Zen and the Art of Triathlon

I am an ex-high school and college (division 3) swimmer and most of my tri's are in warmer water (I'm located in MN, so early and late season swims CAN and will be cold, however...and it will be cold until July at the cabin.) I am thinking of signing up for a tri in September where the water is possibly chilly. I'm debating the following: get a wetsuit/rent a wetsuit or would a swim skin type thing be enough? If I had a swimskin I could wear it over my tri suit for all my swims and be a little faster in the water but it would not likely provide enough warmth to swim in September in Minnesota. Who has either and what do you like about them? I don't really need the buoyancy that a wetsuit provides, just the warmth and the speed from repelling the water. Thanks

From a trained swimmer like yourself, it's more about efficiency than temperature; always go with a wetsuit, even a full (vs. sleeveless). The wetsuit will enhance your efficient stroke and you'll be way ahead. For example, in a simple 1K/5K aquathon, a racer decided not to wear a wetsuit b/c of the temps. He came out a full minute behind his normal group and vowed not to do that again. It's more than the buoyancy, too. Modern suits have rough forearms to "grab" the water. I can feel the difference in my pull between a pool sans suit and the open water suited.

As far as temps go, I swim in a full suit in in anything up to 78 degrees. I would rent a suit to get a feel for it, (try multiple brands, if possible) then buy a used one and use it as often as possible.

Good luck!

Swimming is definitely my weakest discipline, however a full wetsuit not only provides the performance benefits listed above, it has also allowed me to extend my open water swimming season, become more confident in waves and manage currents in a variety of conditions and temperatures that I feel gives me an extra advantage on race day, allowing me to compete alongside seasoned "pool" swimmers. Take the advice of trying as many suits as you can. There is alot of variance in how they fit and how they allow you to move depending on your size & shape. While I went for an "entry" level wetsuit, I'm certain I'll be upgrading in the next year or so to something that allows a greater degree of movement in the shoulders. If swimming in warmer temperatures, climb in your suit and have someone dump ice-water into the suit. It will keep you cool enough for most swims under 2km. In temperatures <70F that is obviously not necessary. I've been out swimming in 30F temps early this season, and even now the temps are only low 40s but I'm averaging 6-10km in the lake each week. Keep Rising....

I wouldn't call myself a well seasoned triathlete, but I have found I HATE swimming in a wetsuit. I started swimming competitively at 7 years old and continued through high school. I was by no means an accomplished swimmer, but I held my own. I started triathlon 3 years ago in North Carolina where all the races were wetsuit illegal, so I never needed one. When I started training for the Nations Tri in DC, I got a wetsuit and trained in it. I raced in it, and felt extremely slow and sluggish. All the props everyone spoke of I didn't experience. I am now training for Chicago, and I have decided I will race without it. I did not like the over all feel, and always felt sluggish. I have considered a swim skin, but I figure if I am going to give up the transition time to strip it off, I might as well wear a wetsuit. I think over all, it is a personal preference, and stick to the mantra "Nothing new on race day"

Hi. I’m a pretty decent distance swimmer (but a very average triathlete) and I’ve done a few half and full Ironman races without a wetsuit, usually coming out of the water with the elite guys. I was always quite stoked to be the lone hydrodynamic pink person on the beach, but this year I finally took the plunge (sic) and got myself a sleeveless wetsuit. It is the bomb. I also thought that I didn’t need the buoyancy, but it’s SO much fun. So fast. It’s like cheating but without the bad karmic repercussions. I love being warm but still able to feel the water with my arms. It also softens the blows in rough swims and it makes me feel like Batman. Two flippers up.

As a former division III swimmer who lives in Minnesota and does triathlons and open water swims up here, I would say if you are on the fence, skip the wet suit. September water temps are not that bad. Especially if it is anything shorter than a mile or so. I don't like swimming with a wetsuit and I choose to go without if the water temp is upper 60s or higher.