First look: Orca Apex Dream Kona V2 tri-suit

A tri-suit is one of those rare bits of kit that has nowhere to hide. It has to swim well, ride fast, run comfortably and, ideally, stop you looking like an overstuffed sausage for several hours. It’s a big ask. But if any suit claims to do it all, it’s Orca’s new Apex Dream Kona V2. A £379 flagship that arrives carrying some seriously lofty promises… and a price tag capable of making your credit card break into a sweat. So what are my first impressions?

I’ll be racing and testing the suit throughout the season, so this isn’t a full verdict just yet. Instead, think of this as a first look at what makes Orca’s latest offering so special – and whether all that clever technology goes some way towards justifying the kind of money most of us would usually spend on a decent set of race wheels.

The headline figure is aerodynamic efficiency. Following extensive wind-tunnel development, Orca claims the Apex Dream Kona V2 saves an additional 8 watts over its Athlex suit at 40km/h, thanks largely to a new Italian-developed aero fabric and revised panel construction. Eight watts might not sound like much, but in a sport where people happily spend hundreds to save a handful of grams, that’s a gain worth shouting about.

Speed, however, is only half the story. Long-distance racing is just as much about managing body temperature as it is chasing watts, and that’s where Orca’s Vapour Cool technology comes into play. Integrated into the chest and side panels, the silver-infused fabric is claimed to keep your body up to 2°C cooler than conventional technical materials while improving moisture management when conditions become properly miserable.

Comfort hasn’t been overlooked either. Highly elastic fabrics and an updated panel layout promise a close, unrestricted fit across all three disciplines, while an Italian-made eco-graphene chamois is designed to dissipate heat and moisture on the bike without feeling like you’re carrying a nappy through the run. An ergonomically-shaped rear pocket completes a package that’s clearly been designed with racing, rather than café stops, in mind.

If the real-world performance matches the marketing claims, this could prove to be one of the fastest (and smartest) tri-suits money can buy.

brucewilson

About

A motorcycle journalist by trade and amateur triathlete by inclination, Bruce has been competing since 2011. Over the years he’s tackled everything from 24-hour running races to long-distance sportives, though these days his seasons tend to mix it up with a blend of sprint, half and full-distance triathlon events. For 2026, the focus is firmly on Ironman Leeds, supported by several halves in the build-up. A committed cyclist, a self-confessed terrible swimmer and a reluctant runner, Bruce approaches triathlon with equal parts enthusiasm and scepticism. Expect questionable pacing, creative justifications, and a heavy bias towards any discipline that involves life behind handlebars.