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.
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.)
I agree that triathletes tend to be very accepting of newbies as I experienced a warm welcome when I started doing triathlons 8 years ago. I do think, however, that both swimmers and triathletes tend to beat up on each other because of the quirks of each particular sport, not because of some inferiority complex.
I think swimmers may get frustrated with triathletes because of "the little knowledge is a dangerous thing " issue. In my coaching experience, I have found that once some triathletes attend a TI clinic, they are quick to think they are as knowledgeable as somebody that has swam competitively for years. This can be frustrating when you are a coach making suggestions about drills to correct stroke flaws. Otherwise, I have found triathletes to be a pretty good bunch.
I should add that swimmers often make the best triathletes. If you look at the women the US sent to the Olympics, you will find that their primary athletic background before doing triathlons was competitive swimming. I believe swimmers have a huge advantage on triathlons because the swim for us is just a warmup for the main event - the bike and run. Non-swimmers tend to be spent after the swim and don't have the bike legs they could if they weren't so spent from the swim.
I think swimmers don't like it when wetsuits are used because then we lose our advantage - the non-swimmers are not as spent from the swim and thus have more energy for the bike and run.
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.)
I agree that triathletes tend to be very accepting of newbies as I experienced a warm welcome when I started doing triathlons 8 years ago. I do think, however, that both swimmers and triathletes tend to beat up on each other because of the quirks of each particular sport, not because of some inferiority complex.
I think swimmers may get frustrated with triathletes because of "the little knowledge is a dangerous thing " issue. In my coaching experience, I have found that once some triathletes attend a TI clinic, they are quick to think they are as knowledgeable as somebody that has swam competitively for years. This can be frustrating when you are a coach making suggestions about drills to correct stroke flaws. Otherwise, I have found triathletes to be a pretty good bunch.
I should add that swimmers often make the best triathletes. If you look at the women the US sent to the Olympics, you will find that their primary athletic background before doing triathlons was competitive swimming. I believe swimmers have a huge advantage on triathlons because the swim for us is just a warmup for the main event - the bike and run. Non-swimmers tend to be spent after the swim and don't have the bike legs they could if they weren't so spent from the swim.
I think swimmers don't like it when wetsuits are used because then we lose our advantage - the non-swimmers are not as spent from the swim and thus have more energy for the bike and run.
