So I was looking for a possible swim to do in October and came across this one distanceswimchallenge.com/ , however I read the FAQ's and saw the following:
Are wetsuits allowed?
Yes.
Are there separate wetsuit and non-wetsuit divisions?
No. Swim in whatever you like.
Personally this put me off a little, true I could still swim with out a wetsuit, however based on the race fee plus having to come up with my own kayak support, I want a little recognition that I did it without one. Additionally with the growth of open water marathon and ultra marathon (English & Catalina Channel) swims that follow channel rules of no wetsuits you'd think a swim like this would offer a non wetsuit category.
Parents
Former Member
I don't agree with the time penalty approach although it does have simplicity on it's side. I think it is too inaccurate, but other factors may make the inaccuracies irrelevant where ever drafting is allowed.
In a race where drafting is allowed and there is a mass start, a naked swimmer could draft behind a swimmer in a wetsuit and potentially gain all of the advantage that the wetsuit swimmer has.
For me the best is separate starts with wetsuit swimmers out first by 15 minutes and ranked in a completely different division. I am sure there are problems with that approach and equally sure there are many other approaches which are just as valid.
I don't agree with the time penalty approach although it does have simplicity on it's side. I think it is too inaccurate, but other factors may make the inaccuracies irrelevant where ever drafting is allowed.
In a race where drafting is allowed and there is a mass start, a naked swimmer could draft behind a swimmer in a wetsuit and potentially gain all of the advantage that the wetsuit swimmer has.
For me the best is separate starts with wetsuit swimmers out first by 15 minutes and ranked in a completely different division. I am sure there are problems with that approach and equally sure there are many other approaches which are just as valid.
