General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Cold Swim Advice? Rss Feed  
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2016-08-17 9:38 AM

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Veteran
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The Woodlands, TX
Subject: Cold Swim Advice?
My big race for next year will involve a COLD 2.4-mi swim, with water temps expected to be in the mid 50s.I'm not much of a swimmer, and I expect this will take me in the 1:20 to 1:30 time range.

Are some wetsuits warmer than others? I have a mid-range Xterra suit with sleeves, 5mm in the legs & front, 3mm in the back, and 1.5mm arms and shoulders. Will there be suits significantly warmer than this? Depending on actual temps, gloves, neoprene cap and booties may be required. Is some gear better than others for cold water swims? Any models / brands to avoid? Any other advice for someone not used to cold swims?


2016-08-17 10:04 AM
in reply to: g_shotts

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Master
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Falls Church, Virginia
Subject: RE: Cold Swim Advice?
My husband's family is from Scotland....they know cold swimming! Neoprene cap, gloves, and booties are your friend, indeed. Ear plugs can help with the cold water, too. With your booties, make sure you put them on, and then the legs of the wetsuit over, so that your booties don't fill up with cold water.
Get your face wet first, to help acclimate as much as you can.
What race is this? Will you be getting there a few days in advance? If so, you should swim a bit each day, to get used to the cold water as much as you can.
2016-08-17 10:15 AM
in reply to: g_shotts

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New user
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madison, Wisconsin
Subject: RE: Cold Swim Advice?
I'm sure there are some suits that are warmer than others, I'm just not familiar with what they are. Stay away from a thicker diving suit as it won't have the flexibility in the shoulders that you need for swimming. Your Xterra will work fine. ( I use a Vortex 4 and like it just fine).
I spend a fair amount of time in Lake Superior (usually mid 50s to mid 60s depending on the current). Full wetsuit, usually a neoprene cap that goes over my ears. For me earplugs are a must. If my inner ear gets cold I get a splitting headache, dizzy, nauseated, etc. You can find custom molded kits on ebay for about $10. I like them a lot.
I don't wear gloves or boots but I often use a lotion called "warm skin" which is just a silicon based lotion. Feels kind of thick and heavy but keeps some warmth in. Gloves and boots would change the feeling of swimming a great deal and I don't think I'd like that very much. I wouldn't worry too much about your hands and feet. You'll likely lose feeling in them but just keep swimming. It will take your mind off the other pain you are feeling.

If you heed no other advice, take this: get in the water early and spend a good amount of time with your face in the water. When your face is cold, it's instinct to hold your breath. Therefore making your swim breathing a gasp/hold type of activity. Not fun at all. Once your face gets used to the cold, you'll start breathing normally again. So if you can get it used to the cold before the swim, you'll start off with good breathing.
Have fun! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE swimming in the cold water. Hope you will too.
2016-08-17 3:49 PM
in reply to: g_shotts

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Lake Norman
Subject: RE: Cold Swim Advice?
I swam Escape from Alcatraz one year when it was the winter. Water was in the low 50's and here's a trick I learned from Emilio De Soto. Create an Ice-cream-sandwich swim cap. Normal Swim Cap - Neoprene Swim cap (one with the chin strap made out of wetsuit material) - Normal Swim Cap. Doing this kept me nice and toasty, and I never worried about the coldness on my head. It is worth testing at least once, as things are tighter than normal.
2016-08-18 12:25 PM
in reply to: Atlantia

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Veteran
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The Woodlands, TX
Subject: RE: Cold Swim Advice?
Originally posted by Atlantia

My husband's family is from Scotland....they know cold swimming! Neoprene cap, gloves, and booties are your friend, indeed. Ear plugs can help with the cold water, too. With your booties, make sure you put them on, and then the legs of the wetsuit over, so that your booties don't fill up with cold water.
Get your face wet first, to help acclimate as much as you can.
What race is this? Will you be getting there a few days in advance? If so, you should swim a bit each day, to get used to the cold water as much as you can.


http://www.akxtri.com/
I'll be there the day before for the "practice" swim.

Thanks for the tips.
2016-08-18 4:34 PM
in reply to: g_shotts

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Melon Presser
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Subject: RE: Cold Swim Advice?

