67 is cold? You're funny.

I did a race at 61 in a sleeveless. It was cold to start but no issues. I have never used a sleeved wetsuit but I think that anything colder than 61 would probably require it. I also wouldn't bother doing a race that was colder than that.

Ain't nobody got time fo' dat.

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How does Danny Hart sit down with balls that big?

College swimmer as well and don't like the feel of wetsuits and have trouble with the restricted range of motion in the shoulder with full sleeves. I only have a sleeveless and have done many cold swims including Alcatraz a few years back with water temps around 56/57. Got a lot of strange looks on the ferry - but honestly didn't have a problem and really didn't feel cold at all. It may be that I grew up swimming off MA and NH in cold waters.

I have limited experience in triathlon and have only used a sleeveless wetsuit, but the races I did last year were 61 and maybe the mid 60's. I did fine in the lower temp but had an anxiety attack in the mid 60's. I blame that on not acclimatizing myself, not the suit.

The coldest I did was 15C (59F?) Olympic distance in a sleeveless (I only own that). My issue wasn't my arms, but my face and head getting in. Once I acclimated I was okay (I am a mediocre swimmer). I think as per ITU rules wetsuits are mandatory at that range (below 16C). I don't know about WTC or USAT rules as far as temp goes.

If your head is warm (I should have had my neoprene swim cap) it is likely that your body will be much warmer and thus the sleeveless will be okay for you.

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Ian

Thanks for the replies. I have my first mid 50s race in two weeks, so I'll just do that one in a sleeveless as it sounds like people have done similar things (alcatraz is actually the race I hope to eventually get a spot for and was afraid would be the end of my sleeve-free lifestyle). I'll check back in afterwards, for anyone who cares.

The neoprene cap is a good idea, too. That's substantially easier and cheaper than getting a whole new wetsuit, and should definitely help.

One thing that I did when I only had a sleeveless wetsuit was that I got TYR neoprene sleeves. They keep the arms warm while not restricting the shoulders at all. I really liked them, but I am opposite of you in that I get cold in about any swim below 80. You could bring them with you and use them on an as needed basis. I however have realized that I just function better being as warm as possible.

I was under the impression disconnected sleeves were illegal. But now that you say that, I feel like I might be mis-remembering USA swimming rules as being USAT rules.

I'm from a swimming background, and found that 56 degrees (Lake Tahoe, air temp 38 degrees, deep water start) was just too cold, and I had a pretty rough first 20 miles on the bike.
Also did a Swim Across America relay in SF Bay and water was about 55. Even w neoprene cap, my face, hands and feet froze, and I felt shivery in the water and for about an hour afterwards, but that was just a swim, no bike or run after.
That said, there are some really good suits with thin arms/underarms/ and back construction which feel completely non restrictive, but it all comes down to how the fit block of the suit corresponds to your body type. If you want to email me at concierge@slowtwitch.com I'd be happy to help you figure out which brand and style would work best.
Best,
KS

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Karen ST Concierge

When I am just doing an OWS if the temperature is above about 63 I'll just wear the jammers. I only put on a wetsuit to get used to the feel a few times before a race.

I have raced sleeveless in about 55 and my thumbs did get a little numb. Haven't gone below that. I have a sleeved suit as well hand haven't really noticed a difference in comfort/temperature.

One thing I do anytime the temperature goes below 70 is wear two caps. The bottom one is one of those really think silicon caps the the outer is the one they give you for a race.

67 at Oceanside? Damn, when I did it back in 2010 it was WAY colder than that.

I once swam a 3 mile race in a sleeveless in 50 degree water. Arms were ok, but hands, feet, face were in severe pain to the point that I couldn't control the muscles in my hands or feet. At the end I couldn't stand up and had to be helped into a car with heat blasting. My buddy did it in a speedo. He beat me to the car in the same fashion.

Bottom line, below 60, I wear a full suit. 60-70 is sleeveless. Above 70? Roka Sim Shorts if allowed or just my tri bottoms.

I can't see anything in the rules that prohibit sleeves. I didn't use them a lot probably just a couple of events and nobody ever gave me a second glance about it. Also I have seen others that have used this solution also.

