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I recently purchased a Predator 2. I wore it for the first time this weekend in a race (yeah, a mistake, I found that out; I should have practiced a few time, but I don't have good access to fresh water, and I couldn't bear putting it in a chlorine pool). 100 yards in to the race, I began feeling like I was being choked. I couldn't catch my breath.
Fortunately, I was able to swim over to a kayaker, remove my wetsuit, and keep on going without a significant delay.
I had the feeling after I started swimming that it crept up on my neck. (yes, that could be just a psychological feeling, as opposed to having actually occurred; I can't say for sure either way). I had no issue with the wetsuit in the 2 -3 times I put in on before race day, nor before I entered the water on race day.
I bought the recommended size. The suit is definitely tight when putting it on, but I move around without any difficulty. I'm almost positive it fits correctly. The only thing that could affect it is that I have good size shoulders, back and arms; not real big, but bigger than most people my size.
Any ideas on what may have gone wrong? Yeah, it could have been psychological, but I don't think it was. Any suggestions on overcoming this problem?
Thanks
Hi,
It's a matter of learning how to put the wetsuit on properly. You need to make sure that you have really pulled the suit up as far as you can.
have a read of the instructions at
http://www.bikesportmichigan.com/features/wetsuit.shtml
about how to get the suit on and comfortable.
Cheers
dt.
I clearly remember the first time I jumped out of a helicopter into the water with all my equipment on. I had seen this done on TV many times and thought "That is so cool, someday, when I join the Army, I want to jump out of a helicopter and land in the water like those frogmen on TV." The first time I did it I was TERRIFIED. The helicopter was too loud, I couldn't hear anything, the chopper was screaming loud, my wetsuit was choking me and crushing my balls (it was one of those old school ones with the crotch flap, I was wearing what felt like 100 pounds of gear (actually about 15 pounds not counting my rifle)and when I looked out the helicopter all I could see was rotor wash. We could have been 200 feet off the water for all I knew. The jumpmaster pointed out the door and his mouth made the shape of a guy screaming "GO!". All I could hear was jet engine and my brain telling me "You're going to die now!". I slid off the floor of the hovering helicopter into space and fell for about a week. I hit the water like a ton of bricks and sunk about ten feet. I was thinking, "OK, I'm dead... This didn't work." Then I popped up to the surface, the helicopter flew away and I was bobbing up and down with my four buddies. We swam over to our rubber boat (also dropped from the helo) and got in just like they tought us. When I got in the boat I was like, "WHOA! COOL! I'm one of those guys on TV in the 'Join the Army' commercials!" To this day I remember how scary it was an how convinced I was going to die. I also remember how cool it was. Two months later I was 100% Ok with doing it at night into rough water with more equipment. It actually became fun. The moral? Training will get you accustomed to your wetsuit. You'll get used to it. Put some Bodyglide on your neck and be sure you put your suit on correctly and go out to a shallow swimming area and try it again. Keep at it until you're comfortable. You'll get it down. Keep up the good work!
Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com
Last edited by:
Tom Demerly: Apr 28, 03 9:49
I used a wetsuit for the first time Saturday. It fit real snug. The gun went off and I started the swim. My heartrate was probably off the scale. Soon I noticed my arms were getting tired from working against the suit; then I couldn't breathe right. I thought I'm going to have a full fledged panic attack right in the middle of the lake. So I began to use the breast stroke, and to my surprise about 75 yards later I caught my breath and could swim again. I could see how the wetsuit made me faster because I was catching some swimmers ahead of me. My big problem is that I'm no good at fighting for space. Every time I touched somebody, I put my head up to see what's going on.
Bottom line, I made it. I think it's a matter of getting used to it. It was better than swimming bare skinned in 61 degree water.