The open water discussion has been a little boring lately so time to add some controversy. The above quote was affixed to a plaque my swimmers gave me when I retired as Head Coach of the University of Denver Masters Swim Team. Yes, they knew where I stood on the subject. Others share my view. In my day job as a stock broker I came across an article in the Wall Street Journal “Wimp or Triathlete, You Probably Like That New Wetsuit" by Kevin Helliker, published on September 24, 1999. In it were several memorable quotes on the subject. "How pathetic, says Betsy Brennan a Lake Michigan swimmer" "When I see people in wetsuits, I think: wimp." Another Chicagoan Ted Erikson, who did a double crossing of the English Channel without a wetsuit, said on the increasingly use of wetsuit by swimmers in Lake Michigan. "I ask them, 'Why don't you just get a boat? Boats have heaters.”:D
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I think wetsuits should be welcomed in all OW events, especially in tidal waters, and their use noted or differentiated in scoring. I was in the Ches Bay swim that was stopped in the early '90s and can attest to dangerous and chaotic situation that day (the kayakers and boaters did a fantastic job in emergency conditions). I have low body fat and wore a shortie suit - more for warmth than buoyancy. I had previously finished the race twice but was struggling the get across the main channel where the current and chop were worst. I am glad that I was not discouraged or prohibited from wearing the suit that day. I have competed in multiple sports for many years and I accept that there will be competitive advantages across the sport whether its financial freedom to train more hours or proximity to water or a genetic VO2 max capacity (it is amusing to listen to a triathlete parse the advantages of a wetsuit while straddling a three thousand dollar bike). I agree with the earlier posters who invite cheerful compromise and inclusiveness to the betterment of the event and the swim community.
I think wetsuits should be welcomed in all OW events, especially in tidal waters, and their use noted or differentiated in scoring. I was in the Ches Bay swim that was stopped in the early '90s and can attest to dangerous and chaotic situation that day (the kayakers and boaters did a fantastic job in emergency conditions). I have low body fat and wore a shortie suit - more for warmth than buoyancy. I had previously finished the race twice but was struggling the get across the main channel where the current and chop were worst. I am glad that I was not discouraged or prohibited from wearing the suit that day. I have competed in multiple sports for many years and I accept that there will be competitive advantages across the sport whether its financial freedom to train more hours or proximity to water or a genetic VO2 max capacity (it is amusing to listen to a triathlete parse the advantages of a wetsuit while straddling a three thousand dollar bike). I agree with the earlier posters who invite cheerful compromise and inclusiveness to the betterment of the event and the swim community.
