Anyone going to start practicing in a in the big rubberband?

I read the proposal and have no real issue with it, but am a bit confused on one point: Would this, in effect, produce 2 national champions in a given age/gender group - one for the real swimmers and one for the wetsuit ballerinas? As to the participation being too low, I think that is more a function of the size of the country than anything else. Also, even if you allow the WB's into the race, I don't see how that makes a national any more valid. You may have more people overall, but probably not any/many more in the RS group. -LBJ Here is really the heart of the proposal we submitted to the committee The Virginia LMSC proposes that article 3.5.7.5 be amended to read: “Wetsuit competitors shall be excluded for the purposes of articles 305.11 through 306.1.” 305.11 is for all-american recognition, which is given to national champions; 305.12 is for the all-star team and 306.1 is for records. So the answer to your question is essentially "no." Sure, there will be a winner in the wetsuit category at a national championship, so in that sense s/he is a "national champion." The change also allows for awards (305.10) for WS-clad swimmers (eg at the race itself they can get a medal or t-shirt or whatever, saying whatever the race organizers want it to say). However the WS winner would not be awarded the same level of recogniton as the non-WS swimmer, who will earn all-american status and points towards the all-star competition. This is in keeping with Marcia Cleveland's comments that non-WS swimmers will still be the "main" focus of attention (I forget her exact words). OW competition can be a somewhat scary experience for novice swimmers -- not just triathletes! -- who are accustomed to a pool environment. I disagree strongly with the notion that such people should just "man up" and deal with it; I think masters swimmers is all about welcoming and helping such swimmers...hopefully coaxing them out of the WS at some point. My own personal feeling: I wear a wetsuit when it is too cold to do otherwise (and I'm not macho about it either, I just don't relish shivering for hours after a swim). Wetsuits are a way to draw people into OW competition but the goal is to eventually wean them of it. Many -- perhaps most -- triathletes will have no interest in taking that step since their races allow wetsuits and make no distinction between WS and non-WS swimmers. Fair enough, our own pool races do not distinguish between LZR-clad and non-LZR-clad swimmers either...and both suits are intended to enhance performance. There is no reason for purists -- most of whom probably wear a technical suit in pool races -- to be snotty about the triathlete's choice. There is room enough in the lake/river/bay/ocean for lots of swimmers. On your second point, I believe you are correct. I agree that this proposal ALONE may not do much to increase participation. The proposal is actually a fairly minor change -- adding national championships to the other races where wetsuits are already allowed. It should be part of a broader effort to make USMS OW races better known and more accessible to triathletes and other swimmers who do not participate in OW races; that is really the key. This is just a step in that direction, one that doesn't really cost much to implement.

I read the proposal and have no real issue with it, but am a bit confused on one point: Would this, in effect, produce 2 national champions in a given age/gender group - one for the real swimmers and one for the wetsuit ballerinas? As to the participation being too low, I think that is more a function of the size of the country than anything else. Also, even if you allow the WB's into the race, I don't see how that makes a national any more valid. You may have more people overall, but probably not any/many more in the RS group. -LBJ Here is really the heart of the proposal we submitted to the committee The Virginia LMSC proposes that article 3.5.7.5 be amended to read: “Wetsuit competitors shall be excluded for the purposes of articles 305.11 through 306.1.” 305.11 is for all-american recognition, which is given to national champions; 305.12 is for the all-star team and 306.1 is for records. So the answer to your question is essentially "no." Sure, there will be a winner in the wetsuit category at a national championship, so in that sense s/he is a "national champion." The change also allows for awards (305.10) for WS-clad swimmers (eg at the race itself they can get a medal or t-shirt or whatever, saying whatever the race organizers want it to say). However the WS winner would not be awarded the same level of recogniton as the non-WS swimmer, who will earn all-american status and points towards the all-star competition. This is in keeping with Marcia Cleveland's comments that non-WS swimmers will still be the "main" focus of attention (I forget her exact words). OW competition can be a somewhat scary experience for novice swimmers -- not just triathletes! -- who are accustomed to a pool environment. I disagree strongly with the notion that such people should just "man up" and deal with it; I think masters swimmers is all about welcoming and helping such swimmers...hopefully coaxing them out of the WS at some point. My own personal feeling: I wear a wetsuit when it is too cold to do otherwise (and I'm not macho about it either, I just don't relish shivering for hours after a swim). Wetsuits are a way to draw people into OW competition but the goal is to eventually wean them of it. Many -- perhaps most -- triathletes will have no interest in taking that step since their races allow wetsuits and make no distinction between WS and non-WS swimmers. Fair enough, our own pool races do not distinguish between LZR-clad and non-LZR-clad swimmers either...and both suits are intended to enhance performance. There is no reason for purists -- most of whom probably wear a technical suit in pool races -- to be snotty about the triathlete's choice. There is room enough in the lake/river/bay/ocean for lots of swimmers. On your second point, I believe you are correct. I agree that this proposal ALONE may not do much to increase participation. The proposal is actually a fairly minor change -- adding national championships to the other races where wetsuits are already allowed. It should be part of a broader effort to make USMS OW races better known and more accessible to triathletes and other swimmers who do not participate in OW races; that is really the key. This is just a step in that direction, one that doesn't really cost much to implement.