A recurring theme in my races this year has been relatively slow T1 times and a lot of this comes down to me seriously struggling to get my wetsuit off. Yes, I lube up but it’s still a huge struggle. At Lifetime Chicago it was probably a 30 second ordeal and at ITU Chicago I literally spent over a minute struggling to get my suit off. This all comes from my suit being fairly tight around my calves/ankles.
One thing I noticed about the elites at ITU Chicago is that they all seemed to have their wetsuits “cut” to about midway on their calves (mine covers my ankles). I’d like to try this. Is there anything I should look for in the construction of my wetsuit to see if this would be a problem? Anything to do after cutting to make sure the suit stays together (add glue somewhere, etc.)? Thanks.
I’ve always cut a couple inches off the ankles of my wetsuits for ease of removal. Easy to cut with a pair of scissors. Never had to glue anything up and haven’t had any problems.
Most wetsuits will have sealed seams for about 4 inches at the bottom of the legs and at the wrists.
I’d advise against cutting your suit beyond these parts unless you have a way of resealing the edge of the seam.
I was just chatting with Emannuel of Aquaman (INCREDIBLE suits by the way…) about this very same thing as my issues are the same as yours. He suggested cutting it up higher also, as it really does very little to keep one war there, and flotation low of the calves is really not needed. I’m getting my shears out soon. If any questions, he’s awesome and has years of experience and knowledge.
Most wetsuits will have sealed seams for about 4 inches at the bottom of the legs and at the wrists.
I’d advise against cutting your suit beyond these parts unless you have a way of resealing the edge of the seam.
This. Turn the suit inside out and look. First few inches are usually just neoprene with a seam running lengthwise. But then you’ll see more seams between different neoprene panels, or a reinforcing piece (they look like stickers) where two or more seams meet. Do not cut at or above these places.
but i have this question: where were you when you took your wetsuit off? i always take mine off immediately after hitting dry, stable land. a wetsuit will dry on the outside in 30 seconds. water is the lubrication when it’s smoothskin against itself as you’re peeling it off like a banana. absent that lube, it’s tough to get it. the rubber does not glide against itself.
you can cut the wetsuit, or you can take it off as you leave the water. yes, as you take off your suit everyone is running away from you. but at some point they’ll have to take off their suits too.
top athletes can cut their suits because they don’t need the float from the knees down. are you that person? just be sure. also, you can cut off a bit, try it, cut a bit more off. you can can’t put it back on after you’ve cut it.
During practice OWSs I’ve experimented with taking the suit off while still in shallow water and also immediately after exiting the water. If I’ve had a rough swim I’ll take the suit off immediately upon hitting dry land as it gives me a second to catch my breath and, as you said, you have to take it off at some point anyways.
No matter the venue it’s a major struggle often taking a minute or more.
I’ll post a picture of the inside of my suit later on to see where I can/can’t cut.
I have large feet, 13 wide, and I chop mine off to mid calf. I can remove it by standing on it and marching in place, while I am putting on my helmet…no hands required once I have it below my waist.
You can cut the suit anywhere, it won’t come apart if you cut above the fabric reinforcements. I have cut mine well above the reinforcements for many years with no problems. The pros all cut them high (mid calf), watch them take the suits off in T1 and its like lightning fast.
Dan, you can’t take the suit down below the waist until you are in transition. That is an ITU rule.
Comparing my swims in a QR quickjohn and a longjohn suit over the years, I have concluded that cutting off 1 inch of wetsuit legs will slow you by 0.1 to 0.2 seconds per 100 meters, really a negligible amount. Cutting a whole 3 inches off would slow you about 4.5-9 sec in a 1500m swim. But you easily could save much more than that sec when you strip it off like a pro.
If you cut above the seam tape, use a dab of wetsuit cement on the seam to keep the stitching from unraveling, or (better) cover a couple inches of the seam with seam tape (if you can find it) or IronMend (easy to find online).
I have an almost 10 year old Desoto T1 two piece and after practice swim I cut a few inches off the bottom for the same reason. Never had any problem with seems or any weakness where I cut it. Comes right off with no problem and clears the timing chips easily. Good luck.
I agree with you; however, at Chicago they made a big, big deal about not removing your wetsuit until you were inside T1. With a 500 yd run to T1, everything was dry by the time we made it to our bikes.
If you have not used it, try Trislide for your ankles. I like Bodyglide for chafe protection and Trislide for wetsuit removal at the wrists and ankles. Noticeably easier for me.
