Wetsuit wisdom?

Wetsuits are for triathletes and surfers. Most open water events out here don't permit or have them in a separate class. You can't wear them for official crossings like the English Channel or the Catalina Channel.

Just say "no" to wetsuits. Unless you have a dire need of one to stay warm, just do some swims in cooler water at the beginning of the outdoor season and you should be fine. -LBJ

If it is just for training purposes, I just take a piece of neoprene glue it together with neoprene glue and make it into a tube. Large enough to fit from my thighs to just under my arm pits and get my body into it. If I get too warm I fold it down. I used this when the ice broke in the river I used to train in. We were not allowed to wear any thing like a wet suit in a race. They are considered to be floating devices. George www.swimdownhill.com

Allyson, Wetsuits provide warmth and buoyancy. The added buoyancy does significantly improve your time, typically from 1 to 5 minutes per mile. As for which style is best, that really depends on what you are looking for and how much you want to spend. When I purchased my wetsuit (full body IronMan VO2 Stealth) the full body suits were running around $350 with the short sleeves and sleeveless running significantly less. I bought mine to compete in triathlon relays and for money swims that allowed wetsuits. For more information, you can search this site for wetsuits, although most of us are biased against wetsuits, as seen in the previous posts. For information biased towards wetsuits, check out some of the triathlon sites. And where to find wetsuits, they are available online, but if you are getting into your first one, I would recommend finding a bike shop that carries triathlon gear. This way you can try them on before you buy one. You want a snug fit that doesn’t feel like it is squeezing the air out of you and you want full range of motion for your arms.

I appreciate all of the advice! You guys are the greatest! Happy Swimming! Swimmy :)

Originally posted by craiglll@yahoo.com Are there rules about water temperature and iwether you can wear an wetsuit? For triathlons in the US, most races follow the USA Triathlon rules. No wetsuits at all above 84F, not eligible for awards if you wear one between 79F and 84F, and no restrictions 78F or lower. Some triathlons don't allow them for the pro/elite wave if the water temp is above 72F. That is not a USAT rule, though.

Originally posted by Swimmy Hi, I am thinking of investing in a wetsuit. Any wisdom out there? What style is the best...long, short, sleeves, no sleeves. Where is the best place to find one? I have a long wetsuit without sleeves. Personally, I prefer no sleeves because I like to have my arms free and it's less restrictive. I don't think sleeveless makes much difference in terms of buoyancy or faster swimming. If you're in MD, there is a good triathlon shop in Northern Virginia (Falls Chuch) that specializes in wetsuits. They usually have great deals on last year models or closeouts if you don't care about having the newest or best wetsuit. Anyway, the place is called TriBonzai if you want to check them out.

USMS has no water temperature rules regarding wetsuits. USMS 303.6.3—Wet suits may be allowed at the discretion of the meet director. Wet suits generally provide a competitive advantage. If awards are given to wet suit competitors they shall be awarded separately from those for non-wet suit competitors. Any published results or records must clearly indicate which swimmers wore wet suits. And for USMS National championship long distance events; Wet suit competitors shall be excluded for the purposes of results, club scoring, awards, recognitions and records.

Are there rules about water temperature and iwether you can wear an wetsuit?

Hey Swimmy did you buy the wet suit? George