Get the one that fits, and that you can afford.
Do you have a place to try on wetsuits near you?

Oh yea, buy one from Trizilla.com, they have a great return policy if it doesn't fit. NOT!

---

Team Endurance Nation

I wore a QR Superfull at Steelhead last year. I would certainly suggest it is a wetsuit swim. The water is chilly but not intorlerable . My buddy and I went swimming the day before without wetsuits and it was OK but a trifle nippy.

One thing for sure, the suit makes you faster. Full suit faster than long john suit, substantially.

Something people forget about the difference between a full suit and a sleeveless suit is that, not only are the arms missing on a sleeveless suit, but so is a substantial portion of the back and the chest and the entire shoulder area. That amounts to a lot of bouyancy and hydronamics gone.

A full suit will always be faster if you put it on correctly, Including pulling the sleeves up adequately and being certain the bottom of the suit is pulled up high enough.

When people make comments like, "I thought the arms felt restrictive." what I wager they are really saying is, "I didn't pull the arms and torso up high enough when I put on the suit so the underarm fabric was stretched with each arm extension..."

From my experience (personally swimming in them and selling them) most mistakes with wetsuits are user error from not learning how to use the suit correctly. I clearly remember the first time I swam in a full suit, the Chilly Willy Triathlon in Boca Raton, Florida. I hated it. The arms felt terrible. Quite a while later I was checking into a hotel in British Columbia and the man behind me in line was none other than Keith Simmons of (formerly) Ironman Wetsuits. He gave me an on-the-beach tutorial on proper wetsuit donning and use. It was extremely helpful.

Also, for females a sleeveless suit can sometimes be problematic if they are busty. The wetsuit chest ends right about 2/3rds across their boob and produces an uncomfortable looking and unflattering bulge that has got to be very uncomfortable during the swim.

Anyway, prolly see you at the race girl.

---

Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

I did Steelhead last year without a wetsuit. The water was in the mid 70's which is plenty warm. This is a pretty typical temp for this time of year but the summer water temp on the western shore of Lake Michigan fluctuates quite a bit because the winds move the warm surface water around. It can be fine one day and cold the next depending on the wind direction.

I watched the water temp daily for about 2 weeks before the race and it ranged from the high 50's to 76. I had a link to a beach report just a mile from the start. Search the internet when the race gets closer.

Last year a front went through and the water dropped into the high 50's just a couple of days before the race. It was too late for me to get a wetsuit. I wasn't happy about the thought of swimming in water at that temp but I am a strong swimmer and had no doubt I could handle it, even if it wouldn't be pleasant. But, the water warmed back up.

The water is either going to be in the mid 70's or the low 60's - high 50's. I'd peg the odds of it being cold at about 25%.

Worrying about the water temp was draining so if you can afford it, get a wetsuit unless the possible cold temps don't scare you.

STP's perspective may be better than mine on water temps. Idon't like cold water. Everything below jacuzzi temperature is a wetsuit swim to me. The only place I raced where the water truly felt "warm" was Thailand.

---

Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

Aquaman is the official wetsuit of the Steelhead Triathlon. They will be at the expo with wetsuits, if you want to wait that long to purchase one. See you at the race. Z

Oh, as Tom mentioned, I should point out that now I have a an Aquaman Metal Cell from my friend Emmanuel at Aquaman wetsuits. I like it. I like my QR and my Desoto T1 too. There are a lot of good suits out there now at the high end. They are all a joy to swim in.

More importantly, the sunrise at Steelhead is something to see.

---

Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

How is that you always find a way to work "Boobs" into your posts ;)

Boobs are good.

---

Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

I'll second the wetsuit for Steelhead. I only saw one person without one last year. Get a couple practice swims in beforehand, don't wonder why people are swimming so close together then go off & swim by yourself, and, most importantly on race day, don't forget that the zipper goes in the back!!

When I tried mine out the first time a couple weeks before, the wind was from the East and the water temp was around 55. Not good.

---

king of the road says you move too slow
KING OF THE ROAD SAYS YOU MOVE TOO SLOW

I only saw one person without one last year.

That must have been me! Did you think I looked tough or crazy? Don't answer that.

Another point about the Steelhead and wetsuits is that it is a point to point swim. I think I had at least 45 minutes from when I left the transition area until my swim wave started. Staying warm before the start can be as much of an issue as staying warm during the swim.

The weather was great last year but at 7:00 am even on a nice day it is not exactly bathing suit weather. On a cool rainy morning, a wetsuit would pay for itself long before you even got in the water.

I did my first tri last September (in Michigan). I had a 2 piece bathing suit and a borrowed bike. My friend assured me that there would be plenty of other who just decided to do it on the spur of the moment, like me. NOT! There were only maybe a dozen people without wetsuits, NO ONE else in a little 2 piece suit. I am pretty sure I looked crazy, but maybe everyone was thinking how tough I must be. Not going to be that person again.