriously about 15 years ago, and in that time wetsuit tech has come on in leaps and bounds.

My first swim wetsuit was a 6mm men’s Xterra suit that cost a whopping £600 ($815 USD) new. I've still got it, and for winter swimming it provides impressive insulation, but the neoprene rubber it’s made from is so thick it’s hard to pull on and off. Nowadays I've relegated it to ‘suit I lend my mates, while I wear something decent’ status.

Likewise, my 3/5mm Orca smoothskin suit – now 10 years old and covered in micro tears and grazes from all my river adventures – just isn’t long enough in the legs, despite being a women’s size XL. So, I’ve been in the market for a new suit for a while and, as a fan of long sleeve nylon/spandex swimsuits for winter swimming, was intrigued by this number from Finisterre. It uses natural Yulex rubber rather than neoprene (yuck, petrochemicals) or nylon and spandex (stretchy and comfortable, but not warm).

Finisterre Nieuwland 2mm Yulex long sleeve swim wetsuit: fit and comfort

As I’m fairly tall at 5ft 10in (177cm) and have a long torso (very common among people who seem to be ‘naturally good’ swimmers) I normally have to size up in swimsuits as the body length is too short, sometimes even going two sizes larger. With the Nieuwland, I still went one size up from my usual, but that’s actually an improvement for me.

The sleeves of the suit are long, reaching all the way to my wrists, despite the fact that I also have a swimmer’s long arms. In smoothskin suits this isn’t an issue for the shorter limbed, as you can just cut the wrists down. But the stitched panel construction of this suit means that isn’t an option – if you cut the wrist, the long sleeve seam would unravel. So, be prepared for lengthy sleeves, which you may need to fold back if you have a shorter arm length.

I would have liked the leg openings to have been cut higher, as I find this provides greater freedom of movement when swimming. But this really is a personal preference and many swimmers may prefer the more modest shape.

Where the fit really fell down was in the front zip. I had no problem putting the wetsuit on. But when it came to taking it off, the zip was too short to be able to pull the suit back off my shoulders easily. This caught me out the first time I wore it, and I flashed my fellow swimmers quite spectacularly while trying to get changed, before giving up and asking a fellow dipper for help. I’ve since accepted that it’s absolutely impossible to take off by myself and so now I know to enlist the help of others when getting changed after a swim (and to wear a bikini top underneath it!).

While a newer version of this design exists, the zip placement doesn’t appear to have changed.

Finisterre Nieuwland 2mm Yulex long sleeve swim wetsuit: materials

Finisterre describes its Yulex fabric as a plant-based alternative rubber that reduces carbon emissions by 80% when compared to traditional neoprene.

This is no small achievement – it's the paradox of most wild swimmers that if you're wearing a wetsuit you're indirectly damaging the very marine environment you want to protect in multiple ways (production, emissions, shipping and so on). The fact that you can rent this suit makes it even more sustainable.

Yulex isn't a smoothskin fabric and so feels less flexible that a normal swim wetsuit, despite only being 2mm thick. Typical smoothskin suits for all but the coldest waters vary between 2mm and 6mm, normally with the thinner fabric in the shoulders for greater range of movement. Due to this suit's 2mm thickness, I did expect it to feel more supple than it actually does and when swimming freestyle, which is my preferred stroke, I did experience some shoulder restriction. However, this may also have been due to the shoulder construction, which is deeper set than the troublesome set-in sleeve on Alpkit's wetsuit jacket, but still not a raglan sleeve, which would provide the greatest freedom of movement.

The other disadvantage with the Yulex fabric is it's not as sleek as smoothskin neoprene, which is designed to help you really glide through water. But the upside is, the material isn’t as delicate and won't tear on a surfboard or abrade where your arms and sides rub together as you swim. It's not cheap compared to most nylon or spandex suits, but it is cheaper than the majority of quality smoothskin suits, and I can see it lasting many years.

Finisterre Nieuwland 2mm Yulex long sleeve swim wetsuit: warmth

At 2mm thick, this isn't designed as a winter suit, but I haven’t worn a full wetsuit in winter for years as, for the short amount of time I spend in the water over the coldest months, it's too much faff to take on and off. I like using this suit in winter and spring as it provides more protection than my normal winter combo: neoprene vest with long sleeve nylon suit over the top. I still wear neoprene gloves and boots with it at these times of year, and it does seem to keep my core warmer than the double layer I've previously worn.

But what of the average swimmer? Annoyingly, how warm you'll feel in this suit and how much longer you'll be able to stay in the water varies with, erm, you. People run hot or cold, and the amount of body fat you have is a big factor when it comes to keeping warm in the water.

It's why English Channel swimmers are typically advised to gain about 20lb (9kg) before tackling the swim, and it's why ultra distance swimmers like myself are often on the curvy side. So, if you're a lean triathlete, you're going to get colder more quickly in this suit than I am, and it may be a great choice for summer and autumn months, while the water is still warm.

As a side note, if wearing a suit like this does inspire you to try swimming through the seasons, stick to one minute per degree (celsius) of water temperature as a starting point and build from there.

• How to choose a wetsuit
• Alpkit Element wetsuit jacket: an easy-on, easy-off alternative to a full wetsuit for water babies
• How to clean a wetsuit in six easy steps