What wetsuit gear for swimming in outdoor pool in TX

Interesting...I just walked in the door an hour ago from a visit to TX. Last stop was in Austin and I swam in the Deep Eddy pool there. They told me that pool stays open year-round and they apparently only get temps into the low 30s in the winter there. But, there's still lap swimmers without wetsuits swimming there in Dec/Jan/Feb. I guess the wellwater they refill the pool with every-other-day remains pretty constant around +/- 70 degrees But, it really all depends on your comfort. With those 40-ish air temps, I would think that you'd be OK with a shorty wetsuit, with short sleeves. But...I live/swim in New England so I'm sure our two definitions of "cold swimming" are different. You might be able to go to a sports shop that tends to triathletes and rent various models of wetsuit to see which you prefer, maybe a dive shop. Good luck. Dan

Interesting...I just walked in the door an hour ago from a visit to TX. Last stop was in Austin and I swam in the Deep Eddy pool there. They told me that pool stays open year-round and they apparently only get temps into the low 30s in the winter there. But, there's still lap swimmers without wetsuits swimming there in Dec/Jan/Feb. I guess the wellwater they refill the pool with every-other-day remains pretty constant around +/- 70 degrees But, it really all depends on your comfort. With those 40-ish air temps, I would think that you'd be OK with a shorty wetsuit, with short sleeves. But...I live/swim in New England so I'm sure our two definitions of "cold swimming" are different. You might be able to go to a sports shop that tends to triathletes and rent various models of wetsuit to see which you prefer, maybe a dive shop. Good luck. DanThanks BTW: I grew up in MA and after retiring to NH after 22 years in the Army I moved to NH. I swam in the pond until late Sep without gear. I figure water temp will get to about 40-50.

Stay away from SCUBA and Surf wetsuits - they don't allow adequate shoulder motion - I tried it. You'll probably be happier with a triathlete wetsuit. XTerra is a popular budget brand. They often have good sales on last year's model. I got one for about $120 in 2016. BTW wetsuits make you much faster so it may feel weird in the pool. One caution: cholorine is really bad for wetsuits so rinse well afterwards and expect a short life expectancy. Another option depending on your temperatures might be just a wetsuit vest

Non-stop swimming is for you. Great to swim outside all year. the above xterra recommendation is good.

Stay away from SCUBA and Surf wetsuits - they don't allow adequate shoulder motion - I tried it. You'll probably be happier with a triathlete wetsuit. XTerra is a popular budget brand. They often have good sales on last year's model. I got one for about $120 in 2016. BTW wetsuits make you much faster so it may feel weird in the pool. One caution: cholorine is really bad for wetsuits so rinse well afterwards and expect a short life expectancy. Another option depending on your temperatures might be just a wetsuit vest Thanks. I am considering that or a shortie wetsuit. I do the breaststroke so the shoulder issue is not as much of a concern. BTW: I use Baquacil in the pool. No chlorine. Easier to maintain and no oder. A tad more expensive but better for the yes and skin.

Non-stop swimming is for you. Great to swim outside all year. the above xterra recommendation is good. Something like this? Triathlon Wetsuit 5/3mm - Men’s Synergy Endorphin Fullsleeve Smoothskin Neoprene for Open Water

