Wetsuit question

I think it varies tremendously. I would look at the USAT guidelines and work from there. If it is a wetsuit legal race, a full sleeve suit won't necessarily make you overheat.

The overheating was my concern. I just ordered a wetsuit...full sleeve and will use it to do the swim leg of a 1/2 IM relay on October 5th. I am sure the full will be great for then but then I started second guessing it for other races.

I think full sleeve is the way to go regardless. Congratuations on your purchase!

I agree full sleave is the way to go.

try it out in your local pool. Hopely it will be atleast 80 degrees and you can see how you do with it. If your going to do more of these swim races the wet suit is a great investment.

Oh, I forgot to mention a few other things too:

* 2 of my swimming partners wear sleeveless and they ALWAYS complain of chafing under the arm. Not saying they have the best suits or the best fit but...

* Sleeves protect your arms from the stinging things and the sun.

I have both, and I use the full sleeve all the time.  The temps they allow wetsuits are comfortable to go full sleeve.  If it's too hot to wear the suit physically, it is probably too hot to wear them in the race (against the rules).

Thanks for all the input. Wetsuit was shipped today. I can't wait to get it and try it out.

It obviously depends on how long/far you are swimming, but my rule of thumb is sub 67-68 degrees..and a wet suit is practically required. You can get by around the 70 mark with or without (but its going to be chilly for a bit). Once you get over 80 degrees you will overheat if its a long swim.

But overall..if its legal...use it. And go full sleeves unless you really have an issue with constriction or feel of it. Its just a faster suit.