Surfing for a Suit

By Dimity McDowell

Simko

Whether you're looking for a tankini, a T-back racer or a wet suit, buying swimwear can be a nightmare. Who hasn't looked in a dressing-room mirror, blinding white lights illuminating all the places that are best kept hidden, and thought, I'm supposed to go out in public in this?

Shopping on-line is one option. But what you lose in dressing-room angst is replaced by other concerns: Will the suit that looks so good on your monitor look good on you? Now many E-tailers are easing the pain by offering sizing charts and intelligent customer service, often accepting returns with no questions asked. We searched the Web for the best swimwear and service, and here's what we found, rated 1 to 5 (the best).

Fashion

Suits for strolling in the sand, frolicking in the surf or barbecuing on the beach

everythingbutwater.com
The angle: Designer chic. A complement to its 34 stores, with Mossimo separates, Ralph Lauren sarongs and more.
The cool: Camouflage and trend-watch tips.
The not so cool: Compared to the stores, selection is relatively small.
The rating:

northshoreswimwear.com
The angle: Personalization. You pick the shape, color, etc. of the top, bottom or one-piece.
The cool: One free remake if suit isn't perfect.
The not so cool: Complicated ordering process; six of 21 available tops are one-size-fits-most.
The rating:

jcrew.com
The angle: Mix and match. Swap tops and bottoms to find your fit.
The cool: FAQs give info on everything from suit care to the best style for your body type.
The not so cool: You'll probably see your suit on half a dozen other beach babes.
The rating:

Wet Suits/Surf Gear

Suits for surfing the Pacific in January, competing in a triathlon or looking cool

bigyank.com
The angle: One-stop shopping. All you need for body-, skate-, snow- and surfboarding.
The cool: Good range of wet suits and rash guards, plus board shorts.
The not so cool: No sizing help; relative to guys' choices, slim pickings for surf divas.
The rating:

triathletezombies.com
The angle: Specialization. As the name says, this is the place for swim/bike/run gear for triathletes (not sure about the zombies).
The cool: Suits in tall sizes; message boards to find training partners.
The not so cool: No sizing help.
The rating:

Performance

Suits for racing a 400 IM, swimming a killer set of 800s or practicing your flip turns

kiefer.com
The angle: Comprehensiveness. Started by Adolph Kiefer, a 1936 U.S. Olympic gold medal backstroker, the site claims to sell "everything but the water."
The cool: Need a pace clock or dumbbells for water workouts? Click here.
The not so cool: No sizing help.
The rating:

worldwideaquatics.com
The angle: Attention to detail. Replace your goggle straps or browse eight brands of suits, including harder-to-find Hind and Danskin.
The cool: Specialty suits include triathlon, postmastectomy and plus-size styles.
The not so cool: Lackluster home page could use a new design.
The rating:

swim2000.com
The angle: Simplicity. Offers two suit brands and extras like world-record stats and athlete posters.
The cool: Weekly workouts for all levels, posted on the site or E-mailed to you.
The not so cool: Carries only Tyr and Speedo suits (though a wide range of each); one-week limit on returns.
The rating:

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