If you are a FOP swimmer and have a pair of those neoprene shorts like Xterra or Roka that's the direction I'd go.

If you're a really slow swimmer a wetsuit may be a good choice.

If you're MOP swimmer with FOP ambitions in the race the wetsuit is probably the way to go if you can get it off quickly

How fast you can get the wetsuit off is a big factor. If it saves you :10/100m you're :40 up from where you would be. If it takes you :25 to take off you're :15 up then there is the bit about kicking it out of the way having to stand up so you're actual net is ~ :10-:12.

If you screw up taking it off you could be behind where you're normally at.

Now I've been in many sprint tris over the years where < :10 separated 3-6 spots on the overall.

It really comes down to how much you save, how fast you can get it off, what happens if you screw up etc. It's a big math equation with no correct answer once you take all the inputs into account if your only solution is wet suit or no wet suit

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Brian Stover USAT LII
Accelerate3 Coaching
Insta

I find it fascinating that nobody ever mentions whether it is more enjoyable to not wear a wetsuit.

Four years ago (next week), I did a sprint triathlon whose swim was in a S. Jersey lake. The water was good, and the temperature was perfect. I might have been the only one to not wear a wetsuit. The swim start was on the other side of the lake from transition, so while everyone dutifully trudged around in their wetsuits, I enjoyed a great swim warmup by swimming to the start. The run to T1 was also quite nice (I might have had the fastest T1), just being able to get out of the water and run.

Could I have saved 10-20 seconds? Maybe, maybe not. I do know that the water felt great during the race, and added to a fun experience.

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"Go yell at an M&M"

Take the wetsuit off as you leave the water, before you start your run. It should come off faster with that layer of water still between you and the suit.

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Proud member of FISHTWITCH: doing a bit more than fish exercise now.

If you're planning on racing more this year/season and upping the distance I'd say wear it just to get acclimated and practice removing.

I sure as hell wouldn't for that short a swim unless it was bitterly cold. I could see a poor swimmer gaining a lot more, but for a 5-6min swim I can't imagine doing much better than breaking even so it wouldn't be worth the extra hassle.