Orca RS1 Open Water Top

Orca RS1 Open Water Top Info

Orca heeded the call. They heard that people wanted a true open water suit, and they applied their thinking and design chops to create the RS1 Open Water line. This is for the Top.

By designing the pieces together, but worn separately, they’ve done you a few favors. First, you can better fit yourself if you’re not a “true” size—size up for the top, down for the bottom, or vice versa. They join via Velcro panels at the middle, so you can wear one and not the other, or wear with another item. By not having a zipper down the back, your movement is freed up as your far more flexible. There’s also no concern about the zipper chafing the back of your neck..

As they’ve done with their other wetsuits, Orca relies on Yamamoto neoprene. A design leader, they have lots of finely-calibrated neoprene that can be strategically deployed. The chest panel here is a thick 3mm neoprene, to help with warmth and buoyancy. The arms have 1.7mm 40cell Infinityskin neoprene for flexibility. the back has 2.5mm 38cell neoprene to have a bit more flexibility, but still warmth and float. The entire top is coated with Super Composite Skin, SCS, to repel water, thus decreasing friction and increasing efficiency.

There are several Velcro elements at the waist to join the top with the bottom. Don’t worry, this is the smooth stuff, so you won’t feel it.

The Orca RS1 Open Water Top helps with those big, long swims.

Why would people go with the RS1 option?  Is it merely fit?  Is it mix-and-match?  Can you wear them alone?
Where is the Velcro of the Velcro seal system?  Does this attach to the bottom or help you get in?
The copy on the RS1 bottom is for the RS1 Top. What materials are the legs made of?