Cold water swim advice needed?

62F is cold, but not that bad with a full suit.  Personally, I would skip the neoprene cap.  Certainly not the vaseline.  The best thing to do is get in the water before your swim.  The hardest part will be putting your face into the water for the first few strokes.  After that, you'll be fine.

think warm...

Yeah, I'd also nix the vaseline, as it's going to provide you almost nothing in the way of insulation for your extremities. Big mess, with next to nothing to gain.

I'd stick with the neoprene cap, since you know already that chilly water bothers you (again, 62 is definitely cool but not frigid). You lose a bunch of heat from your head, so the extra layer there will pay you back kindly. You might also give silicone ear plugs a shot. I've found that I feel a lot warmer when there's no icy water sloshing around in my ears.

Getting in before your swim is, in my opnion, the MOST IMPORTANT thing you can do. A quick dip the day before the race would be ideal, but a few minutes of splashing on race day would also go a long way. Testing the water, so speak, gives your body and your brain a chance to make the necessary adjustments.

Personally I don't use a neoprene cap unless the temp is in the 50's, but if you're more comfortable with it then use it.

I would skip the vaseline at that temp, but if you use a neoprene cap don't make the mistake I made yesterday. I put bodyglide on my neck where the wetsuit might chafe, but didn't think about where the neoprene cap strap comes around my face and chin. I breathe to the right and the right side of my face is chafed pretty badly after a 3k swim.

I would try to get in the water before the race to get your face acclimated to the cold water. Those first few minutes are the hardest for me and it can be difficult to get my breathing under control. If I get a warm up in it doesn't bother me in the race and I can go out pretty hard. If I can't get a warm-up in (some races with lots of waves prevent you from getting in the water until your turn), then I go slow for the first couple of minutes to get my breathing under control.

It was low to mid 50's for my swim yesterday. Brrrrrr.

scott

I'm swimming in a bib john wetsuit, no vaseline and no neophone cap for a 56-59 degree swim. I've done it twice and was just fine.

I swam in water yesterday that was in the low 60's. The only thing I did differently is to wear wax ear plugs. I find that I get dizzy and disoriented in really cold water.

Keep the neoprene cap if you are comfortable with it (but you don't need it, so if it's new, you might want to scrap the idea).  No need for vaseline.  Messy, and if you get it anywhere near the goggles, they'll never seal and you'll have more to worry about than cold water.  Earplugs might be a good idea for you also.  I like to use them in cold water because it prevents the dizziness in T1.

I approve of the neoprene cap, but if you don't have one you can always double bag your head with two swim caps. vaseline seems like a huge hassle, even if you wipe it off it's still there (i remember as a kid putting vaseline in my hair so i could look like a greaser and it took a week of shampooing to get it out completely ). If your feet and hands are that cold you should probably get some neoprene booties and gloves.

62 isn't that awful, i find i don't get really uncomfortable unless it's under 60, but even at 58 I've swam without a wet suit at all. I only did 800m and made sure to swim in water that i could stand in(about 10 feet off shore) but after the first splash it wasn't too bad. Of course I used to water ski in October in Minnesota so I'm probably crazy.

62 is not bad - I did a race last year at 58, doing it again this year as a WU for Alcatraz.
Don't use vaseline -especially not on your hands - you will loose your feel of the water. IMOP you don't need a neoprene cap either - if you want wear a silicone cap and the race cap on top for some extra insulation that should be sufficient.
oh - and pee in your wetsuit - that will warm you up Don't worry, everyone does it.

Edited by jellyfish 2008-05-12 11:41 AM

PEE!

had a big problem with this 4 hours ago.
went for a 1 mile swim in the sea. cold stuff where i live. i gasped for 10 minutes b4 i got my breathing down.

to be honest i was thinking of posting about this to see if i had a problem. guess i dont.
once again, bt to the rescue.
thanks again.

To summarize everyone's thoughts and the bits of advice that we give the USA Swimming national open water team swimmers:

1. Use lanolin to help alleviate some of the "sting and shock" of cold water. The lanoline should be firmly pressed into the skin, especially around the neck, under arms, around the torso and upper legs. It is best to apply with rubber gloves and, remember, lanolin is tough to get off. See photo of International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame inductee Britta Kamrau with lanolin on before a cold-water race on left.

2. Use tight-fitting silicon ear plugs; an old surfer's trick.

3. Wear 2-3 heavy silicon swim caps - or better yet - a neoprene surfer's cap that completely covers the ears with a strap that goes under the chin.

4. Acclimatize over time where one gradually builds up from a few minutes in the cold water to a few hours. It helps if one gets in twice per day, if possible.

5. Swim as close to shore as possible, even if one has to fight through surf. If not possible, then swim with a kayak, boat, paddleboard escort, or with another swimmer.

6. Use a surfer's rashguard, wetsuit, speedsuit or technical swimsuit.

7. Drink warm liquids before and immediately after.

8. Jog along the shore, initially with only then feet, then the lower legs and then the upper legs in the water if the water is really too cold to first jump in. Then get your hands wet and splash water on your face and upper body before jumping in.

9. Roll over on your back if you hyperventilate when you first get in. Take deep breaths while you are swimming backstroke. Try to kick strongly, but take smooth long strokes with your arms while you control your hyperventilation. After you can breathe normally, then roll over on your back and start to swim freestyle.

10. Think positively, but always think intelligently. If you are shivering or continue to hyperventilate, get out.

Note: Although this is not advisable to competitive elite athletes, some people choose to gain a bit more body fat.

62 is chilly, but not that bad. I'm a freeze baby, and have done down to the mid-50s in a sleeveless. Wear your cap if you want, but the vaseline is very much overkill, and probably will end up being a bigger PITA than it's worth--ESPECIALLY on your hands.

Just wanted to point out that vaseline will actually break down neoprene-- definitely do not use with a wetsuit.

Definitely use wax ear plugs-- they helped me a lot last year in that 54-degree water at Spirit of Racine.

I've been scuba diving in 48 degree water with nothing on my face.  And that is 40 minutes under water with very little activity to keep you warm.  My face was fine, my feet were another story.

Like everyone else said, skip the vaseline and get in the water early to warm up. Sometimes it's hard to breathe out when the water is that cold.

Another vote for earplugs when the water is in the 50s. A neoprene cap is good too, it makes a big difference. Most of the wetsuit manufacturers make them (zoot, blue seventy, orca, desoto,etc.)

Another thing to consider if you hate cold water is booties. Some races will allow them. Boise 70.3 did last year. In the past, I never would have considered it but for the small amount of time that you might lose think of the difference in how your feet will feel as you put your cycling shoes on. Shivering frozen toes or warm and ready to go. Also, if you have to exit the water on a rough, rocky surface you could spare yourself the tip toeing out. You may actually have less sand between your toes too if you exit on that type of surface. Lastly, Orca makes a bootie that has a separate big toe kind of like a mitten that is supposed to make them much easier to run in.

I'm one of the lucky ones who did Racine last year in the fog and 54 degree water.  I used wax ear plugs and a double cap; the race issued over a heavy latex one.  The one thing I wished I had was the neoprene booties. My hands and feet get cold quickly. It took my feet about 45 minutes to finally have feeling again.  I think running in them would have been easier than trying to run on frozen feet.