simple:

it is much easier to swim in a wetsuit because it floats

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Kat Hunter reports on the San Dimas Stage Race from inside the GC winning team
Aeroweenie.com -Compendium of Aero Data and Knowledge
Freelance sports & outdoors writer Kathryn Hunter

The point is to prevent hypothermia.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/...eoesophageal_fistula
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerebral_palsy
2020 National Masters Champion - M40-44 - 400m IM
Canadian Record Holder 35-39M & 40-44M - 200 m Butterfly (LCM)

So it is a witch?

It is also warmer if the water is a little chilly. I really don't enjoy water under 78'ish. It isn't that I can't, it is that I don't want to.

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I'm beginning to think that we are much more fucked than I thought.

To give you a convenient place to pee before a race and have some mental semblance of privacy

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Take a short break from ST and read my blog:
http://tri-banter.blogspot.com/

Dorsi flexed ankles will cause slightly less drag in a wetsuit. As I posted above the point is warmth and any performance bennies should be seen as a bonus.

Pure OW swimming has not ever allowed wetsuits. FINA min temp is 15C for OW.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/...eoesophageal_fistula
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerebral_palsy
2020 National Masters Champion - M40-44 - 400m IM
Canadian Record Holder 35-39M & 40-44M - 200 m Butterfly (LCM)

Welcome to our sport.


A wetsuit offers buoyancy, which improves body position, which makes you faster. Possibly 0:10/100m. The advantage is highest for weaker swimmers, and diminishes the better one's swim technique.

For weaker swimmers on long swims the kick is less about propulsion and more about proper body position and rotation. A wetsuit fixes a lot of that for you so your coach is probably right. Plus you may need your energy later, so don't burn your matches kicking like a madman, very low ROI.

^^^^^ Nailed it.

Add that to a smoother skin on the neoprene which reduces drag, and good thermal characteristics.

In a wetsuit swim, even the best swimmers may give up some time without a suit.

jake

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Get outside!

well, that was the original intent....

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Swimming Workout of the Day:

Favourite Swim Sets:

2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly

And triathlon started to cater to candy ass whining.

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___________________________________________
http://en.wikipedia.org/...eoesophageal_fistula
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerebral_palsy
2020 National Masters Champion - M40-44 - 400m IM
Canadian Record Holder 35-39M & 40-44M - 200 m Butterfly (LCM)

Lots of ways to answer your question with the absolutes of: wet suits do float and keep you warmer

Runners tend to have inflexible ankles... even if you two beat kick or don't kick at all, feet pointed downwards are going to slow you down. I wouldn't completely ignore your kick and ankle flexibility.

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Swimming Workout of the Day:

Favourite Swim Sets:

2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly

FTW!

In Washington and Oregon, the water temperature rarely gets above 65 degrees and in some races have been down to 54 degrees. Wetsuits are kind of good for that.

Wetsuits help new beginners by keeping their legs during the surface....BUT....so does learning how to kick.

As far as your coach with the legs, sure you can "save your legs", but that is short-sighted advice. For the long term, You may as well learn to kick and build the endurance. You won't find Front-of-pack swimmers just dragging their legs.

Yep, but just make sure you are in the water before you let loose. Otherwise, you might have some explaining to do.

+1. And should be burned???

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BC Don
Pain is temporary, not giving it your all lasts all Winter.

I have heard numbers thrown around on time advantages of 5-10% for a wetsuit legal swim. As other posters have mentioned it generally helps the weaker swimmers more as it really helps keep your hips and legs from dragging.

Now you tell me :-|

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I saw this on a white board in a window box at my daughters middle school...
List of what life owes you:
1. __________
2. __________
3. __________

Wetsuits are for swimmers who are not competent open water swimmers to actually attempt triathlons.
And once one person wears one, everyone else does to keep pace in the arms race.

PS That 15 degree C FINA rule is total crap. Competent, acclimated, trained swimmers can and race down to about 10.

You need a wetsuit for that?

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blog

This may be true but actually the rule is 16 to 31 degrees C, or 60.8 to 87.8 degrees F. The following is from the FINA OWS Rules for 2013-17:

OWS 5.5 The water temperature should be a minimum of 16°C and a maximum of 31°C. It
should be checked the day of the race, 2 hours before the start, in the middle of the course
at a depth of 40 cm. This control should be done in the presence of a Commission made
up of the following persons present: a Referee, a member of the Organizing Committee and
one coach from the teams present designated during the Technical Meeting.

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"Anyone can be who they want to be IF they have the HUNGER and the DRIVE."

One other benefit of a suit is protection from floating jellies...I discovered this only after doing a practice swim the day before an event without a wetsuit.

"well, that was the original intent...."

well...

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

Yeah, when Jason wrote "original intent," I thought we might actually find out...so what was your intent?

Personally I figure you just wanted to make some money!