if the rash appeared very soon after she used the suit for the first time she might be allergic to the material itself. i don't know what she can do to the suit but maybe she can see a doctor and ask for an anti-histamine (anti-allergy medication). Preferably one that is non-sedating.

Kim

The antihistamine may (?) help the itching, but it is unlikely to help the rash. She can try greasing up to protect the skin. She may even try a steroid ointment (not cream..the ointment is vaseline based) to protect the skin and decrease the chance of the rash. A different material, if one is available, may help. If neoprene is latex based, and I think it is; she is likely allergic to latex. A total body rash guard might help???? May plastic bags on her arms and legs, inside the suit, might help.

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Dick

Take everything I say with a grain of salt. I know nothing.

First off, I have little experience/history with wetsuits and can't answer to the original question. Howerver, my first thought was an allergic skin reaction. A common reaction to natural latex (obtained from rubber trees) is contact dermititis. There is no real cure for that. Surgeons who aquire the response either find non-latex gloves or stop operating. That's the bad news.

Better news is that neoprene is a synthetic rubber, not latex. Either the proteins present in latex produced by the rubber tree, or the additives (some rather nasty vulcanizing agents on occasion) used to cure the latex are believed to cause the allergic response. Neoprene doesn't have the proteins and uses far less chemical additives. I have not heard of allergic responses such as contact dermititis to neoprene, but then again, I am not an allergist specialist or a dermatologist.

My suspicion would be directed to contamination of the suit itself. Perhaps a mold release is used in manufacturing the neoprene and was not washed off before release from the manufacturer. I would recommend thoroughly washing the suit before using it again. If the irritation response continues, I would also suggest a visit to an allergist to check for sensitivity to neoprene. One more cavet, the newer suits tend to be multilayered with different surfaces to speed removal etc. You would need to confirm that the inner wetsuit is actually neoprene for the allergist.

All in all, I don't think I have progressed you any closer to the real answer. Sorry.

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Behold the turtle! He makes progess only when he sticks his neck out. (James Bryant Conant)
GET OFF THE F*%KING WALL!!!!!!! (Doug Stern)
Brevity is the soul of wit. (William Shakespeare)

Thanks to everyone on the in-put. I have gotten some interesting things to consider from the USAT Coaches forum as well. I am going to go today and test the pH of the water at the pool that we are using. On Wednesday night I was crying my eyes out on the pool deck because the fumes were so strong. I also have a message out to the rest of the group if they have experienced the same burning rash. We are going to get to the bottom of this and I will keep everyone updated.

Coach Liz

Allergies to neoprene or other wetsuit fabric are rare but do exist. The symptoms you describe sound exactly lke that. I have no idea what a person in that position does for a wetsuit.

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com