wetsuit? no wetsuit? swim help, please!

<p>I've got this little swim coming up in a week and a half, and I need to decide if I'm wearing a wetsuit.</p>
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<p>Please note, actual decision will probably be made day-of, as in, I will OF COURSE bring my wetsuit with me.  So I guess what I'm looking for here is help constructing a decision framework that isn't dependent on my last minute obsessiveness, but more on outside facts.</p>
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<p>points to ponder:</p>
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<p>estimated swim time will be about 3 hours, hopefully.</p>
<p>main factor is currents, tide, and chop.   I anticipate it being a steady moderate effort, with periodic hard bursts.</p>
<p>USAT rules do not apply, so it is entirely my own choice</p>
<p>per race email this AM, water temp is "mid-70's and climbing"</p>
<p>predicted weather bounces from 70's and rain to 90's and sunny.</p>
<p>only wetsuit option is sleeveless</p>
<p>I'm very comfortable in water temps in the 60's without a wetsuit.</p>
<p>the heat sucks the life out of me</p>
<p>my husband would greatly prefer that I wear the wetsuit so he worries less about me.</p>
<p>part of me feels like a wetsuit is cheating, even though the race organizers allow them</p>
<p>without the risk of overheating, yes, it would be an easier, probably faster swim with the wetsuit</p>
<p>race distance:  4.4 miles</p>
<p>longest OWS:  5 miles (no current, tide, or chop)</p>
<p>training volume:  meh,</p>
<p>no soreness from 5 mile swim, just fatigue. it felt easy and achievable and if I hadn't gone balls to the wall on the last mile, I had at least another mile in me.</p>
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<p>two main cons to wearing the wetsuit:  risk of overheating, feeling like I'm cheating</p>
<p>two main pros to wearing the wetsuit:  easier swim, happier husband.</p>
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<p>gah.  please help.</p>
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