Tried my new wetsuit out at the Y. Water temp around 80. Works very well, but too
warm to do much of a workout. Question: What water temp would be the line for wetsuit
or no wetsuit? Is there a temp set by the event?
fwiw, feeding can also be couched as a crutch.
It could, but it would be sort of ridiculous. Reminds me of an argument someone made - I forget where - that the escort boat is an artificial aid in marathon swimming, and that true marathon swimmers should navigate themselves.
An interesting concept... but I seem to recall, the only guy who ever tried that in the English Channel washed ashore in Belgium a few days later.
Beware of the false equivalence.
I guess it depends how you define the sport - how you conceive of the meaningful challenges.
In triathlon, withstanding cold water is not considered a meaningful criterion of excellence - so wetsuits are allowed. (Kinda laughable that they drew the line with the De Soto suits, though. If 3mm is fair, what's "unfair" about 5mm?)
In marathon swimming, cold-water tolerance is - and always has been - part of the game. A fundamental part. Being able to swim without eating is not a fundamental part of the game. Being able to navigate by the sun, moon, and wave direction is not a fundamental part of the game. Ergo, wetsuits aren't equivalent to feeding and escort boats.
I'm fairly certain if Trudy Ederle (the subject of geog's articles) were alive today, she'd tell us her decision to not eat was a personal preference, and she certainly wouldn't expect future competitors in the swim-later-to-be-known-as the "Ederle Swim" to also refrain from eating. On the other hand, if you asked her thoughts on the idea of people in wetsuits breaking her record, she'd say, "F*ck those guys." Or something to that effect.
Open water swimming (as distinguished from marathon swimming) is a bit of a gray area, because OWS events are often organized by the same people who organize triathlons. In such events, triathlon rules tend to prevail. Which sucks, but I guess it's better than having no event.
Bottom line: If you allow people the use of performance-enhancing devices, they will be used. In deciding which devices to allow, and which to ban, it helps to consult the history and spirit of the sport. Does the device conflict with this history and spirit in a fundamental way?
fwiw, feeding can also be couched as a crutch.
It could, but it would be sort of ridiculous. Reminds me of an argument someone made - I forget where - that the escort boat is an artificial aid in marathon swimming, and that true marathon swimmers should navigate themselves.
An interesting concept... but I seem to recall, the only guy who ever tried that in the English Channel washed ashore in Belgium a few days later.
Beware of the false equivalence.
I guess it depends how you define the sport - how you conceive of the meaningful challenges.
In triathlon, withstanding cold water is not considered a meaningful criterion of excellence - so wetsuits are allowed. (Kinda laughable that they drew the line with the De Soto suits, though. If 3mm is fair, what's "unfair" about 5mm?)
In marathon swimming, cold-water tolerance is - and always has been - part of the game. A fundamental part. Being able to swim without eating is not a fundamental part of the game. Being able to navigate by the sun, moon, and wave direction is not a fundamental part of the game. Ergo, wetsuits aren't equivalent to feeding and escort boats.
I'm fairly certain if Trudy Ederle (the subject of geog's articles) were alive today, she'd tell us her decision to not eat was a personal preference, and she certainly wouldn't expect future competitors in the swim-later-to-be-known-as the "Ederle Swim" to also refrain from eating. On the other hand, if you asked her thoughts on the idea of people in wetsuits breaking her record, she'd say, "F*ck those guys." Or something to that effect.
Open water swimming (as distinguished from marathon swimming) is a bit of a gray area, because OWS events are often organized by the same people who organize triathlons. In such events, triathlon rules tend to prevail. Which sucks, but I guess it's better than having no event.
Bottom line: If you allow people the use of performance-enhancing devices, they will be used. In deciding which devices to allow, and which to ban, it helps to consult the history and spirit of the sport. Does the device conflict with this history and spirit in a fundamental way?
