i'm swimming in the chesapeake bay swim in about a month, and know most people will be wearing wetsuits. i don't have a wetsuit, and i don't want a wetsuit, but i don't want to be pulled out of the race 3 miles in, shivering, miserable, and maybe hypothermic. i'm planning to do some training swims in the 3 weekends i have left - and in new york, where it's a good bit colder. the coldest swim i've done (last fall) was 53 for 19 minutes without any pre-training. any advice would be appreciated...
i expect to do the swim in about 2.5 hours.
Former Member
I've decided to rent a wetsuit, and decide whether or not to wear it on race day - the temperatures in the bay seem to fluctuate a lot more than I expected. Thanks for everyone's input.
I borrowed a wetsuit and tried it out today, and really hated swimming in it! It's probably not the best fit for me - it seems really really tight (I know they're supposed to be really tight, but the legs just didn't seem big enough for my legs.) I'm going to try some on today, and possibly rent one for the race for a backup (with a quick pool swim for a test run next weekend), but I'm inclined to just go in my suit. It doesn't feel like swimming to me when I'm locked in a cocoon - and the chafing is terrible. I could rent one for tomorrow and swim in salt water tomorrow, but I think I'd rather squeeze one last acclimatizing swim in before next weekend (it's still cold here in NY - last weekend I lasted 40 minutes at 54). Does this seem like a terrible strategy? I'm almost at the point where I'd rather swim in my bathing suit and get pulled than suffer in a wetsuit and finish.
hey j fish,
i swam w mike rossner last sunday at coney 54 degrees brrrrrrr.
chesapeake will be much warmer 67 at the worst. i have done the bay swim a couple of times now.....under 2 hrs. and have found it quite comfortable w/out a wetsuit. go for it...you should do fine.
say hello, i will be one of the three people wih a speedo on.
(it's still cold here in NY - last weekend I lasted 40 minutes at 54). Does this seem like a terrible strategy?
i think 40 min in 54 degrees > 2 1/2 hrs in 67 degrees. the temperature shouldn't be an issue for you.
both times i did the bay swim (07 and 05) the temps were mid 70's and still 90% of the field was wet-suited. i think the race directors are concerned with liability issues and so the do nothing to discourage the use of wetsuits even when most other races in those temps seperate rubber from non-rubber wearers.
Dave, I'll be wearing a "speedo" also (as I hope most will), but it will be under my wet suit. I'm not nearly as manly as you are to not wear a wet suit.
not as manly? don't you guys still have snow on the ground?
i am looking forward to seeing you and your rubberized gang.
(thats the funniest avatar i've ever seen)
many open water swimmers use the
Blue Seventy PointZero3+ swim skin
if the water's pretty cold consider wearing a neoprene cap
i'm swimming in the chesapeake bay swim in about a month, and know most people will be wearing wetsuits. i don't have a wetsuit, and i don't want a wetsuit, but i don't want to be pulled out of the race 3 miles in, shivering, miserable, and maybe hypothermic. i'm planning to do some training swims in the 3 weekends i have left - and in new york, where it's a good bit colder. the coldest swim i've done (last fall) was 53 for 19 minutes without any pre-training. any advice would be appreciated...
i expect to do the swim in about 2.5 hours.
thanks - i had a good wetsuit free swim yesterday, so unless the conditions are really rough or the water temperature nose-dives, i'm going without the wetsuit. so i'll be another of the three people without a wetsuit. i probably saw you at coney island - i was there last sunday too. good luck and thanks to everyone for weighing in.
My Daughter just swam in the Potomac river to Chesapeake Bay swim last weekend. (Well, actually she swam with 5 other brave souls to the 2.5 mile bouy and back.) The reason only six swimmers made the swim was because the race was cancelled due to 17 knot substained winds, and worse expected. While approx 40 swimmers (one wearing a string bikini) elected to go for a calmer lake swim as an alternate, my daughter and two of her girlfriends were there for the tougher conditions of the bay, so elected to go with the challenging alternative. Along with individual kayakers, and two bigger support boats, they took 1 hr and 40 minutes out (against wind) and 40 minutes back...had a blast. The bay was 68 degrees, and the girls all swam without a wetsuit, with no real problems. I think it is a personal thing. I dont know if I would swim in 68 water, racing my daughter (she is doing 5 mile, I am doing 2.5) this weekend in 74 degree water...cold enough for me.
I am in wave 2. I think I signed up a couple days after registration opened.
I did a race at Reston without a wetsuit last week and I was not cold at all. I have done the Chesapeake 1 mile 4 times. 2 with a wetsuit and 2 without my wetsuit. Once you are moving you won't care about the water temperature.
(Maybe Mr. Moderator should leave his wetsuit in Kansas?):dunno:
Good luck!
:cheerleader:
