Hi everyone, I am doing my first open water swim (1 mile) at the end of September in Rhode Island. I have never swam with a wetsuit before and have no clue what to purchase. I would like to use a shorty but am not sure if that would be warm enough. It looks like the water temp is right around 70 at that time. Also, would I have to get something like a triathlon wetsuit or would a dive wetsuit be fine? Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks
Rob makes a very good comment about fit and preference. Personally, having used both full body and sleeveless, I like the sleeveless because I find the full-sleeve too restrictive on my stroke.
Srcoyote also makes good points about water temperatures. It would be great if you could experiment and find out your range of acceptable temperatures. Pay close attention to the combo of air temp plus water temp. Typically, I've thrown a wetsuit on when the water temperature starts getting below 72, but I have swum in ocean races pushing the 70 degree mark without a wetsuit ... but the air temp was usually sunny and in the 80s.
I find water temperature acceptable ranges to be highly personal - I'm a bit of a cold wimp so YMMV.
Most dive wetsuits are not designed for the range of motion necessary to swim crawl stroke. So I would not recommend a dive, paddling or surf wetsuit for open water swimming.
As for shorty vs. sleeveless vs. full body…it is more a matter of personal preference and your goals. IF you are looking for maximum warmth and buoyancy, go full body. If full body wet suits feel like they constrain range of motion in your arm stroke then consider sleeveless. If you are looking for just a little buoyancy and thermal protection a shorty would be fine. The thickness of the material will also impact warmth and buoyance.
The most important aspect is fit. Any wetsuit that is too loose or too tight is much worse than no wetsuit at all. I suggest you find a reputable local wetsuit dealer and try on a variety of sizes and styles of wetsuits to see what fits best and lets you move comfortably.
Without entering the too much flogged wet suit / no wet suit debate, you may find that 70 is swimmable without a wet suit. I remember being some what apprehensive before my first OWS in water scheduled to be 70F. While cool entering, I was more than warm enough throughout the 3K swim. Since then I've entered as low as 62F for a 5K and not once needed a wet suit.
I find water temperature acceptable ranges to be highly personal - I'm a bit of a cold wimp so YMMV.
Indeed, they are personal. I start wilting if the water reaches 78F, and despite being an AZ native, don't care for air temps above that range either.
Rich, if you do decide to test, my experience has also been that comfort at entry and comfort at distance are two different things. Climbing into 70F water, I mutter curses and wince. Within 200 yards, it becomes the ideal temp for me to swim in.
You can probably get away with a sleeveless swimming wetsuit with that water temp. Here is a link to wetsuit reviews that USMS did. www.usms.org/.../video.php
Hi everyone, I am doing my first open water swim (1 mile) at the end of September in Rhode Island. I have never swam with a wetsuit before and have no clue what to purchase. I would like to use a shorty but am not sure if that would be warm enough. It looks like the water temp is right around 70 at that time. Also, would I have to get something like a triathlon wetsuit or would a dive wetsuit be fine? Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks
If you do decide to swim with a wetsuit (you don't need it), ensure you practice first, in a pool. See how it feels. Alternatively, perhaps a company will be renting wetsuits (you don't need one) for the event, in which case you can try them out there w/o dropping a load of cash.
70 is a beautiful temperature for a mile swim. Enjoy the water.
