Wetsuit vs. trisuit

I agree that in a pool you are fine with a trisuit. However, as you move to open water swims you may want to consider a wetsuit. A wetsuit not only keeps you warm in cooler water it also adds buoyancy. This will keep your body higher in the water and therefore you will create less drag and use less energy. It will also act as a "life preserver" if you get into trouble.

Good luck!

There is no reason you have to have either a wetsuit or a tri suit for a tri with a pool swim.

I did my first tri with a pool swim with only a pair of compression shorts that I used for running. It worked fine. The tri suit doesn't do anything for you in the pool. The tri top will make your transitions a little faster since you wear it throughout the race and because it can be difficult to put a top on when you are wet from swimming. The tri shorts have a little padding that can make biking a little more comfortable in longer distance races, but for sprints or even olympic distance races, compression shorts work fine and are much cheaper.

When I moved to outdoor events, I bought a cheap tri top, but still just used compression shorts for a couple of events. After doing 3 tris, I finally invested in a full tri suit.

For outdoor events, if you are a really strong swimmer, you may be fine without a wetsuit. If not, I would invest in a wetsuit. First, it makes you bob in water like a cork. It really takes a lot of the fear factor out of open water swimming since you can just roll over and float on your back if you get tired. It will also let you complete the swim using a lot less energy and as an added bonus, you will probably be faster.

If money is an issue, you can rent a wetsuit. I ended up buying a used wetsuit that had been a rental the prior year.

Good luck.