binbrook triathlon - wetsuit?

68-74 is right around where I'd consider water swimmable for long periods without a wetsuit.  74 is even getting a bit warm.  If it wasn't for the competitive advantage, I'd certainly skip one.

Pros of a wetsuit:
-You'll be faster
-You'll be warmer
-If you're a weak swimmer, it's like wearing a little boat that keeps you afloat in case of tiredness
-It's like 5mm of rubber armour to deflect blows during the start

Cons:
-You may be less comfortable (some people that have panic attacks cite their tight, constricting wetsuits that they weren't used to)
-You're out $50ish
-If you've never worn it before or gotten out of it, you might lose the time advantage in T1 

thanks!  the swim I'm doing is only 750m, so I'll *hopefully* only be in the water 15-16 minutes.  I'm a confident, but not fast swimmer, so I'm sure the buoyancy would help with time, but I still feel safe

I def. want to get used to wetsuits because I'm moving to vancouver, however for now I'm short on funds right now so I think I'll try without!

I was doing a practice swim at the site on Saturday and the water was fine without a wetsuit. I was a little chilly when I first got in, but felt fine after a couple of minutes in the water. I was swimming for about 30 minutes with no issues and it was actually colder to get back out of the water.

Good luck on Saturday!

are you racing as well?

I actually through some serendipitous events have a brand new wetsuit and was thinking of trying it out this weekend, even though I've never raced in one before!

Others may say that the golden rule is not to race with anything you haven't tried in training.  I did the Woodstock tri with a brand new wetsuit, new wheel, new disc cover, new helmet, and a new tri suit, first time on the bike for all of those things and I didn't have any issues. 

If the wetsuits fits you'll be fine.  In the past i rented a suit that was too small, and had trouble breathing which caused me to panic a bit.  I say go for it but get some time in the water before the race and have a backup plan if you have any issues.  You may feel like your swim stroke is shorter/choppier, but you'll be faster with the suit on.

i was able to jump in a neighbours pool for a bit last night, was very warm, felt great but not too restrictive, so I think i'm going to go for it.  I'm not a fast swimmer, but I'm a confident swimmer so I think I'll be ok.

Thanks!

I'm in the Give-It-A-Tri for my first ever Tri - and I'm really unsure about whether to wear a wetsuit.  I've the use of one tomorrow but have never been swimming in one before.  It's "only" 400 meters ... I'm pretty sure I'm capable of swimming 400 meters (doing 3x400m sets in training) but I swim in a very warm pool.

Any advice?

I wore one in my first try-a-tri.  I was thankful for it in that it was cold and the water was really choppy and what people say about giving you some buoyancy is true.  If you are nervous about getting fatigued, being cold etc then I would use one.  They are a pain to get off and for such a short swim it seems like a waste of time but I remember almost everyone had one in that race (Niagara in August).  Now I would likely skip using one now unless it was really cold.  I'm not a fan of them though - I rent and the brand I get always has me feeling as though I'm in a noose.  Good luck on the race!

I was wondering if the registration has filled up.  ?  Can people still register the day of?

Thread Hijack:

My ride bailed on me this AM. Is there anyone else heading out from/through the Hamilton area with room for one more? Thanks.

Okay I'm in!

MUAH!! Totally unprepared.  No wetsuit, leaky goggles, sporting an extra 5 pounds (thus rendering tri-top unwearable), and ITbands tight enough to pop but woo hoo!  Let's race

How did I not know about this race before???  Such a great location!  Definitely one I'll do again!

So I think the results are mixed up or I had a better swim than I thought!  7th overall!!  YAY ME!!! I had NO CLUE I could swim that distance in only 11 minutes ha ha.  Clearly I was zonked though because it says I took 21 minutes in T1 to recover and ... I wasn't wearing a wetsuit! 

Great job MSC on the event in spite of the weather (and my aching leg), it was a good time.

I ended up wearing the suit - and am glad that I did.  It was (a) my first ever open water swim, (b) my first swim in a big crowd, and (c) my first ever swim in a wetsuit.  Visibility was like swimming in chocolate milk, which was the thing that made me most nervous, but the wetsuit's bouyancy gave me the confidence I needed to get through the swim.

Next step: learning how to take a wetsuit off.

Big thanks to the race organizers, too - I had a great time, and hope to be back next year.

Thank you for all of the positive comments! Funny thing is that in every other year it has almost been too hot and the athletes liked going to the splash pad after the race. We have put in an order for good weather in 2013 so hopefully they process that correctly. Thanks again everyone and I am glad you enjoyed your day with us.