Racing TX 70.3. Live in New England. Just curious if you swim in the pool before a race with wetsuit, I never have.
What say you?
Depends on how well prepared you want to be. If you want to do everything to make your race work, you’ll do it. If you think it’s stupid or don’t want to, you wont.
No I think it’s smart. Usually I am outdoors but it’s too cold. Wasn’t sure if I’d look like a dumbie in the pool With my wetsuit.
Thanks
When I first got a wetsuit, I did try it out in our (tiny backyard) pool – I’m glad I did, because I get a little short of breath from the compression and that’s something I needed to deal with before race day. That said, as race prep, I would try to find some open water to practice in before the 70.3. That way you get back into the feeling of the wetsuit, water temperature, waves, etc. before you add the rowdy crowd. That’s going to be a priority for me before my 70.3 in June – but then I’m still pretty new to the sport, so perhaps someone with more experience wouldn’t need it so much.
Will you look like an idiot? I’d probably say yes, if you are worried about being looked at, getting some crazy stares. But this is about you preparing yourself to the best of your ability.
Should have put in pink.
My bad.
I wouldn’t do it regularly - my sense is chlorine is awful for wetsuits - and make sure you rinse it thoroughly afterward. But do it once and get used to the feel? Sure. You will look like a dork, but all of us look like dorks so I wouldn’t worry about it.
I’m also in the NE and I will usually wear it but only for a few 100s. You will definitely overheat if you wear it for an entire workout.
Get in and get a feel for the suit but don’t overdue it. Make sure you rinse the suit in the shower after bc chlorine will dry out the rubber.
I can’t imagine you doing the entire workout in the wetsuit, you’ll most likely overheat. You most definitely should try the wetsuit in the water for a longish swim. Not only will it give you a feel for it but you might also discover some surprises that would be bad on the race day. The zipper in one of the suits I got rubbed my neck and it became obvious in the first 500 yards. I overlooked it and decided to race in it anyway. By the end of an Olympic distance swim I had a bleeding sore on my neck.
I swim in an outdoor unheated 50m pool. Over the winter, the water temps dip as low as 13 degrees C. Pretty nippy. With the wetsuit, hands, feet and ahead aside, all is well.
Great for training and building some extra shoulder strength against the suit. If you are a bad swimmer, it won’t help you develop a better position as the suit will do all the work, perhaps making true improvement more difficult.
As for looks…I don’t get any…at that temperature…I’m the only one in the water. Swim my 4000M in under an hour…rinse my suit down, and off I go. After using the suit roughly four times a week for a total of 8 months over two winters…no issues for me with the suit and chlorine.
Then you could practice both peeing in the wetsuit and peeing in the pool. 2 birds- 1 stone.
Then you could practice both peeing in the wetsuit and peeing in the pool. 2 birds- 1 stone.
Meh, I prefer to wetsuit in the shower. 
I should have said. I have done tons wetsuit swims. I’ve just never jumped in the pool with one. Idk if that changes peoples opinions.
No. But I’ve been wearing wetsuits for a long time. First time users should try it out in open water prior to a race, but a pool is better than nothing.
Timley question. I may not have a chance to open water swim before my first tri. Sounds like wetsuit in pool is better than nothing… (Tri isnt open water either so won’t be too different)
I swam in the indoor pool with my wetsuit just last week. Wanted a refresher on how it felt. I don’t care how dumb I look. I doubt the old folks could see me without their glasses anyways.
FYI: I live in Houston and checked the water temp in the outdoor pool and it was 60 degrees. I just checked and the water temp in Galveston was 59. It is unlikely to warm very much in the next 3 weeks. So it will be a wetsuit swim.
If you use hand paddles, a pull buoy & fins at the same time in your normal workouts, by all means go ahead & swim in your wetsuit in a pool.
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