Swim Bike Run
Slowtwitch.com
  • Login >
Slowtwitch.com
Search menu
Hot Forum Topics

Poll

Comfort While Cycling
How much does comfort while cycling influence your overall race performance?
View Results


Home > Forum > Triathlon Forum > Open Water swim configuration penalties

Triathlon Forum

Back To ForumPrint Thread

Login required to started new threads

Login required to post replies

Tri
Classifieds
Lavender
Jobs
Notices
Open Water swim configuration penalties
Quote | Reply
strtezbckoff
Mar 22, 19 19:02
Post #1 of 6 (1423 views)
Just curious if the crowd has similar time penalties for different open water swim configs. Or maybe I’m just slow, anyway.
My results, entirely not scientific, are as follows.
Westsuit only, fresh water, baseline, 1:18/100 yards. I’m 1:16 in the pool. Doesn’t change.
Wetsuit plus swim buoy, -2 seconds.
SwimSkin, -4 seconds
No wetsuit, - 4 seconds.
Add +/-2 for salt vs. fresh, and swell/no swell. Current not a factor, assuming half one way, half the other.
I’m in Maui right now,and am no wetsuit, plus swim buoy and swell. -7 seconds.
I see these numbers consistently enough to believe I’m not alone.
Thoughts?
Only those who risk going too far can find out how far they can go...
Quote Reply
Re: Open Water swim configuration penalties [strtezbckoff] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
ericmulk
Mar 22, 19 21:24
Post #2 of 6 (1331 views)
strtezbckoff wrote:
Just curious if the crowd has similar time penalties for different open water swim configs. Or maybe I’m just slow, anyway.
My results, entirely not scientific, are as follows.
Westsuit only, fresh water, baseline, 1:18/100 yards. I’m 1:16 in the pool. Doesn’t change.
Wetsuit plus swim buoy, -2 seconds.
SwimSkin, -4 seconds
No wetsuit, - 4 seconds.
Add +/-2 for salt vs. fresh, and swell/no swell. Current not a factor, assuming half one way, half the other.
I’m in Maui right now,and am no wetsuit, plus swim buoy and swell. -7 seconds.
I see these numbers consistently enough to believe I’m not alone.
Thoughts?

Are you sure you've got all of your + and - signs right??? Also, what do you mean by swim buoy??? Are you talking about the pull buoy??? But you would not use the PB in OW, would you??? Further, are you saying your "baseline" pace in the pool in a wetsuit is 1:16:/100 yd??? Or is 1:16 sans wettie in the pool??? Also, what do you mean by "baseline pace" in the pool??? Is this the pace you can hold for 100s on the 1:30, or your pace for a straight 2000 or 3000 yd swim??? In summary, your post is very confusing. :)

"Anyone can be who they want to be IF they have the HUNGER and the DRIVE."
Quote Reply
Re: Open Water swim configuration penalties [ericmulk] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
strtezbckoff
Mar 22, 19 22:14
Post #3 of 6 (1302 views)
Sorry,too much Maui brewing beer this week!
I use a safety buoy when swimming alone. A large, inflatable buoy that I tow behind me. Very common is open water here in Washington State.
Yes, my post was a bit vague. Guess I’m just seeing large swings in my pace, and sort of have the idea of what’s causing that. Don’t care too much, as I’m pretty consistent on my race day.
Just seeing if others notice as much of a difference when swimming in different conditions.
Cheers,
Only those who risk going too far can find out how far they can go...
Quote Reply
Re: Open Water swim configuration penalties [strtezbckoff] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
monty
Mar 23, 19 7:42
Post #4 of 6 (1170 views)
ITs pretty simple really, a good fitting wetsuit is going to make you a lot faster, FOP swimmers 6 to 8 seconds a 100, MOP and BOP will get more depending on how slow they started out and a couple other factors. You sound like you are in the more category, so should be looking for at least 10 second a 100 drop with a wetsuit on.

Swim skins give up to 4 seconds per 100, but there again, the faster you swim, the less the time advantage per 100.

These are universal gains, so if you are getting something different, then you have something wrong going on, and that will be your job to figure out what that is..
Quote Reply
Re: Open Water swim configuration penalties [monty] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
strtezbckoff
Mar 23, 19 9:09
Post #5 of 6 (1110 views)
Thanks.
I’m an FOP swimmer, at least for my ag. Haven’t quite seen that much time difference with a wetsuit, and I use the Maverick X. I try to use very little fitness on the swim, so maybe I’m just sandbagging and don’t realize I could push harder.
Glad to see others have large times swings as well.
Cheers,

Rick
Only those who risk going too far can find out how far they can go...
Quote Reply
Re: Open Water swim configuration penalties [strtezbckoff] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
monty
Mar 23, 19 9:24
Post #6 of 6 (1100 views)
I think your big problem is looking for time differences in a race or OW. If you "really" want to know how much faster a wetsuit is for you, go to a pool and just do a swim test with and without it. No sandbagging, keep the effort levels the same for both, then report back how much faster you are. Sounds like it should be at least 8 seconds a 100..

Then you won't have to worry about all this other stuff that is so much harder to measure, you just know you are faster, and leave it at that...
Quote Reply
Back To ForumPrint Thread

Our Partners

transition-DOT-area-AT-slowtwitch-DOT-com

Advertise with us

©1999-2024 Slowtwitch, Inc., and Slowtwitch.com
Reproduction of material from any Slowtwitch.com page
without written permission is strictly prohibited.