General Discussion Triathlon Talk » What do you wear under a wetsuit? Rss Feed  
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2019-01-04 9:28 AM


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Subject: What do you wear under a wetsuit?
Hi everyone;

Happy 2019!

Seriously — what do you wear under a wetsuit? I know some athletes wear a trisuit. Would a pair of shorts and T-shirt/tank top be OK (i.e., same clothes you'd wear to bike and run), or would those be "too bulky" or weigh you down?

Thanks!


2019-01-04 10:06 AM
in reply to: triathlete_to_be

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Subject: RE: What do you wear under a wetsuit?
For most tris, people wear a tri top and shorts or one piece tri suit under their wetsuit. You would want something tight-fitting and not too bulky as you do get wet under a wetsuit. Regular running clothes would probably be too loose; regular bike shorts will really absorb a lot of water in the chamois (pad). In theory, it's possible to just wear a swimsuit under the wetsuit and then put on a top and shorts over that after the swim; in reality, it's difficult to get stuff on wet, you would probably chafe with bike shorts over a wet swimsuit, and you can't get nude in transition to take the swimsuit off (usually only full ironman and some, but not all, half-ironman races have changing tents). For full IM, some people do wear a swimsuit for the swim and then change into a bike or tri top and shorts to be more comfortable, but that's only possible with change tents. You won't find those at a typical sprint or Olympic distance.

Really your best bet is a tri suit or tri top (or a tight-fitting run camisole) and shorts. If female, you could just wear a sports bra on top for the swim and then pull on a jersey or tech shirt in transition for the bike and run legs. (I think IM and USAT rules require torsos for both genders to be covered for bike and swim--I could be wrong about that as until this year I've mostly raced in Asia where rules can be different.) Compression shorts would be okay on the swim but are not the most comfortable for the bike. They might be okay for a sprint. I did my first tri (non-wetsuit swim) in a sports bra and compression shorts, with a tech T-shirt for the bike and swim. Not the most comfortable getup (I had some chafing on the bike), but it served.
2019-01-04 10:26 AM
in reply to: triathlete_to_be

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Subject: RE: What do you wear under a wetsuit?

What Hot Runner said.  A tri suit is designed for this: compression, quick drying and relatively small chamois pad (doesn't absorb much water).  Since you're female, you could use a form-fitting one piece swimsuit under the wetsuit and bike/run in that but you wouldn't have the chamois pad (might be ok for a sprint tri but you'd appreciate the pad for longer distances). 

2019-01-04 12:23 PM
in reply to: #5253383

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Subject: RE: What do you wear under a wetsuit?
Invest in a good fitting tri suit. It’s money well spent and will make your race day less hectic.

Wear your wetsuit over your tri suit, do the swim, strip off wetsuit, complete rest of race. No worrying about changing or having to pack more things for the race. The less you have to worry about the better!
2019-01-04 3:17 PM
in reply to: triathlete_to_be

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Subject: RE: What do you wear under a wetsuit?

What do you have?

For swimming, you want low drag which is why swimsuits are form-fitting.  The wetsuit will hold shorts and a tank top tight against your body which will still be OK for swimming.  

However...

Wetsuits work by trapping a layer of water between you and the neoprene which your body heats up.  Whatever you wear under your wetsuit will be wet.  Try riding in the wet clothes.  If it's tolerable (keep in mind that wet, clingy shorts or tops may be quite--ahem--revealing...) you don't need to buy anything more.  You may choose to wear a swimsuit and ride/run in that (you can pull shorts and a top on over a wet swimsuit.  It won't be fast, but it can be done).  

A tri-suit (1 piece) or tri-shorts and a tri-top (2 piece) can be a worthwhile investment, especially if you might do races without a wetsuit.  

2019-01-05 7:35 AM
in reply to: McFuzz

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Subject: RE: What do you wear under a wetsuit?
And nobody thought...

What do you wear under a kilt? Just me?


2019-01-05 9:41 AM
in reply to: PigeonTri

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Subject: RE: What do you wear under a wetsuit?
Compression shorts?

When my friend and I were in Bhutan, and we saw the national dress that men have to wear in many situations (called a gho, looks like a bathrobe and is supposed to be worn without pants underneath), she actually asked our guide what they wore under it. The answer was boxers. Poor dudes--it just doesn't seem very warm for a Himalayan climate!
2019-01-07 10:58 AM
in reply to: triathlete_to_be

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Subject: RE: What do you wear under a wetsuit?
I recommend wearing what you will use on the bike and run to minimize changing.
Tops are hard to get on when you are wet.
Remember unless there is a tent, no public nudity.

I wear under shorts and tri suit and just rip off the wetsuit in T1.
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