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wetsuit? no wetsuit? swim help, please!

782 Views 22 Replies 10 Participants Last post by  4boysmom, 
em73
<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>
<p> </p>
<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>
<p> </p>
<p>points to ponder:</p>
<p> </p>
<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>
<p> </p>
<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>
<p> </p>
<p>gah.  please help.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
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Stitcher
<p>Add to the mix that the race directors made a point of saying,</p>
<p>"be careful in deciding to go with a full-sleeved wetsuit."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I'm in the same race/same boat.</p>
<p>Except, my suit is full sleeved.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I did my OWS swim practice in not cold, but not hot, water temps the other week, 5 miles, no trouble.</p>
<p>Again, no current, chop (except from boat wakes) nor tides to handle.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>My IM swim was 77 degrees and I did that in the suit just fine.</p>
<p>Granted, the air was chillier than it will be on our race day (most likely) but the water temps were comparable.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I will also make a decision race day or at the latest race morning, so will be taking my own.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I am alternating between finding a sleeveless one to borrow/rent,</p>
<p>or wearing the full suit.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I'll be in a tri this weekend, where I fully intend to "go nekkid" as the case may be, just</p>
<p>to see what swimming in cooler water would be like.</p>
<p>Granted, that will be for a much shorter distance, but what the heck.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>MOCO has successfully dragged me into OCD mode.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>gah!</p>
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Stitcher
<p>CAK:</p>
<p>I did my OWS in my long sleeved wetsuit</p>
<p>BUT, the water wasn't too warm, although it certainly wasn't cold...</p>
<p>AND, the air was a bit chilly, only 65 degrees and very little sun.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I did have to flood the suit every now and then with water as I got a little warm, but certainly nothing approaching overheating.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Got no idea what MOCO did.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>BTW....</p>
<p>THANKS THANKS THANKS for being an awesome "I've only met you once, but you seem nice, so we'll be friendly" type of friend!!!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I voted for your dogs on the calendar, btw.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>S</p>
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Stitcher
<br><br><div class="quote-container"><span>Quote:</span>
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by <strong>mrscoby78</strong> <a href="/forum/thread/74055/wetsuit-no-wetsuit-swim-help-please#post_2001618"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border-bottom:0px solid;border-left:0px solid;border-top:0px solid;border-right:0px solid;"></a><br><br><p>Wear the wetsuit so you don't die.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong>And quit being a dumbass about the wetsuit = cheating bit.</strong></span></p>
</div>
</div>
<br><br><p> </p>
<p>You made me spit tea on my keyboard!!!</p>
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Stitcher
<p>Dammit!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>There went my screen in a shower of oatmeal cookie crumbs!</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>lol</p>
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Stitcher
<br><br><div class="quote-container"><span>Quote:</span>
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by <strong>cak73</strong> <a href="/forum/thread/74055/wetsuit-no-wetsuit-swim-help-please#post_2001645"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border-bottom:0px solid;border-left:0px solid;border-top:0px solid;border-right:0px solid;"></a><br><br><p><br><br>
Uh, thanks.  I never considered being any other way given that we interact here and on FB often enough. <span><img alt="surprised.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/surprised.gif"></span></p>
<p><span>We'll meet in person again one day.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span>Thanks for the dog calendar vote!</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><span>(You do know that I pee in my wetsuits, right?</span>  FWIW, I haven't worn that one since Oct 2009 and it was well-rinsed before I put it away.)</strong></p>
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</div>
<p><br><br>
Why do you think I wash mine with woolite before I put it away?</p>
<p>And again before I wear it again?</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
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Stitcher
<p>This is an incredibly supported event.</p>
<p>Nearly a 1:1 ratio of volunteer to swimmer.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>So, with the start and the finish lines taken out of the equation, that still leaves a crap-ton of people in the water with us.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>:)</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
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