Open water

Bernard,

I'm a triathlete. Your question - Does a wet suit make you swim faster? Answer = Depends. Here is a
rough rule of thumb, if you are very good club pool swimmer it can slow you down, as it changes a
technique that may already be very good. If you are a normal person like 90% of us it will aid your
bouyancy and position in the water and you'll swim faster.

Other considerations, get use to swimming in the open water, first time will freak you; You can't
see the bottom, it's darker, crowded (at the start), colder (wear a thick swimming hat).

Good luck

Tommy

"Bernard" <bernard> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi,

I am training for a 1/4 triathlon: 1500 m swim. I never have swimmed in open water. Will swimming
in open water with a wetsuit delay my time, or will I go faster. What other conditions will I take
in concern?
Note: cause of bad weather conditions in my country.

Bernard

"Bernard" left this mess on Wed, 4 Jun 2003 11:09:05 +0200 for The Way to clean up:

Quoted message said:

Hi,

I am training for a 1/4 triathlon: 1500 m swim. I never have swimmed in open water. Will swimming
in open water with a wetsuit delay my time, or will I go faster. What other conditions will I take
in concern?
Note: cause of bad weather conditions in my country.

It would be hard to know where you are, Bernard, since you don't tell us.

Swimming in a wetsuit restricts motion. The small gain in speed you might get with buoyancy will
be at least offset by this fact. In addition, you have to take into account the fact you won't
be swimming alone, that the wake and chop of all those swimmers has a negative impact on your
speed as well.

Tao te Carl

"Jesus, just because it's a newsgroup doesn't mean you have to act like adolescents." - Jon C.

Thomas Elliott said:

I'm a triathlete. Your question - Does a wet suit make you swim faster? Answer = Depends. Here is a
rough rule of thumb, if you are very good club pool swimmer it can slow you down, as it changes a
technique that may already be very good. If you are a normal person like 90% of us it will aid your
bouyancy and position in the water and you'll swim faster.

At the 1500m distance, I think virtually everyone gains speed due to the buoyancy. I don't see the
elites passing on the option when it's permitted. It's just key to have one that fits you well,
perhaps the sleeveless is better.

In the sprints, the time gained may be less than the hassle factor of removing it, but even there I
think your 90% rule applies, esp in cold water.

--
Jason O'Rourke www.jor.com

[email hidden] left this mess on Wed, 4 Jun 2003 18:47:00 +0000 (UTC) for The Way
to clean up:

Quoted message said:

Thomas Elliott said:

I'm a triathlete. Your question - Does a wet suit make you swim faster? Answer = Depends. Here is
a rough rule of thumb, if you are very good club pool swimmer it can slow you down, as it changes
a technique that may already be very good. If you are a normal person like 90% of us it will aid
your bouyancy and position in the water and you'll swim faster.

At the 1500m distance, I think virtually everyone gains speed due to the buoyancy. I don't see the
elites passing on the option when it's permitted. It's just key to have one that fits you well,
perhaps the sleeveless is better.

In the sprints, the time gained may be less than the hassle factor of removing it, but even there I
think your 90% rule applies, esp in cold water.

Given that it appears it is the first time this guy is wearing one (I'm presuming he is swimming
imminently and won't have time to really work in one first) AND it's his first OW swim, do you think
the buoyancy can really compensate for the "newness" of the experience?

No pun intended, diver.

Tao te Carl

"Jesus, just because it's a newsgroup doesn't mean you have to act like adolescents." - Jon C.

de Valois said:

Quoted message said:

At the 1500m distance, I think virtually everyone gains speed due to the buoyancy. I don't see the
elites passing on the option when it's permitted. It's just key to have one that fits you well,
perhaps the sleeveless is better.

Given that it appears it is the first time this guy is wearing one (I'm presuming he is swimming
imminently and won't have time to really work in one first) AND it's his first OW swim, do you
think the buoyancy can really compensate for the "newness" of the experience?

Yes- the buoyancy of the suit is a huge boost and overcomes any tightness of the arms. In a good
fitting suit, that restriction is grossly overstated anyway. The difference is even more marked in
fresh water where otherwise you have to lift up that head to get good air in the choppy water.

Newness in OW is going to hurt one's time, but that's true with or without the wetsuit. But without
you'll be taking in more water and having a harder time sighting the way.

BTW, you stated elsewhere that the crowding will slow down speeds; in fact you can go much faster
with drafting provided you don't follow someone even more lost than you.

--
Jason O'Rourke www.jor.com

[email hidden] left this mess on Wed, 4 Jun 2003 21:32:48 +0000 (UTC) for The Way
to clean up:

Quoted message said:

BTW, you stated elsewhere that the crowding will slow down speeds; in fact you can go much faster
with drafting provided you don't follow someone even more lost than you.

I'll have to remember to try a wetsuit on my next OW swim.

I wanted to address this last point a little: given it's his first OW swim, it's likely he'd be in
the back of the pack, where a) drafting is less of an issue than getting clocked on the head, and b)
the roar of splashing can be unnerving.

And c) would of course, be your point about latching on to the lost.

Tao te Carl

"Jesus, just because it's a newsgroup doesn't mean you have to act like adolescents." - Jon C.