The last Alcatraz swim I did was put on by the South End Rowing Club. Almost everyone was wearing a wetsuit, and they were more than happy to take my neoprene clad money.

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ECMGN Therapy Silicon Valley:
Depression, Neurocognitive problems, Dementias (Testing and Evaluation), Trauma and PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

How unfortunate for you that your level of happiness is dependent on something so trivial as the amount of neoprene another person wears around their body while swimming. Most people worry about more important things. Hope it gets better for you soon.

All the Best,
Mongo

EVA is ok. PEBA not ok.
Swim skin is ok. Neoprene not ok.

At least you're consistent at drawing arbitrary lines in the sand.

Imagine giving a crap about what anyone thinks of you.
What adult puts any stock in someone’s opinion on what you should or shouldn’t wear?

But on that same level: Imagine giving a crap about what other people are doing. Why go out of your way to tell someone you disapprove of what they are doing because they aren't a "HARD-ASS" like you? What kind of grade school level maturity is that?

Again, people (especially adults) should mind their own damn business.

This is as much about culture/tradition and the large influx of triathletes into the open water swim community over the past few years. People don't like change and a large group of newcomers who aren't familiar with culture/tradition of a sport can ruffle feathers.

I make accommodations for triathletes who want to wear wetsuits at open water swims I race direct. Typically, the swims are non-wetsuit if you want to be in the running for prizes but you can wear a wetsuit if you want.

The tradition and culture of open water swimming particularly around the Triple Crown is largely driven by how Capt. Webb (1875) crossed the English Channel with minimal support and without a wetsuit. There was another swimmer that completed the crossing before Webb, but he used buoyancy. Webb was the first successful un-aided crossing and that's where the tradition started.

The Triple Crown is a large undertaking. It is 3 swims - The Catalina Channel Swim, The Manhattan Island Marathon Swim (20 Bridges) and the English Channel. I'm currently working with an athlete who is going to try to complete the Triple Crown (currently less than 300 people) over the next few years. He got his slot for the English Channel in 2025, he'll swim MIMS this summer and Catalina next summer. But to be recognized as completing the Triple Crown they are all non-wetsuits swims. For most of them you have to have a validated swim of 6 hours in water temps of 60 or less without a wetsuit. There is training and adaptation (brown fat) that needs to happen for you to be successful. That's part of where the ruffled feathers are coming from with athletes who want to wear wetsuits.

I hope this helps and if you have any questions, please let me know.

Tim

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http://www.magnoliamasters.com
http://www.snappingtortuga.com
http://www.swimeasyspeed.com

I was surprised at both the small number of us wearing wetsuits in Santa Cruz last summer, and the lack of clear enforcement. We (wetsuit-wearers) were kinda treated as 'just some other people in the water' with no awards even though we were under the Master's swimming temp limit for mandatory wetsuits. And the top two guys in the longer race were wearing either full-length pants (not category I-legal) or a shoulder-to-knee swimskin (if it had a zipper then also not category-I) and neither were even inspected for being within the rules.

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It's comical how people think they are tough in their own bubbles. Where I come from, you could get your teeth knocked out bragging to the wrong crowd and acting tough for swimming in just your speedos. People go out of their way to belittle others so they can feel better about themselves. It's the main characteristic of a coward, who likely didn't succeed in other facets of life. Keep your head down and continue to do what you love, the way you enjoy it. If someone says something about not toughing out the cold, just make fun of their small wiener (99% chance of major shrinkage, on top of a small one anyway). Also a 99% chance the guy making fun of people is an old white man who is divorced, likely due to his small package.

Can we get a few pictures of your birthday suit at work?

There's absolutely no irony in this post at all.

I am not sure experience bears this out. There is 100% chance of shrinkage in water below 15 degrees (not 99)

To add a little info to the discussion: Swimming-induced pulmonary oedema is a thing

In my particular case: In competition, if allowed, I always wear a wetsuit.


When training I always wear it. And a buoy. Not just for me, but also for my family.

You wear a pull buoy and a wetsuit when out swimming OW? I have heard of wetsuit and flippers but I've never seen or heard of that.

I think he meant a sighting buoy. One of those bright orange things. I never do open ocean swims without one either.

Hello All,

https://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/...-km-antarctica-swim/

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Cheers, Neal

+1 mph Faster

So, I swam for about 5 years at the Dolphin Club (SF swimming club in Aquatic Park next to Hyde Street Pier) and never used a wetsuit. I guess that qualifies me to opine.

I swim better in a wetsuit as it lifts my hips. Also, not shivering conserves energy. Ergo, I have worn wetsuits for IMs. However, the fit's never perfect, and I feel a bit constricted.

What I did LOVE about swimming in the bay without a wetsuit was simply how it made me feel. It was an amazing way to start your day. Even on the coldest days, the shock of the cold only lasted for 50 meters or so. Then, you just kind of numb out. A quick sauna afterward and I felt like a million bucks. If any of you take cold showers in the morning or after the sauna, you likely know the feeling. Other positives include I could feel the sun warming my back while I swam (Vitamin D!), felt no constraints on my movements, salt water>chlorine pool water, more connected to nature, and the aesthetic of minimalism.

On the downside, hypothermia is real and can sneak up on you. Also, when the seal was nipping swimmers, I got spooked a couple of times when my numb toes brushed together (i.e., "the stranger!").

PS: I could care less what others choose to do and am not concerned with their toughness or penis size. I'm just saying that for me, personally, there's a great experience to be had in cold water swimming with no wetsuit.