Wore sleeveless in an early-season race in 2009 that was apparently low-mid 50's (that's what I was told, I wasn't able to find the exact ocean temps). Kind of cold right at the start but once moving it was fine. Getting in the water for a short warmup before the race helped too, as did wearing a thicker silicone cap under the race cap. It was a sprint distance race so we were in and out of the water in under 10 minutes. I considered getting those wetsuit sleeves that look like cycling arm warmers, but never got around to buying them.

Used to surf through the winter in NJ for a few years and got used to being in really cold water for hours at a time, but I haven't done that in a couple of years and don't know that my cold water tolerance would be as high now as it was then.

So I did my first cold water race today, and did it in my sleeveless wetsuit, but with a neoprene cap. The cap was clutch, thanks slowtwitch for the recommendation there.

The water was supposed to be 54 as per the athlete guide. I didn't hear any announcements from the RD this morning about the actual temperature, but half moon bay's live info website says the water temperature is 51 today. I'm not sure what the swim course in specific was, but still. It was definitely low 50s. It was actually painful to get into the water; my face and hands stung, and my arms felt like they were burning. After a couple minutes my feet were numb, and about 500m into the race, my face was numb.

My arms felt fine after about 1km, so if it were just a 1.5km open water swim, then hot shower and go home, it would be fine to do water this cold occasionally and not invest in a second wetsuit. The problem for me today was that the air was wet and low 50s during the bike, so I wasn't warming up, and my core temperature had dropped really far from the swim. I ended up not warming up until the run.

All in all, I just didn't enjoy the race today because I spent too much time being cold. How much of that could have been prevented by a sleeved wetsuit, I don't know *yet*, but it's only a matter of a few hundred to buy one and less than $100 to rent, so my next race this cold will be with a full sleeve suit. You just spend too much money on everything for these races to not enjoy it because of a few hundred dollar investment you avoid.

I'll check back in around August/September, I think, when my next Pac.Ocean swim race is, and recap if that actually helped for me.

Thanks again for all the advice!

In that particular situation I probably would have worn a light coat on the bike.

jaretj

it was definitely freezing out there yesterday. i did the race too and that water is always some of the coldest water i swim in. i do remember thinking that its probably the last race i do that's very early in the season.
i actually didnt feel my feet for the entire bike, and just started feeling one of my toes in mile 5 of the run. it wasnt after i crossed the finish line where i felt that i still had toes lol

Or you could try the "Matty Reed Method".

I have done races from the upper 40's to the low 80's. In all cases, I wore a full wetsuit since they are always faster.

.

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Yea my feet were numb for most of the bike. My right foot regained feeling at about mile 20, and the left foot inside the last mile. I took a moment in T1 to dry off my feet and put on smart wool socks; it worked really well in a race in MD where it was 38 and raining, so I've been doing it ever since, even when it's not really that cold. I just can't stand running on numb feet. In hindsight, though, I probably should've also worn a wind jacket and light gloves just to accelerate the warmth-getting.

Fun fact, though. When I was putting on my sock, I noticed that I was profusely bleeding from my big toe; by the end of the run the lower third of my sock was entirely red. When the medical tent cleaned it out for me after the race they said they'd seen tons of people who cut their feet really badly at the swim. I wonder if it was something in the water that I didn't notice (under the patches of seaweed), or on the gravel parking lot to T1. Did you have any issues, or were you smart enough to bring shoes :)

I was reading a race report from that race and that person hit a rock right where you stand up coming out of the water -- she said the med tent said a bunch of people apparently hit the same rock. You were probably so cold you didn't notice at the time!

Yea, the person next to me in the med tent was getting their foot cleaned off and it looked like someone took a melon baller to the top of it; he was just missing a huge, deep chunk. They were talking about a rock, though, that he slammed his foot into "just like everyone else". I just hope that rock is proud of itself.

15C is 59. That is what FINA or USA Swimming sets as the minimum temp for OW races, no wetsuits allowed.

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My first wetsuit was sleeveless and I raced in water down to 56f.

In that race they were pulling out pros (also in wetsuits), why?
Because the pros had lot less personal insulation than I do.
You have to look at that a little before you take advice from anyone.
I grew up swimming in 64f outdoor pool water in England, so perhaps that helped.
If you grew up swimming in the warm pools that are typical in NA then reconsider sleeveless.