I like to wear buoyancy shorts in wetsuit legal swims when temps are 75f or above (no upper body buoyancy top), and typicality wear a wetsuit in temps below that. Practicing with the shorts in a 79f pool, I didn’t experience any overheating. I’m suggesting that USAT allow the use of (Lava shorts or similar above the knee shorts) up to 80f and still allow eligibility for awards. It’s minor, but it provides for an additional option for those who choose to take it.
Why? And to who are you suggesting this rule change to?
‘I didn’t experience any overheating’ sounds extremely entitled and self centered. Did you take any measurements or have any other scientific reasoning for feeling like you didn’t overheat? How long was the session and did you bike or run afterwards?
The way the post is worded also sounds like your main concern is buoyancy. Would you be fine if they didn’t take up your suggestion but instead allowed using pull buoys to aid in your quest for buoyancy?
As a former pull buoy addict speaking to you as a current floaty pants addict i suggest you get help :). ive been clean for over a year and never felt better
So we want to give yet another accommodation so people can arrive at swim starts even less prepared than they already do?
What is the point of your suggestion except to give those who have not worked hard enough in the pool to.improve their swim mechanics a chance to win chase arbitrary age group awards?
The constant chasing of " success" without truly putting in the work required to achieve it drives me crazy.
Just constantly watering down the competition
Its time to end the assisted era. no more wetsuits. Yes, I use one only because I cant handle cold water. That being said, what product out there keeps your body warm for the swim but with out detering or improving performance?
On one hand I agree with the OP that anything to help people be more comfortable swimming that’s better.
On the other hand, the competitive dynamic will end up with everyone wearing them so as not to lose an advantage.
It’s entirely reasonable to simply make the assisted swimmers ineligible for awards/slots.
huh? is a wetsuit not enough buoyancy already?
okay they should have a wave where you go after everyone else and wear whartever equipment you like - fins floaty pants paddles snorkel wetsuit and whatever other exogenous swimming implement you can find. they do that in ows races tbh. but you are competing in that category only and its a bit shameful to win it
I’ve noticed a distinct change in responses to any thread on ST that doesn’t ‘appeal’ to some of the members. There were disgusting threads on the recent swim deaths post, and with other posts. This site use to be an example of civility in discussion (with a minority of snarky answers). Now it’s basically the triathlon equivalent of Letsrun.
As a former pull buoy addict speaking to you as a current floaty pants addict i suggest you get help :). ive been clean for over a year and never felt better
They’re great to swim in, but terrible for improving your swim. I’ve helped get a couple of guys clean. I swam in them for 18 months recovering from a shoulder injury and was down to swimming 1.12-1.14min/100m pace, swimming in the fast lane thinking I was the bees knees. Took them off and I was a good 10s slower per 100. They’ll make you 5/6s quicker per 100m, but I’d stopped kicking, wasn’t driving from the hips, terrible body position etc I’d literally forgotten how to swim hence the 10+ second drop.
okay they should have a wave where you go after everyone else and wear whartever equipment you like - fins floaty pants paddles snorkel wetsuit and whatever other exogenous swimming implement you can find.//
Ha ha!! You should come and do the La Jolla Cove 10 mile relay. 5 member teams who each swim twice through the surf and in. The open category is strictly skin, but for all of the age group divisions, it is anything goes. Fins, wetsuits, paddles, buoys, snorkels, anything not motorized. Years ago I did the paddles and buoy, but then switched to wetsuit and paddles. One year I put on fins too, but actually went slower, so ditched them. It is super fun and a great workout. And usually in the past few years there has been substantial surf, since they moved out of the flat cove course.
Funny thing is that even with all the gear, I’m still a bit slower than the fast scratch guys, except on the first swim if I get to lead off. That is the best position, as you get to draft from the gun if you can hang on, but for the next 9 legs it is basically solo swimming for everyone…
I’ve noticed a distinct change in responses to any thread on ST that doesn’t ‘appeal’ to some of the members. There were disgusting threads on the recent swim deaths post, and with other posts. This site use to be an example of civility in discussion (with a minority of snarky answers). Now it’s basically the triathlon equivalent of Letsrun.
There’s still a lot of civility in discussion here. There’s some negativity in your responses but the majority of thoughts here seem to be confused why and upset that you want to weaken the difficulty of the swim.
So I’ll ask again, why?
