Minimum temp for a wetsuit swim?

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2008-10-18 11:35 AM

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Expert
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Southern Pines, NC
Subject: Minimum temp for a wetsuit swim?

So the weather here in MD is beautiful, and I'm giving some thought to heading out for an OWS. Looks like the water temp at my chosen site is 67 degrees today.

I've done some SCUBA and know that with the right wetsuit you can dive pretty cool water, but I was wondering if 67 is too cold for my current wetsuit, a Blue Seventy Reaction. I know the easy way to find out is to hop in the water, but it's a 40min or so drive to the beach so I was trying to get an idea of how cold I should expect to be.



2008-10-18 11:52 AM
in reply to: #1751543

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Pro
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Tejas
Subject: RE: Minimum temp for a wetsuit swim?
 I'd say go for it. Worse case scenario you spend the afternoon on the coast and get in some seafood for dinner.
2008-10-18 12:35 PM
in reply to: #1751543

Extreme Veteran
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West Windsor, NJ
Subject: RE: Minimum temp for a wetsuit swim?
I would think it would be fine. Water will be a little cold on your face and neck though.

How long are you planning to swim?
2008-10-18 3:03 PM
in reply to: #1751543

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Spokane
Subject: RE: Minimum temp for a wetsuit swim?
I'd say go for it too!  You might want to get yourself a neoprene hat and booties if you keep going in the cold but we were in Lake Coeur d Alene a couple of weeks ago at about 61 degrees, it was cold to get in but really nice after that.
2008-10-18 3:05 PM
in reply to: #1751543

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Subject: RE: Minimum temp for a wetsuit swim?
I've done SCUBA as well and a full wetsuit is good to about 45 degrees. From swimming in 74 degree water this year with a wetsuit, I'm thinking that 70 is the highest I need one with. That means the 60-69 degrees would be standard temp that would not be much a problem.

Then again I took showers in 35-40 degree water in Saudi so my view might be screwed
2008-10-18 3:28 PM
in reply to: #1751543

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Master
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Lake Oswego, OR
Subject: RE: Minimum temp for a wetsuit swim?
Unless you are extremely cold blooded or a poor swimmer you will have no problem. Before I did triathlons I swam many open water swims naked (so to speak). I have not done much swimming in very cold water (sub 60) but favorite temperature for training was 68. Up to a mile race I preferred 66. I found that the cooler temperature energized me and was easier mentally to swim hard. I have swam a 3 mile race at 63 degrees and found I had to be careful to not go out too fast. I was not cold at the end of the race, but I think I would have if it had been a training swim I would have been cold.

Edited by E=H2O 2008-10-18 3:29 PM

2008-10-18 4:03 PM
in reply to: #1751543

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Coach
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Boston, MA
Subject: RE: Minimum temp for a wetsuit swim?

The coldest swim I've done was at the Monster Challenge Boston triatlon (when existed) like 4 years ago and the AM reports fromm the RD said water tempo was mid to high 50s... 67 degrees with a wetsuit? HTFU!

2008-10-18 4:10 PM
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Master
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Royersford, PA
Subject: RE: Minimum temp for a wetsuit swim?
I swam without a wetsuit in 59 degree (sprint) and 62 degree water (HIM), so I'd say with 67 degree water you might overheat. Either way once you get over the shock of jumping in and get moving you will be fine.

BTW People have been doing English Channel swims for a while and you can't do a sanctions channel swim with a wetsuit (And that water is friggin cold.)
2008-10-18 5:12 PM
in reply to: #1751543

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Expert
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Southern Pines, NC
Subject: RE: Minimum temp for a wetsuit swim?
Cool--thanks, everyone. I need to demystify OWS in a big way, because clearly I worry about stuff like this. Only way to go is to rely on the advice of the more experienced, then HTFU and go swim a lot.
2008-10-19 1:25 PM
in reply to: #1751543

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Expert
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Southern Pines, NC
Subject: RE: Minimum temp for a wetsuit swim?

OK, so today was a gorgeous day, and I decided to go ahead and take a couple pills of HTFU as prescribed and go for a swim. Reported water temp today was 64.

I have to say that once I was in the water it wasn't terrible--on the parts covered with a wetsuit. But being a brand new open-water swimmer I wasn't used to the cold on my head, hands, and feet--It was just another variable that I had to get all distracted by while I'm busy trying to get acquainted with swimming in chop, not seeing the bottom, sighting, etc etc.

All in all, though, I got what I think was about 1/4 mile of good swimming in, and got to practice sighting, navigating the chop and timing my breaths, getting comfortable keeping my head down despite seeing nothing but brown below me, and all that good stuff. 

This is certainly all stuff I'd hate to be familiarizing myself with for the first time at a race!

I'm sure that as I gain some experience and get accustomed to cooler water I'll look back on this and think how ridiculous it was to be complaining about 64 degree water, but hey--it's a process.

2008-10-20 7:36 AM
in reply to: #1751543

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Veteran
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South Carolina
Subject: RE: Minimum temp for a wetsuit swim?

I got a warmer swim cap (not neoprene, maybe silicone? Thicker?) a few weeks ago.  It makes a huge difference!  You always hear that you lose a lot of heat from your head, so this makes sense.

2008-10-20 7:49 AM
in reply to: #1751543

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Pro
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MA
Subject: RE: Minimum temp for a wetsuit swim?
Your head is the body part through which most body heat is lost, so it is recommended that you protect your head.  67 is not really THAT cold - in the NE early season OWS races maybe as low as 57 °F.  You shouldn't be getting hypothermia but the it won't feel comfortable if you are not use to it.  If you don't have a neoprene cap, wear 2 swim caps.  It really helps. 
2008-10-20 6:07 PM
in reply to: #1751543

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Expert
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SF Bay Area
Subject: RE: Minimum temp for a wetsuit swim?
67 is fine for your wetsuit. We all have a different tolerance for cold but you should be good to go, in fact, you may get a bit warm in the chest, I know my chest gets very warm when the water's in the mid 60s and up.
2008-10-20 7:28 PM
in reply to: #1751543

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Laurium, MI
Subject: RE: Minimum temp for a wetsuit swim?

high 60's is perfect OW weather sans wet suit.  We swam in our outdoor long course pool right until we ran out of chlorine.  Last swim, the thermo at the wall read 68 and that was a few degrees warmer then the opposite side that was in the shade.

About 2 years ago I did an OW swim with JDicarlo up the black hills.  That water was probably mid 60's at the shore.  We didn't realize how much the bottom dropped off, or that there was a dam in the lake.  The swim was awesome, but the shakes I had for the next 4 hours weren't so fun.

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