Among all the categories, a specific one for apnea is present, and specifically we have focused on indoor apnea. The category is Indoor Apnea wetsuits, where three outstanding products have reached the finals, each one of them with specific strengths, but only one could be our selected winner. The finalists elected are: Beuchat Zento, C4 Sideral, Salvimar Zeero Thermo. In the end, as an overall evaluation, it is the Beuchat Zento to win the Best Choice by Apneapassion 2023 in its category. Let’s see why.
Overall excellence of the Beuchat Zento
The Beuchat Zento wins the Best Choice by Apneapassion in the Indoor Apnea wetsuits category. The reason for this is that the wetsuit by the French Company, known for the amazing know-how and quality of its wetsuits, be it in the Indoor Apnea/freediving or spearfishing sectors, has designed a wetsuit which excels in every aspect. The cut of the Beuchat Zento has been tested and analyzed by the Indoor Apnea athletes of the Apneapassion International Team, and has been judged as perfect. The same thing applies to the closures of the wetsuit on wrists and ankles, but more important on the neck, an area always critical due to the position of the arms extended forward over the head during the action. The closing system of the neck in the Beuchat Zento has been judged perfect. The neoprene used is also of great quality and softness, and adheres excellently to the body of the freediver, even though the C4 Sideral on this point is probably the best wetsuit. The additional great thing about the Beuchat Zento is the price, on the web the lowest among the finalists and just above 200 euros (at the time of writing this article).
The other two excellent finalists
Again, being among the finalists of the Best Choice means being the real excellence on the market. It is true, in fact, that in some cases a spearo or freediver can adapt to one or the other finalist product better according to his or her specific needs and characteristics. The C4 Sideral, as we have anticipated, is definitely made with the softest and most comfortable neoprene on the market. The price is also right, just over 220 euros on line, even though a little bit higher than the Beuchat Zento. The weak point has been the closure on the neck, good but for some athletes not 100% perfect. Such area, as anticipated, is key to prevent water passage, which can determine greater friction by the water.
The Salvimar Zeero Thermo is the real excellence and professional product on the market. It utilizes all the elements needed to obtain the best performance and is the only one with reduced thickness of the neoprene to 1.5 mm. The neoprene is so tight on the body that initially it is actually not comfortable, and needs to be used quite a few times before the material deforms to the size and dimensions of the body of the athlete. So, a very very professional product, not for all. This applies also to the price, which is definitely justified by very technical solutions, as the polyurethane external cover of the neoprene to improve glide in the water. Still, the cost of a Salvimar Zeero Thermo, 340 euros as list price, but on the web very much discounted to just above 240 euros, evidently positions the professional Salvimar product higher than the other two competitors.
The Best Choice by Apneapassion evaluation
“Apneapassion underlines that the Best Choice is a fully independent prize, assigned after deep testing by the 9 athletes of the Apneapassion International Official team. The result of the Best Choice does not want to be an indisputable opinion, as personal preferences and adaptations to each product can determine different opinions and likes. Still, the use of a large number of independent athletes (who’s sponsor is only Apneapassion) permits to give spearfishing and freediving enthusiasts our best possible evaluation of each winner. We are open to any company who would want to participate with its most competitive products to the Best Choice by Apneapassion yearly prize. For any additional information contact carlo.forni@apneapassion.com.“