You should know there are some sacred cows that we do not sacrifice in triathlon and one of them is the advantage of swimmers who swam as youth, at some point received good coaching, have convenient pool access and/or somehow manage to deal with the mindless work required to swim fast. Those people do not want to give up their advantage and they will vociferously attack any suggestion that could narrow that advantage.
This despite the fact that we are allowed to spend thousands of dollars to make the bike leg easier and quicker. It does not make much sense but someone at some point arbitrarily decided we can gain advantages on the bike, but not on the swim. The ‘swim lobby’ will never allow anything that makes swimming more accessible to the masses and thereby reduce their advantage.
Of course, they will argue that anyone can swim fast if they X, Y, or Z, but the same could be applied to the bike. If you took away all the aero goodies we use for cycling then the bike leg would be longer and harder for everyone. Which is what swimmers want; the swim to be longer and harder for everyone to make the most of their advantage. It would not be that hard, or expensive to make a backless/vented/cooler wetsuit that would increase buoyancy and safety, even in warmer water, but again, the powers-that-be-have decided swimming must be "pure.’ This is me, laughing at the hypocrisy of it.
Be careful of suggesting any advantage to even things out with the swimmers, you will be attacked as weak, lazy or mocked for your lack of form or a dozen other things I’ve read on this forum. If you can’t be like them, you don’t deserve to be competitive.
Why? And to who are you suggesting this rule change to?
‘I didn’t experience any overheating’ sounds extremely entitled and self centered. Did you take any measurements or have any other scientific reasoning for feeling like you didn’t overheat? How long was the session and did you bike or run afterwards?
The way the post is worded also sounds like your main concern is buoyancy. Would you be fine if they didn’t take up your suggestion but instead allowed using pull buoys to aid in your quest for buoyancy?
Geezus, so much wrong with this response I don’t know where to start, but basically is a perfect example of everything that is wrong with the internet. Reminds of a guy I used to know…Wayne Kerr
spend thousands of dollars on pool entries and then come back and tell me your swim is not easier and quicker :). oh no now the swim cabal are about to expel me from their ranks for letting out one of the secrets
sounds like you let your addiction get to an advanced state! 10 seconds per 100 for a guy who can already get up and down the pool is massive. i was lucky I got the treatment i needed sooner. i was more in the 3-5 seconds range. i never really knew what driving from the hips meant until i was off the pb - now I can definitely feel that tension along the band below the belly button. and i went from a 2 beat kicker to a 4 beat (not a powerful kick) but enough to get things happening through my hips. sounds like pb anonymous here
that event sounds like a load of fun. bring your gear or fudge off your mates to try a few things out on the day. paddles and wetsuit with a wrist strap to keep them on in a bit of chop is a great way to go about your business!
So we want to give yet another accommodation so people can arrive at swim starts even less prepared than they already do?
What is the point of your suggestion except to give those who have not worked hard enough in the pool to.improve their swim mechanics a chance to win chase arbitrary age group awards?
The constant chasing of " success" without truly putting in the work required to achieve it drives me crazy.
Just constantly watering down the competition
Just what triathlon needs…
Equity
Not fast in swimming? You get an Yamaha outboard.
Not fast on the bike? A Kawasaki for you.
Not a runner? An electric scooter for you
WORK is a four letter word, and is so like out dated
I think this reasoning is a bit backward. Wetsuits aren’t banned above a certain temperature because of the threat of overheating, they’re allowed below a certain temperature because of the threat of the water being too cold.
I’d probably find some way to argue your case if I wasn’t one of those who are much slower with a pull buoy, and have a hard time not kicking up in the air with a wetsuit on.
I like to wear buoyancy shorts in wetsuit legal swims when temps are 75f or above (no upper body buoyancy top), and typicality wear a wetsuit in temps below that. Practicing with the shorts in a 79f pool, I didn’t experience any overheating. I’m suggesting that USAT allow the use of (Lava shorts or similar above the knee shorts) up to 80f and still allow eligibility for awards. It’s minor, but it provides for an additional option for those who choose to take it.
Why? If it’s a wetsuit legal swim and you want buoyancy, just wear a wetsuit. If you find a wetsuit too warm, get a sleeveless one. I’m not 100% on the rules but guessing you could even wear a sleeveless shortie wetsuit if you wanted (Lucy Charles cut her wetsuit to the knee in a race once).