Possible contributing factors:
Insufficient warm up
Anxiety
Different stroke in open water (head up, wider hand entry and pull)
Wetsuit fit - shoulders
Wetsuit fit - chest
Swimming too fast too soon
No walls every 25 yards (Arms rest/pause into and off walls)
...

David K

Maybe. I mean, I always try and do 300-400 yards easy for warm-up, but I may be going harder than I think I am.


I only suffer from anxiety on race day.

I have been considering this.


Didn't think of this one. I am going to guess that the way to overcome this is to continue to swim more OWS with longer intervals?

I tried Xterra, TYR Hurricane and the Roka Pro. After I read several posts on the Roka being more flexible and helping with fatigue, I plunked down the money. I did a test....first swam with the TYR, then the Roka....I wanted the Roka to be better....I could not tell any difference in the two. The most flexible of the 3 was the mid tier Xterra, which I regrettably had already sold.

Perhaps the Maverick X has a noticeable difference, but I am not spending that kind of money on a wetsuit....I will just wear a sleeveless and save my arms.