Wetsuit, TriSuit, bibs, bike shorts. I'm baffled

A wetsuit is worn over your tri suit. You peel off the wetsuit in transition and wear the tri suit for bike and run.

For your first race I don't know if you want the expense of a tri suit, but tri shorts are nice to have. I raced in tri shorts and a quick drying danskin top that I had. I did nt want to spend alot of money the first time out, in case I didnt continue. Bit that is just me.

Depends on the course (i.e. how cold the swim is - freshwater or salt, etc).  All depends on comfort.  If you're comfortable swimming in a tri suit, hopping on the bike after a light dry off and then running - then by all means, swim in your tri suit.  A lot of people wear their wetsuit over their trisuit.  I didn't because it was about as comfortable as putting a cactus in my boxers - but each to their own.

No, that is the case.

Yes, you can.

Yes, a wetsuit is considered faster if permitted.

Yes.

You're doing fine.

Right here.

You found it.

Anything else?

So yes, you will wear a tri suit (one piece, or tri shorts and tri top) throughout the whole race.  If you are swimming in open water, you may wear a wetsuit (tri specific) over the tri suit.  This increases buoyency, and speed in the water.  It also provides warmth if the water is cooler.  Whether you wear a wetsuit is up to you.  If the water is below the USAT limit, most people will be wearing either a full or sleeveless wetsuit.

Hope that helps, and good luck to you.

That bad? You sure it fit properly? When I do wear a wetsuit in races the only way I do is over my tri suit. Never felt uncomfortable.

I've worn tri shorts and tri top but prefer the one piece tri suit.
I will wear a wet suit 99% of the time if the race is wetsuit legal. The few times I have not was for short swims (400 +/- yds) when I felt the trouble to put it on, take it off, and deal with a wet wetsuit were not worth it TO ME, or when the water temp was cold enough but the air temp and/or humidity made it too hot for my comfort

Welcome to BT and the tri-world! 

For a sprint, you'll need to plan to swim, bike, and run without changing clothes.  Most sprints do not have a place to change, and while nudity might be appreciated by spectators, is generally prohibited by the race directors. 

If you have tri-shorts or a tri-suit, you can wear it for all 3 parts.  If you don't, try running and cycling in your swimsuit.  It could work fine (I did my first two races wearing swim trunks and then pulling an old cotton t-shirt on after the swim) and you can save the investement for your second race!  Obviously, if running or riding in your swimsuit doesn't work for you, then you'll want the tri-shorts/suit.  Most sprint tri's are short enough that you could ride without padding for the 30-60 minutes you're on the bike. 

You *could* do it all in bike shorts or bibs, but the pad in regular bike shorts is usually pretty thick and the designers weren't expecting you to swim in them.  (That means the pad is probably made out of a material that will absorb water, and it'll absorb A LOT of water!!)  People who have done tri's in bike shorts say it's a little like running in a diaper. 

A wetsuit is designed to trap a layer of water next to you that your body warms up.  This is particularly useful if the water is cold (below 70F).  For reference, most indoor pools are 78F (cool) to 82F (warm).    Many triathletes are fans of the bouyancy created by the neoprene and will wear wetsuits in water temps warmer than 70F because they swim flatter and faster.  There are usually upper limits where wetsuits are not allowed at all or allowed but you cannot place if you wear one.  If you've never swam in a wetsuit, triathlon wetsuits are usually thinner and more flexible than those sold for waterskiing or scuba diving and all of them are likely to feel "constricting" when you first try them.  DO NOT TRY THE WETSUIT FOR THE FIRST TIME AT THE RACE!!  If you don't have a wetsuit, you're probably OK for a mid-summer sprint most places in the US.  Yes, you might be uncomfortably cold for 10-20 minutes, but buying a wetsuit is probably going to set you back $100-300 (they get more expensive, but you probably wouldn't get one of the high-end suits as your first wetsuit).