Wet suit or not for open water swimming?

my responses are in bold But I really dislike the "triathletes do, swimmers don't" attitude. It is, pardon me for saying so, incredibly snobby. I like to think of USMS as welcoming swimmers of various ability levels and confidence. i think you will find the OW community to be extremely welcoming and encouraging. the distinction is this: wet suits are an aid and dependance on them can be overcome by training (like that guy in the pool who never takes the pull buoy from between his legs) i (and every other OW enthusiast i know)welcome anyone and everyone to join in the fun no matter what they need to do to feel comfortable and hope that more people will join us in the cold lake with or without a wetsuit. Part of the issue may be that there is something of a distinction between the pool and OW swim communities, though obviously there is overlap. OW swimming is more "macho," conquering the elements and so forth. There is perhaps less interest in helping weak swimmers overcome their fears, and certainly not by using wetsuits or other floaties.you are totally wrong here. many OW events are filled with people who are non-competitive swimmers. my wife (who has zero interest in swim meets) loves the atmosphere at OW events and has taken an interest in participating in a few as well. many regular participants have offered lots of encouragement.... and it has paid off. QUOTE]

my responses are in bold But I really dislike the "triathletes do, swimmers don't" attitude. It is, pardon me for saying so, incredibly snobby. I like to think of USMS as welcoming swimmers of various ability levels and confidence. i think you will find the OW community to be extremely welcoming and encouraging. the distinction is this: wet suits are an aid and dependance on them can be overcome by training (like that guy in the pool who never takes the pull buoy from between his legs) i (and every other OW enthusiast i know)welcome anyone and everyone to join in the fun no matter what they need to do to feel comfortable and hope that more people will join us in the cold lake with or without a wetsuit. Part of the issue may be that there is something of a distinction between the pool and OW swim communities, though obviously there is overlap. OW swimming is more "macho," conquering the elements and so forth. There is perhaps less interest in helping weak swimmers overcome their fears, and certainly not by using wetsuits or other floaties.you are totally wrong here. many OW events are filled with people who are non-competitive swimmers. my wife (who has zero interest in swim meets) loves the atmosphere at OW events and has taken an interest in participating in a few as well. many regular participants have offered lots of encouragement.... and it has paid off. QUOTE]