Making a long sleeve wetsuit a no-sleeve?

I wouldn't recommend it.  Sleeveless suits are cut to provide a seal at the shoulder/underarm.  Sleeved suits are cut completely differently and won't seal well sans arms.

If you are feeling stroke restriction, make sure there is slack at the shoulder.  If the end of the sleeve ends up 1/3 of the way up your forearm, so be it.

Sleeved suits are faster due to three factors: better sealing, more flotation, and reduced friction during the glide phase (due to the silicone coating on the arm rubber).

Well for pete's sake if you cut the sleeves off, make sure you swim proper long with it to make sure it doesnt' turn into a sea anchor or chafe or something. FWIW, Chrissie cuts the ankles off of her wetsuits so she can get her big old flippers out, so you're in good company.

Are you putting it on properly? Check this video around 2:50

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEH0bWMyDnU&feature=g-vrec

I was surprised to see how they say you need help with the back.

BR, Erik

This x100.

But if you're bound and determined to chop off the sleeves, send it to the manufacturer. They will tailor wetsuits, for a fee of course. And by the time you're done with the fee and shipping, you might be able to find a sleeveless on sale for <100 bucks, specially at this time of year.  

I love the old dude @ 1:25. 

I would look at all the Youtube vids on how to properly put a wetsuit on. You should have wrinkles where your shoulders are so there shouldn't be much restriction at all.

I thought I had wetsuit fit all figured out, but I wasn't even close. I hated my wetsuit, restricted my arms and my breathing. But once I pulled the thing up far and tight enough all those issues were solved and now I love it. No arm or breathing restriction at all.

I wouldn't chop it until you have tried giving yourself a massive wedgie with it to see if that solves your shoulder problems.

As noted, the main reason to wear a full is that it is faster (assuming it fits correctly). 

My suggestion, if you are set on moving to sleeveless, would be to sell yours and buy a used sleeveless.  This should cost you relatively little on a net basis (mostly 'frictional' transaction costs).  If you cut the sleeves off, you will not be able to sell it for anything.  And if it doesn't work, you will still have to go out and buy another one (or go without a wetsuit completely).

Been said already, but bears emphasizing:  Sleeveless suits are engineered differently at the shoulder, with a taper to the neoprene that reduces the drag at the arm opening somewhat.  Just chopping off the sleeves of a fullsuit won't accomplish much but create more drag.

Personally, I do find it somewhat easier to swim in my sleeveless than my fullsuit (they are the same make, model and size, so--IMO--there is a difference in ease of motion, even with the fullsuit worn properly), but that doesn't mean it is faster.  There is an increase in drag from your arms (vs properly designed neoprene sleeves) and from the arm opening of the suit in a sleeveless.

This. Sell yours. Use the $$ for a sleeveless.