I have 2 surfing wetsuits (shorti and full) and a hood, gloves, and booties; and 3 triathlon - swimming wetsuits (two full and one sleeveless - all by xterra). For swimming, do not buy a wetsuit made for surfing or diving. My recommendation is to start out swimming in a "sleeveless" wetsuit. The xterra Vengeance, Vector, or Vortex are good suits, but there are suits by many others - Blueseventy, Zoot, TYR, to name a few. There are some wetsuit separates (top and bottom) around too, but I've never tried them. If the water temperature drops below about 65>60F, you may want to switch to a full triathlon-swimming wetsuit. There is more shoulder/arm freedom in a sleeveless wetsuit, as compare to a full suit; you are not working your arms against the suit in a sleeveless suit. For me, below about 60F, my face (not my fingers or feet, which are working) gets cold and numbs up. At the end of the season (about now) triathlon wetsuits go on sale to clear them out for next year's models. A good time to buy. If you decide to buy one, carefully checkout the sizing charts before ordering, and when it arrives, try it on carefully. Make sure your nails are cut and nothing snags the suit. They are easily damaged by any sort of sharp object. Google putting on a wetsuit to see how others do it. They should fit tight, no ripples or sags, and it takes time to pull it on and to take it off. Its much harder to put on if you are already wet too. The need for a hood, gloves and booties depends on the person. These items are made for surfers and divers. They are relatively inexpensive so you can try them without spending a lot of money. Breaststroke with boots on may not be possible and gloves may be a significant hindrance too. I think you could swim with a hood on, but they are not made for swimming, so who knows. Wetsuits elevate your body in the water quite a bit and many swimmers don't like them because of the changed body position. Triathletes not use a lots of pool swimming love their wetsuits because of the additional float and confidence in OW. The added float is particularly a problem for Breastroke, cause the legs and feet become elevated and pop out of the water. It will take some adjustment. I"m not sure if a divers weight belt would help with body position, but you could try that if you experience a problem with your Breastroke kick. Wetsuits make you faster because they increase flotation, decrease skin friction, and both reduce drag, so you may get a little help with your workout times and be able to fit in more laps:D Hope this helps with your quest to swim outdoors in your pool year round.

I have 2 surfing wetsuits (shorti and full) and a hood, gloves, and booties; and 3 triathlon - swimming wetsuits (two full and one sleeveless - all by xterra). For swimming, do not buy a wetsuit made for surfing or diving. My recommendation is to start out swimming in a "sleeveless" wetsuit. The xterra Vengeance, Vector, or Vortex are good suits, but there are suits by many others - Blueseventy, Zoot, TYR, to name a few. There are some wetsuit separates (top and bottom) around too, but I've never tried them. If the water temperature drops below about 65>60F, you may want to switch to a full triathlon-swimming wetsuit. There is more shoulder/arm freedom in a sleeveless wetsuit, as compare to a full suit; you are not working your arms against the suit in a sleeveless suit. For me, below about 60F, my face (not my fingers or feet, which are working) gets cold and numbs up. At the end of the season (about now) triathlon wetsuits go on sale to clear them out for next year's models. A good time to buy. If you decide to buy one, carefully checkout the sizing charts before ordering, and when it arrives, try it on carefully. Make sure your nails are cut and nothing snags the suit. They are easily damaged by any sort of sharp object. Google putting on a wetsuit to see how others do it. They should fit tight, no ripples or sags, and it takes time to pull it on and to take it off. Its much harder to put on if you are already wet too. The need for a hood, gloves and booties depends on the person. These items are made for surfers and divers. They are relatively inexpensive so you can try them without spending a lot of money. Breaststroke with boots on may not be possible and gloves may be a significant hindrance too. I think you could swim with a hood on, but they are not made for swimming, so who knows. Wetsuits elevate your body in the water quite a bit and many swimmers don't like them because of the changed body position. Triathletes not use a lots of pool swimming love their wetsuits because of the additional float and confidence in OW. The added float is particularly a problem for Breastroke, cause the legs and feet become elevated and pop out of the water. It will take some adjustment. I"m not sure if a divers weight belt would help with body position, but you could try that if you experience a problem with your Breastroke kick. Wetsuits make you faster because they increase flotation, decrease skin friction, and both reduce drag, so you may get a little help with your workout times and be able to fit in more laps:D Hope this helps with your quest to swim outdoors in your pool year round. Thanks. I got a Xterra Volt. (sleevless) I will see how it works and adjust frrom there. Thanks all

I used the Xterra VOlt yesterday...probably did not need it yet but I decided to test it out. I did not do laps but spent 80 minutes in the pool diving down and scrubbing the bottom and sides and vacuuming. I think I would have gotten a tad cold if I did not wear it. Water temp at the bottom of the pool was 68-70 I like it. Fits pretty snug but not restrictive. Thanks for all the advice

Do you know if the chemicals in a pool will ruin a wetsuit? I found some great wetsuit, thetriathletehub.com/.../ however, I want to ensure that the pool won't ruin the wetsuit in the first year.