B70 Swim Socks - good or bad?

Triathlon Forum
1

Just looking for some advice on using neoprene BlueSeventy Swim Socks. I’ve got a cold water race coming up in a couple of weeks (Norseman), and I’m pretty soft as far as water temperature goes… I live and train in lovely warm Asia.

Anyone have any experience with using swim socks? I only picked up a pair recently when I started freaking out about the 13-15 degree C swim, and don’t have any experience with using them…

For what it’s worth I’ve done Alcatraz twice and have been fine without… and that was a cool swim…

Are they likely to be more hassle that they’re worth? And do they add a lot of drag? Or affect the kick?

Thanks for any help,
DTV

2

Used them for Alcatraz this year in March. Happy I had them. Plus they were also great for the .5 mile run to T1. Under 60F and I say yes.

3

They should help with warmth, but a bootie makes your kick slightly less effective.

jake

4

Thanks,
Most appreciated for the responses… I figured they may slow things down a bit… I know it’s all very subjective but is the effect on the kick and drag significant? Or only pretty minor influence?
Appreciated

5

The drag isn’t something I would worry about. They aren’t going to cause that much drag.

My suggestion would be to swim in the bootie’s and see how they effect your kick.

It will make your kick less effective, but it’s hard to say how much it will effect it.

jake

6

The drag isn’t something I would worry about. They aren’t going to cause that much drag.

My suggestion would be to swim in the bootie’s and see how they affect your kick.

It will make your kick less effective, but it’s hard to say how much it will affect it. jake

I would think the neoprene would keep the feet higher and act a bit like like fins, thus helping your kick. I’ve never used them though so just speculating. I have swum in running shoes a few times and my feet seemed higher in the water, probably due to the air entrained in the mesh tops of the shoes. If I were going to do race like Alcatraz having a long run to the bike, I’d just swim in an old pair of running shoes, assuming that would be legal.

7

What is this “kick” you speak of? We are triathletes.

8

a swim specific “sock” isn’t made of very thick neoprene. They do provide some buoyancy, but not much.

To those folks who do kick, I think you will find that the material covering your foot makes your kick less effective.

Running shoes probably do the same.

jake

9

a swim specific “sock” isn’t made of very thick neoprene. They do provide some buoyancy, but not much.

To those folks who do kick, I think you will find that the material covering your foot makes your kick less effective.

Running shoes probably do the same. Jake

Ah, I see, not very thick neoprene. And ya, the running shoes do make my kick less effective, so I could see how the neoprene socks might do the same.

10

I haven’t used BS swim socks but have used another brand for a 5 mi ocean swim. They were a big help.

11

Thanks for all the replies.

For what it’s worth I gave them a try in a (warm) open water swim yesterday. They didn’t slow me down, in fact I might have been marginally faster. I was swimming with friends and did repeats of the same course with and without… or maybe my friends were slowing down to have a look at my feet and laugh at the swim socks in 25C water.

They did feel a little odd at first, same as the first time you swim in a wetsuit I guess, but you get used to them just fine, and they certainly keep the feet warmer. I’d agree that they may affect the ‘natural’ kick, and would probably not help if you were a very strong kicker.

I’ll use them in the race.

Appreciate the advice,
D