About Wetsuits
This picture was taken from: en.wikipedia.org
There is a big debate about wetsuits nowadays. The debate is if they should be permitted in triathlon. Swimmers wish they are not legal in triathlon. Runners and cyclists who are not so good at swimming, on the other hand, would love wetsuits in this discipline.
Wetsuits give a better body position for less-skilled swimmers. They are also slick giving less friction in the water. French studies show though that wetsuits improve performance in weaker swimmers rather than good ones.
US Triathlon rules allow competitors to wear a wetsuit if the water is 78 degrees or cooler. If the water is between 78 and 84 degrees, they can choose if to wear it or not but they won’t be eligible for awards. “Race promoters like them because they are flotation devises that add a little extra safety for the not so good swimmers,” says Jack Murray at Jack and Adam’s Bicycles. “Great swimmers do not get as much help, poor swimmers get the biggest advantage, and the swimmers in the middle get just enough to put them on the feet of the better swimmers.”
What do triathletes say?
Patrick Evoe: “You swim faster with a wetsuit without a doubt, but if the water temperature is too high, then you risk overheating during a hard physical exertion, which can lead to other problems like nausea. Seventy-seven or 78-degree water is pretty warm in a wetsuit. Certain races where I’ve swam in a wetsuit near those temps, I’ve gotten out of the water with my face flushed and beating like I’ve just done a hard run at 2 p.m. in Austin in July.”
Kelly Handel: “I used to always want it to be non-wetsuit. I get warm very quickly, so unless the water is in the 50s or low 60s, I will likely use a sleeveless suit vs. a full-sleeve suit. And then, of course, you factor in that on average the wetsuit makes a weaker swimmer strong and a stronger swimmer not much faster and it’s discouraging. I have definitely swum in water that felt much warmer than 78 in a wetsuit, but when you are competing for money, you want every second you can get so I just try to deal with it and not let it get to me … But in general? Yes, I’d rather swims be non-wetsuit, mostly because I like swimming without them. I feel more free in the water, less restricted, more natural.”
James Bonney: “Regardless, I like to wear a wetsuit when allowed because it is just more fun to me to go faster — or as fast with less effort. Even though most people consider me a good swimmer, I do feel that I get a good boost from the suit. I have swum several 46-minute Ironman swims with a wetsuit, but without I am much closer to 49. I think the wetsuit improves your speed and/or efficiency more effectively at or below about 80 percent effort. Finally, there is the part about looking like a super hero that makes wearing the suit pretty cool.”
