How cold is Too Cold to swim without a wetsuit?

That's too cold for most people. With water in the 60s, you'll see almost everyone in wetsuits. When it gets to the low 70s, you'll see a few more people in tri suits.

The HIM in Boise last year had 64 degree wter. I wore a full wetsuit, neoprene hood, and booties. I hate cold water.

It depends on how cold your body can tolerate. 
I had raced in waters in high 50s, with a full suit.  Didn't like it, but do-able.  Saw some people in the same race wearing sleeveless. 

Considering this is your first open water race and you've been swimming in a pool, I would HIGHLY recommend a wetsuit for that water temp. That's pretty cold and, if nothing else, will really sap your energy for the events to follow.

what?  you are planning on wearing a fleece type shirt while swimming?????????  is that correct?

i wouldn't expect ANY benifit from the river's current at that point.

That's probably warmer than the English Channel and most of those swimmers aren't wearing wetsuits. 

It all depends.  64F for 500 meters is probably manageable.  64F for 1500 meters gets more marginal, especially if you've never swam much in cold water.  Try to get your core warm before you get in (light jog, maybe drink some hot liquids) and hopefully have a minute or two to "warm up" in the water as well.  Plan on a couple minutes extra in transition to dry off and warm up before you head out on the bike (and you may experience "difficulty" making your fingers work the buckle on your helmet because of the cold core/appentages). 

Consider doubling up on swim caps and wearing earplugs.  Many people, even with wetsuits, will experience the "ice cream headache" trying to swim in water this cold.  Also, keep yourself (especially your feet) warm and dry before you get in the water (so don't walk around in the dewey, cold, grass barefoot). 

Tolerance is very personal, my daughter is a seal, mid 60's she's in the backyard pool, my son is shivering with 78F water.  I've done two mid 60's sprint tri's.  First was without a wetsuit and I hated it, right off it took my breath away and near the end my calf's were cramping and I could barely run up to T1.  Next time I wore a freinds Quickjohn wetsut (sleeve and leg-less).  It made the water tolerable on my core but the calfs were still not happy.  Since then I've purchased a sleeveless WS that I wear whenever it's legal to do so.  I can swim in 72F-76 water without issues if I warm up first with a bike or run.

Sometimes when the water is colder than what you are used to swimming in it can really take your breath away.  I did a tri last summer in 58 degree water, and even with a wetsuit, I never could get my breathing down.  I did the whole distance (850 m) with my head above water.  With that said, next time I will get in the water as early as the RD will allow and practice bobs and get used to exhaling in the water.  So I said all that to say whether you have a wetsuit or not, make sure you get in early and warm up.

jami   

My first tri was in 63 degree water without a wetsuit.  It was cold, but manageable.  The worst part is the first few moments you hit the water and your body starts to cramp up, but then you start and you forget all about it and are finished before you know it.

That's pretty cold to swim without a wetsuit. I would wear one. Rent one if you can.
At those temps, usually the RD will say "wetsuit recommended" or "strongly recommended"

deleted, double post

Edited by patricia7 2010-04-21 11:36 AM

I did my first TRI (800 meter swim) without a wetsuit in 58 degF water, mainily because I didn't check how cold the water was going to be before I got there the morning of the race. It was too late to get wetsuit, so it was do it or go home. I was determined to do it, but it was a eye opener to say the least.

I waited until my wave started before I got in the water. What a shock, I could catch my breath and my heart was pounding so hard, I thought I was going to drown before I could get to first rescue surf board. I think I would have quit, but there were so many people hanging on the first the first board that I had to swim to the next one. By the time I got to it, I was feeling better and made it through the swim. When I stood up to get out of the water, I feel back in. I had to crawl out of the water. I staggered like a "drunken sailor" to TI. I was shivering so much it several minutes to get enough control to put my shoes and helmet on. I was in the first stages of hypothermia and I was only in the water for 14 minutes. I had trouble controlling my bike for a few hundred yards until I finally started to warmup a little. Thank goodness it was a 80 degF day or I would have not thawed out.

I will never go through that experience again. I strongly suggest buying or at least renting a wetsuit and do an OWS in cold water ahead of time. Also use earplugs and dulbe up on the swim caps.

Rent a wetsuit.  You may be able to tolerate, you may not.  Why risk a bad experience, esp for first tri?  I've suffered hypothermia (w/ wetusit), almost died, literally, and I've done tris for 14yrs!  This is supposed to be fun, not worth risking your life, esp when you can easily prevent it.

