It should be tight, but this sounds like it might be too small. Start low and try to slowly pull the extra material up above your knees. And continue the process all the way up (if you can). Stay away from vaseline, it is hard to wash out of these suits. Use a non-pertrolium based product to avoid chaffing. If you can't get it on check ORCA's website, they should have a sizing chart, see if your measurements match up w/ the size on your suit.

Did you try one on before you ordered?

Get some bodyglide, and use it liberally around your ankle, to your upper thighs.

Get your feet in first and then slowly roll the suit up your legs. Be careful when pulling it up that you don't tear the suit with a fingernail, use the tips of your fingers.

It may take a few minutes to get it on.

Once you get it on do a few stretches, and move around so it sits right.

Before your event get in the water and swim a little to let the water work its way into the suit.

Once it is wet it will stretch out a bit and feel more comfortable.

If you use the bodyglide before hand it will strip off easier when it is wet.

Good luck!!

I would try to put it on without Body Glide. When you are putting it on, take your time. Pull on small section by small section. Pull the lower part up enough, so the crotch section is not “hanging� below your body ( don't worry where the ankles of the suit finish). Make sure that when you are pulling on it, you do not burry your fingernails into the rubber. The inside of the suit is more durable since it is covered with the so called “jersey�, so whenever possbile try to grab the suit from the inside to pull it up. It is difficult to put the suit on a wet skin, so if you are wet dry off your body before trying to put on the wetsuit. Put one leg and one arm in at a time. Finally, when you already have to suit on and you are trying to zip it up, make sure that the extra neoprene padding that supposed to end up under the zipper is not rinkled up and in the way of the zipper. It is probably a good idea and much easier, to ask somebody to help you to zip up you suit, whenever possible. Do not try to force the zipper up. If you still cannot put it on - most likely it is too small. The wetsuit sizing chart is kind of a good guideline in selecting a suit, but I found out that it is better to choose weight as a selecting factor than height. Even then, it still might come too tight. Such was my case. I am 5'11"and weigh 175 lbs., yet I found out that the Orca P-Flex size 9 was fitting the best (better than 8). Even though when you check the chart, it show 8 as the correct size for somebody like me. The suit size 8 was compressing too much on my chest and restricting my breating during the swim. So try to put it on and if you cannot, it means it is too small. Then go back to the store and exchange it for the bigger size. Don't worry if the arms or the legs of the suit are too long, you can always cut them shorter.