You've gotten plenty of good advice already. Here's what I've done to prep for cold stuff:

- Swum in open water as much as possible (not gonna be too cold in TX for you, but still)
- took extra pantothenic acid (Vit B5)
- many drugs/supplements affect circulation and/or cold tolerance; check whether you're on any of them
- took cold showers only, ice baths, stuck my head in cold water often
- practised guided meditation/visualization/biofeedback to be able to maintain core body temp at will (this takes a while, but mental training/visualization is a very powerful tool in any case and helpful to at least feel the cold a bit less, even when done just a few times. It's great for race prep anyway.)
- pre-swum part of/the course as often as possible (you'll be there for the practice)

- get the thickest, warmth-focused, well-fitting legal wetsuit you can (your XTerra is fine if you're comfy in it)
- If you get booties, PRACTICE in them. They can be like water balloons on the ends of your feet.
- get a neoprene swim cap (more on that later)
- get a long-sleeved, tight-fitting, non-neoprene but warm-textile rash guard (bonus: no need to tape or lube neck against wettie rash)
- plan to do a full change in T1 so you can completely dry off and go into the bike warm. I've ended up in hospital 2x with hypothermia from races and you don't want to do this. It is VERY little extra time in transition and if you're numb, stiffen up, cramp up (not to mention actually get ill) from cold on the bike, that will cost you much more time.

Race Day:
- Get very warm and bundle up. Warm shower, wetsuit, layers, woolen cap, etc. You don't want to be changing into your wettie out in the cold. 
- Keep sipping warm liquids right up to race start.
- wear shoes, socks, and gloves or mittens right up to race start. If you're the cheap sort like me, several layers of throwaway socks on hands and feet is just fine
- Right before you get into the water for the race, pour warm water into your wettie.
- Wear well-fitting earplugs.
- SWIM CAP SANDWICH (courtesy of Emilio de Soto): latex or silicone cap, really pulled down over your ears and tight against your skin (without hair at the edges). Neoprene cap on top of that. Finally, race cap on top of that. This will keep your head dry and warm, and goes a very long way in keeping your entire self warm.
- the more of your face goggles can cover, the warmer your face will be (think open-water mask-type goggles if you can tolerate it)
- put a small thermos of warm drink in your T1 bag
- a chamois will dry you thoroughly from the swim (towels are heavy, bulky, and don't dry as well)

Options for bike gear may include:
- arm and leg warmers
- long sleeved wool layer
- long woolen socks
- double-layer cycling jersey
- full-finger cycling gloves
- warm skullcap underneath helmet
- weatherproof, well-fitting outer shell
- shoe covers
- small chemical warming packs in your shoes/gloves/jersey pockets
- aero (as non-venting as possible) helmet with face shield instead of sunglasses, or very big sunglasses

Some people do really well with (as suggested before) getting cold water in/on/around their faces and getting that done right before the race. I personally don't; I do better being as warm as possible before getting into the cold soup. Not sure how you'd try this out beforehand to see what suits you best (get your face wet, then jump into an ice bath?), but see what works best for you.

Good luck!



2016-08-18 6:09 PM
in reply to: 0

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Master
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Sunny Southern Cal
Subject: RE: Cold Swim Advice?

Ooh boy, have fun with that race !!  I briefly looked at that race when it was announced and quickly decided no when I saw the proposed run profile.  Their site lists the swim as 2.6 miles, btw.  Cold water on the face is the toughest.  If the water's cold enough to make your face go numb, that actually helps, but takes several minutes to kick in.  I don't know what swim socks are like, but I swim with booties and use a 1mm thick, long neoprene sock underneath.  Maybe that's the same as a swim sock, and it does help quite a bit for keeping the feet warmer. 

Me, I'd be worried about the mosquitoes during the run based on what I saw during our vacation to AK a few years back.  There are some areas that just have tons of big, hungry mosquitoes swarming.  Biggest skeeters I've seen.



Edited by SevenZulu 2016-08-18 6:09 PM
2016-08-18 6:22 PM
in reply to: g_shotts

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Master
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Sunny Southern Cal
Subject: RE: Cold Swim Advice?

One other thought for you since I just read the swim portion of the race website, and there may be a chance you can wear non-webbed gloves if the temps are low enough.  I've tried layering under neoprene scuba gloves using lycra glove liners, and those only marginally helped, if at all.  Next winter I am going to try some thin, long neoprene gloves underneath the scuba gloves I swim in during the winter.  I'm hoping they will work similar to the neoprene socks and keep the water mostly off my hands.

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