Just had to share: Last nite went to a local lake that I swim in occassionally. Smaller lake, 730 yards from one end to the other (GPS is great). As I was getting ready to go, a local Tri-guy was finishing his swim. I noticed that he was wearing a wet suit. Water temperature was about 81 degrees! I say," isn't it a little warm for a wet suit?" (I would be smothering), he says "Well, there are a couple of cold patches out there!" (probably gets down all the way to 80 degrees for 30 seconds) LOL.
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Former Member
As a triathlete, I am amused by the smug attitude many posters have towards triathletes and wetsuits here.
Yes, a lot of triathletes go overboard with the wetsuits, some because they're weaker swimmers and some because they think practicing with a wetsuit will give them an edge and help them swim faster in races. It's a cultural thing: the swimming culture eschews wetsuits because they aren't legal and the triathlon culture embraces them. The triathlon culture eschews drafting (mostly) and the cycling culture embraces it. It doesn't mean anyone is wrong, just different.
Does a lot of the bashing comes from an inferiority complex: you could kill most of them in a straight swim, but they're better rounded and can probably take you on the land? I don't know.
In my experience, triathletes tend to be very accepting of newbies, whether they're swimmers, runners, cyclists, or none of the above.
(FWIW, I've done swims of up to a mile in 63 degree water with no wetsuit. While I survived, it wasn't exactly fun. I logged 19 summers as an ocean lifeguard on the New Jersey shore.)
As a triathlete, I am amused by the smug attitude many posters have towards triathletes and wetsuits here.
Yes, a lot of triathletes go overboard with the wetsuits, some because they're weaker swimmers and some because they think practicing with a wetsuit will give them an edge and help them swim faster in races. It's a cultural thing: the swimming culture eschews wetsuits because they aren't legal and the triathlon culture embraces them. The triathlon culture eschews drafting (mostly) and the cycling culture embraces it. It doesn't mean anyone is wrong, just different.
Does a lot of the bashing comes from an inferiority complex: you could kill most of them in a straight swim, but they're better rounded and can probably take you on the land? I don't know.
In my experience, triathletes tend to be very accepting of newbies, whether they're swimmers, runners, cyclists, or none of the above.
(FWIW, I've done swims of up to a mile in 63 degree water with no wetsuit. While I survived, it wasn't exactly fun. I logged 19 summers as an ocean lifeguard on the New Jersey shore.)
