How cold is cold (Pool Swim)?

How long does it take you go 300 m?
What will the air temperature be?
Are you looking for a PR time or a jolly good time?

64 is really cold to me, but for 5 minutes I can suffer. Remember the first rule, don't panic.

That sounds mighty cold! That being said, how long does it take you to get the wetsuit off vs how much time it will save you over 300m? I'd stick some earplugs in and embrace the suck for 6 minutes. But that's me.

I'm being dead serious about the temp. I figure it'll take me +/- 5:30 to do the swim............and I'm gonna wear core shorts. Whatever time saving I get from wearing them will be worth the 3 sec.'s it takes to get 'em off.

My first OWS this year (tri) was 66.1 deg and I had on a full wetsuit (lake swim). It was really pleasant. I don't expect this to be pleasant.....lol.

*Edit - Air temp. is calling for 56 F



Edited by nc452010 2016-05-20 12:12 PM

I would probably wear a wetsuit. I've never had any issues getting mine off and usually just step out when I get to my spot. YMMV

That is cold. I would wear a wetsuit, simply because at those temps I would cramp so badly I wouldn't be able to swim effectively. But people differ in that regard. If you are a very fast swimmer, have more insulation than me, and don't tend to cramp in cold water, the answer might be different.

Are you calling me " insulated" !?! (Pink)

Muscles as well as fat can be "insulation".....I seem to have been designed with very little of either. That seems to work okay for running, not so much for cold-water swimming. I think "cold" is anything under 78-80.

Well, I agree with you. But, the clock's not tickin' while you're putting the wetsuit on.



I'm not going to wear a full wetsuit, for sure. I just thought it was an interesting situation. I've never heard of a pool tri with that water temp. I'm betting there are several in wetsuits. I'm taking mine, "jut in case".



Edited by nc452010 2016-05-21 5:16 AM

One reason I have a sleeveless shortie--freezing pools and situations where a wetsuit might not be "worth it". But I think the company (ProMotion) is no longer making that product, and I don't know if anyone else does. It takes almost no time to get off and is essentially like a swim skin (or speed suit) but insulated. That's what I would wear for a swim that short in cold water. If my core is warm, I'm not going to cramp, even though at 64 I'd feel pretty miserable. But it's only 300m--I'd get that over with quickly!

The beauty of the T1 (Desoto) system is............I can pretty much make my own shorty. I've got blue seventy core shorts and the T1 speed vest. I've seriously considered wearing that AND just keeping the vest on for the bike leg. I'll do the bike leg in about 36 minutes. How bad could it be? The vest is probably only 2 mm. I'd be "that guy", but I might be the only warm guy.

It can't look any sillier than I did the time I kept on my neoprene socks (with tri shorts) for the bike leg! (45 and raining. Obviously, this was NOT a race in Vietnam). I would have kept the neoprene cap on too, if I could have gotten my helmet to fit over it. I think someone a few years ago posted a picture of a guy at Boise 70.3 (the year it snowed and hailed) doing the bike leg in a full wetsuit.