Just to give you an idea, Triathlon Canada policy now for AG competitors in all sanctioned races:

 

Swim Length	Forbidden above:	Mandatory below:	Maximum stay in water
0 - 1500m	22C (72F)	14C (57F)	1 h 10 min
1501-3000m	23C (73F)	15C (59F)	1 h 40 min
3000-4000m	24C (75F)	16C (61F)	2 h 15 min

 

Edited by patricia7 2010-04-21 11:36 AM

Well, given I'm not a hot-natured person and have no desire to wage my pride on toughing out a "cold' swim; I'm in the market for a wetsuit. Thanks for the input all.

Edited by Bjon 2010-04-21 1:09 PM

OK, I reading down thru this thread thinking what a bunch of wimps!....till I got to this one.  Yikes.  OK, so maybe 58 was just bit too cold w/o something.

At the GCT HIM virtually everyone had on a full wetsuit....except the pros.  They wore like a shortie tri-suit looking thing.  Never understood why there were different rules for the pros....which I guess is really a lower standard for the rest of field.

~Mike

i remember in highschool the pool temp at the State meet was btwn 65-68!! now in a 50 yard and 100 yard sprint that temp is great. however it is quite a shock and i always felt a jolt when diving in. i have yet to swim in open water myself but you better believe i wouldn't be caught without a wetsuit in 64 temps. the colder the water the harder to breath. on a dare i dove in a pool in the dead of January once and swam one length of the pool. the water temp was sub 45 and i almost didn't make it out. the first thing to go was my air!!

If your used to it low 50's with a cold water cap and ear plugs

How to get used to it, cold showers and swimming in cold water. Hot oatmeal and hot drinks before swimming.

http://openwatercaps.blogspot.com caps for cold water swims

http://south-end.org

See the swims they do in San Francisco bay and tips they have.They swim a mile or more in the bay at a time



Edited by peggyswims 2010-04-21 8:51 PM

Correction - NONE of those swimmers are wearing wetsuits, not if they want to be counted as an english channel swimmer anyway.

To the OP, technically, 31 degrees is too cold to not wear a wetsuit, as the water will be solid ice.

You can swim in water as cold as you are acclimated to. Lynn Cox (Swimming to Antarctica), has swum amongst iceburgs across the Bering Straight as well as to Antarctica with no wetsuit. Her body has acclimatized ot the activity and her core body temp actually climbs about 3 degrees BEFORE she even gets in the water.

So there are no rules about how cold is too cold, but your body has to be ready for it.

EDIT: OK, I see that technically there are rules (The Canada thing, alhtough I think that's a stupid rule to require a wetsuit...unless one can opt out by proving/documenting other sans-wetsuit swims in similar or warmer temps). When I was recently in SD, the water temp was 52 degrees adn several of us, without acclimitization, did a 45 minute swim in the ocean. Yes, it was cold, no it didn't kill us, yes we'd all done it before...but too long in the past for any of us to have acclimated to the cold water in the way I described above.

Don't try it for the first time on race day.

Also..I'm not necessarily recommending this approach..simply answering the question posted in the titel of the post (How cold is too cold to swim without a wetsuit). Apply my comments at your own risk.

Edited by AdventureBear 2010-04-21 10:44 PM

I live in MA and done races in the 55-65 degree water temps with a wetsuit and have been really cold. No way would I do one w/o a wetsuit in those temps. My first longer race the water was 55 and it took me over 40 minutes. I didn't feel normal on the bike for 40' and I had a wetsuit on.

A HIM I volunteered at after doing Oly day before, they had warming tent before T1 and plenty of thin folks mostly women were in their shivering. I've been at IMs where plenty of slower swimmers come out of the water really cold and water is in the 70s.

I wouldn't recommend going w/o a wetsuit unless you have done training in open water in similar temps a few times and have confidence it will work for you.

64F?!! That's toasty!

But in an unfamiliar river? Don't take uneccesary risks.

Full or sleeveless wetsuit, Mack's earplugs, like others have said.  Forget the rash guard.

I don't think others have mentioned this, but be sure you have a "warm-up" swim 20-30 min. before the start: splash some water on your face first, then start swimming SLOWLY to temper the initial shock.  After a few minutes of easy swimming, your breathing and heart rate will come down as you get used to the water.  Once you come out of the water, the neoprene will keep you warm while you wait for the start, and the re-entry into the water won't be so bad.

Aren't there crazy nutters swimming alcatraz without wetsuits?