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Wetsuit question / Swimming oddity
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I am looking at getting my first wetsuit. I have never raced in one. I tried an open water swim in a borrowed early generation wetsuit in 1990 and didn't like it but I imagine things are much better now.

Here is my dilemma. Unlike most of you, I am significantly slower with a pull bouy than without, even with paddles. At least 10 seconds per 100. I come from a swimming background. At my peak I was a 1500 meter freestyle specialist with pbs that were good enough to be competitive at a national and university level. I do a crossover two beat kick that looks like I am barely kicking. However, I have never been able to swim fast with a pull bouy.

I can't figure out why I am slower with a pull bouy. I am afraid that putting on a wetsuit will alter my body position in the same way and actually slow me down. Any ideas, suggestions for wetsuits?

Thanks in advance.

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"which is like watching one of your buddies announce that he's quitting booze and cigarettes, switching to a Vegan diet and training for triathalons ... but he's going to keep snorting heroin." Bill Simmons, ESPN
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Re: Wetsuit question / Swimming oddity [Yarf] [ In reply to ]
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My stroke is very similar to yours. 2 beat kick, if that, more like a wiggle then a kick...I'm guessing you probable have a long catchup stroke too. I use to do the cross over, but not its just 2 beat.

I use to have the same problem of being slower with bouys and paddles. Everyone would be passing me on those sets. I found that because my cross over kick was eliminated with the bouys, my stroke completely changed. I didn't role enough. My biggest problem was my hips were staying flat, cause my legs were staying straight. Anyways....

...I had a orca speedsuit, the only think I didn't like was the lack of flexibility in the shoulders, it changed my stroke too much. This year I upgraded to the QR superfull. Only swam in it twice in the pool, but so far doesn't seem to change my stroke at all....I'll know more at the end of the month when I do my first tri in it. Oh, and DISTANCE RULES!

-bcreager
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Re: Wetsuit question / Swimming oddity [Yarf] [ In reply to ]
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I'm no swimming coach, but it appears your crossover kick is the culprit. In essence, you may counter-rotate each stroke rather than rotate.....

Not a bad gig if you're fast, although my coach would have a stroke if I showed a large enough scissor to cross over.

Then again, I may be reading your post incorrect.
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Re: Wetsuit question / Swimming oddity [Yarf] [ In reply to ]
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any other ideas on good wetsuits?

____________________________________________

"which is like watching one of your buddies announce that he's quitting booze and cigarettes, switching to a Vegan diet and training for triathalons ... but he's going to keep snorting heroin." Bill Simmons, ESPN
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Re: Wetsuit question / Swimming oddity [Yarf] [ In reply to ]
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I would think that you'd be best off getting whatever wetsuit fits you best and then doing enough practice swims that you figure out how to get the same body position you are used to. You will jsut have to kick like you always do as opposed to not kick like with the pull-buoy. The one thing you could do is cut the legs fairly short to eliminate a little bit of the extra flotation...
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