Another T1 wetsuit question

I’m getting ready for Gulf Coast next week. The water temps are hovering in the mid to upper 70’s, and the wetsuit cutofff is 78. Assuming the race is wetsuit legal, it will be warm. I am considering wearing only the bottom half of my T1 to make sure I don’t overheat. Has anyone ever tried this? Any problem with drag (water getting into gaps in bib during stroke)?

Tom, I used my T-Dos w/out the top last year(top too small). Worded fine, no scooping. Not as fast, though.

Bob Sigerson

Tom,

I did a 2-mile ocean swim here in La Jolla in my T1 bottom last fall. Very comfortable and I stayed cool.

I am very prone to overheating, and I would definitely skip the top at Gulf Coast. Yes, the full suit is faster by maybe a minute (?) or so – but I would lose ten times that trying to recover from the overheating on the bike.

Tom,

I forgot part of your question – No, I had no sense of drag or water entering the top openings of the suit. It felt fast, and I had no trouble keeping up with the group I was swimming with (all strong swimmers).

I would definitely try it first. I have had a problem with scooping and dragging. I would try it with the top if you can tolerate the heat.