Wetsuits

I am currently trying to be a triathlete. I have a competitive swimming background. Using my wetsuit is really bugging me. My stroke feels funny and the fit isn't good sometimes allows too much water in or so I think. I am aware of the advantages triathletes list for using a wetsuit. For a 1/2 mile swim would a "swimmer" still use a wetsuit? I guess I am just looking for support to not use the wetsuit. Thanks Listen to your heart and don't do it. The #1 reason whether or not to use it should be how it factors into your personal enjoyment of the event. I wouldn't bother wearing one for 1/2 mile swim unless the water was incredibly cold... but then I probably wouldn't do the race if that were the case.

A half-mile? Unless the water is cold, forget about it. Any time you save will be lost getting out of the wetsuit in T1.

I am currently trying to be a triathlete. I have a competitive swimming background. Using my wetsuit is really bugging me. My stroke feels funny and the fit isn't good sometimes allows too much water in or so I think. I am aware of the advantages triathletes list for using a wetsuit. For a 1/2 mile swim would a "swimmer" still use a wetsuit? I guess I am just looking for support to not use the wetsuit. Thanks I hate the wetsuit, but here is why you might want to consider using it: 1. It is like wearing a pull-buoy - gives you better body position, and thus less effort to get through the water. 2. Because you have such good body position, and because you can't really kick well in a wetsuit, you end up saving your legs for the bike and the run. The bike and the run are the main event. 3. For 1/2 mile I would use it if you can get if off in less than 30 seconds and the bike is at least 12 miles long and the run 3 miles. You will more than make up the 30 seconds on the bike and run with fresh legs. Good luck! Try getting a tighter wetsuit. It's like these crazy suits we wear now- the tighter the better. If you can get it on in less than 10 minutes, it is too big! Again, best of luck!

Thank you. Wow, its hard for me to swallow that wearing that "big diaper" could save 30". You're welcome! If you average 24 mph on the bike, it would take 30 minutes to do the bike. Add your time for a 3 mile run, say 20 minutes, and you've got 50 minutes of biking and running. Thirty seconds is nothing. Fresh legs on that bike are everything. Whether you wear a wetsuit or not, save the legs!! Swimmers are bad about kicking too much and wasting their legs. Be smart on the swim and it will serve as a great warm-up for the bike and the run. Non-swimmers will be fatigued after the swim and it will cost them on the bike and run. Honestly, I never wore a wetsuit if the water temp was over 74. If your body does not handle cold water well, definitely wear one if the temp is under 74. Absolutely if it is under 70, unless you are Lynn Cox or a Navy Seal. When is your triathlon? What are the distances?

Depends on how cold the water is and if you are trying to win/place high in your age group/overrall. I don't really like wetsuits, cause like you, I think they screw with my stroke and I don't need anymore help than what I have had over the years. If you are just starting in tri's and aren't worried about your placing, then I say don't worry about wearing one. If you are trying to win or place really high, you might consider wearing one as it will help save you some energy that you will need on the bike and run. The extra floation(like a blueseventy pool suit) will allow you to swim faster, with much less effort and be ready to go on the bike.

I hate the wetsuit, but here is why you might want to consider using it: 1. It is like wearing a pull-buoy - gives you better body position, and thus less effort to get through the water. 2. Because you have such good body position, and because you can't really kick well in a wetsuit, you end up saving your legs for the bike and the run. The bike and the run are the main event. 3. For 1/2 mile I would use it if you can get if off in less than 30 seconds and the bike is at least 12 miles long and the run 3 miles. You will more than make up the 30 seconds on the bike and run with fresh legs. Good luck! Try getting a tighter wetsuit. It's like these crazy suits we wear now- the tighter the better. If you can get it on in less than 10 minutes, it is too big! Again, best of luck! Thank you. Wow, its hard for me to swallow that wearing that "big diaper" could save 30".

I'm faced with the same question, and have decided to use my wetsuit, for all the reasons Elise mentioned. During the non-triathlon season I do lots of pool swimming with frequent short sprint intervals. I go as fast as I can, by kicking like the devil. In a triathlon, I need to force myself not to kick so much, and focus instead on long, smooth, pull-buoy-like swimming. Wearing the wetsuit will force me to do this, since it is so ridiculously buoyant that I can't even kick effectively. I have decided to replace my wetsuit this year. I swam about a mile and a half in it the other day, and the shoulders are just too constricting. Everything I've read about the latest and greatest wetsuits is that they use 1mm neoprene in the shoulders for extra flex. I plan to try some of those on, then if I don't like those I will probably end up going with a "short john" sleeveless. In the meantime though, I'm sticking with my current full suit. I am 100% confident that I can remove it in less than 30 seconds. And, I'm pretty sure it will gain me more than 30 seconds on the swim - OR save me enough energy that I can go at least that much faster on the bike and run. Probably a lot faster. That's really the key reason to use a wetsuit, saving energy. Particularly if you want to be competitive against other wetsuit users. What race are you posting about? Is it the Seafair triathlon? If so, maybe I'll see you there :D

I just did a triathlon. I showed up, it was choppy so I was leaning toward wetsuit. Then when warming up a swam through a school of jellyfish......wetsuit went on. But if it's only 500m, warm and the water is flat with no jellyfish, forget the suit.

You're welcome! If you average 24 mph on the bike, it would take 30 minutes to do the bike. Add your time for a 3 mile run, say 20 minutes, and you've got 50 minutes of biking and running. Thirty seconds is nothing. Fresh legs on that bike are everything. Whether you wear a wetsuit or not, save the legs!! Swimmers are bad about kicking too much and wasting their legs. Be smart on the swim and it will serve as a great warm-up for the bike and the run. Non-swimmers will be fatigued after the swim and it will cost them on the bike and run. Honestly, I never wore a wetsuit if the water temp was over 74. If your body does not handle cold water well, definitely wear one if the temp is under 74. Absolutely if it is under 70, unless you are Lynn Cox or a Navy Seal. When is your triathlon? What are the distances? Thanks again Elise. I feel I have no problem saving my legs and only kicking hard enough to keep my legs up (neat that it finally isn't a bad thing) Water temp this time of year doesn't bug me here in western WA. Sunday at the Seafair sprint I am skipping the wetsuit.

I'm faced with the same question, and have decided to use my wetsuit, for all the reasons Elise mentioned. During the non-triathlon season I do lots of pool swimming with frequent short sprint intervals. I go as fast as I can, by kicking like the devil. In a triathlon, I need to force myself not to kick so much, and focus instead on long, smooth, pull-buoy-like swimming. Wearing the wetsuit will force me to do this, since it is so ridiculously buoyant that I can't even kick effectively. I have decided to replace my wetsuit this year. I swam about a mile and a half in it the other day, and the shoulders are just too constricting. Everything I've read about the latest and greatest wetsuits is that they use 1mm neoprene in the shoulders for extra flex. I plan to try some of those on, then if I don't like those I will probably end up going with a "short john" sleeveless. In the meantime though, I'm sticking with my current full suit. I am 100% confident that I can remove it in less than 30 seconds. And, I'm pretty sure it will gain me more than 30 seconds on the swim - OR save me enough energy that I can go at least that much faster on the bike and run. Probably a lot faster. That's really the key reason to use a wetsuit, saving energy. Particularly if you want to be competitive against other wetsuit users. What race are you posting about? Is it the Seafair triathlon? If so, maybe I'll see you there :D] :applaud: See ya there!