At what distance do you forego the wetsuit? (Page 2)

Originally posted by reecealan If you're talking about time then only you can really answer that question. The question you have to ask yourself is "do you feel lucky?". Oops, different forum. Some people may gain 30 seconds by wearing a wetsuit but lose more than 30 seconds dealing with it in transition. If you swim 30 seconds faster with it in your 700 yard swim and spend 20 seconds dealing with it, then that's a net gain of 10 seconds not to mention possibly using less energy during the swim. Some people will gain over a minute during a 700 yard swim. Strong swimmers with good body position will gain less with a wetsuit than weaker swimmers with poor body position, especially those with "sinking" legs. I've seen some people having trouble with the wetsuit (pulling the zipper down, pulling it off the legs over the timing chip etc.) which adds time so make sure you practice. At races around my neck of the woods if the water is just below the legal limit almost everyone wears one, including the stronger swimmers.