Most of the tri’s in my area are mid-summer (Oly and Sprint) so wetsuits are not required/allowed. Our first local 1/2 IM came to fruition last year and I hope to do it this Sept. It will be a wetsuit event. In view of that, I picked up a Vortex III off classified and took it for a test swim over Thanksgiving where I was staying at a lake. It did not go very well to say the least. Here are my comments/questions.
I used it on the “warm” side of a lake that has a power plant in the middle. The warm side is slightly “warmer” this time of year but not warm by any means. By way of comparison, in my last OW race the water was 74 and it was balmy, by my standards. I was super relaxed. This lake was just cold. The suit was comfortable up to my chest but when I dove in to start the swim, what ensued can best be described as sheer panic. I could NOT catch my breath. Every breath was labored and erratic. My head stung and I was flailing. I had my son follow me in a kayak in case I had to bail. I labored through about 1/4 mile and it was pure struggle. I was able to calm some but never was able to find my “pool groove.” I stopped after 1/4 mile and returned to shore. As I swam back my feet were going numb and my breathing was desperate again. I made it back but it was UGLY.
I did not have a temp gauge but I would guess the water was between 55-60 (based on my experience with 50 degree water in SoCal).
Questions:
Is that just too cold for a tri wetsuit?
**Is what I experienced normal in OW swims that allow wetsuits? If so, what can I do to relax more? ** That seemed to be my biggest issue. I could not tell if the labored breathing was the constriction of the wetsuit or the cold, or possibly both. **Thoughts? **
For comparison, I normally swim 1.0-1.5 miles (1:40 100 splits) in my pool training swims so endurance and effort is not an issue normally. But I was completely wasted at the end of that .5 mile in the lake and I’d guess I swam 2:30+ splits in the lake.
I think you were hyperventilating because it was #1 cold, #2 you were not used to the feeling of constriction of a wetsuit and #3 , #’ 1 and 2 caused the panic / hyperventilating. Go back and try again , slow down, try to relax and get your breathing under control. Swim as slow as possible at first and acclimate.
Been there , done this. It happens a lot if your not used to it.
Sounds completely typical & normal. Don’t let it get to you, keep trying!
Don’t go try it alone, but keep at it, you WILL get more used to it. Go with good swimmers if you can, but also go with people patient enough to understand. I’ve helped some OW newbies through this phase (and now they are more confident in open water) but I have also tried to help a few who eventually just gave up on OW, or at least cold water (sub 60) altogether. It’s a real struggle for some people, even some solid swimmers … As for the temp, there is WORLD of difference between 55 & 65+. It’s good to try cold water, but it is also what scares many people away. Good luck!
I think you were hyperventilating because it was #1 cold, #2 you were not used to the feeling of constriction of a wetsuit and #3 , #’ 1 and 2 caused the panic / hyperventilating. Go back and try again , slow down, try to relax and get your breathing under control. Swim as slow as possible at first and acclimate.
Been there , done this. It happens a lot if your not used to it.
Thanks! I figured it was hyperventilating. I’ve water skied before in upsate NY in the early spring and experienced the same kind of feeling when I jumped in the lake. My biggest question is am I possibly swimming in water that is just too cold? Suit was fine until I put my head in. That’s when in got hard (stinging, really cold ears, etc). Should I wait until the spring and try it in warmer water? The fact that my feet went almost completely numb on the way back made me think it was just too cold for my first OW WS swim. I don’t want to keep trying and end up regressing.
Warmer water will def help. Don’t freak out about this. Stinging ears and numb feet mean really cold water. I’m surprised you didn’t report nausea also.
A tri wetsuit is good to about 60 deg. I’ve done races as low as 52 in SF Bay in a tri wetsuit, but it’s not fun.
Some tips:
When you first get in the water it will be hard to breathe and you lungs will feel like they are the size of walnuts. Get in the water for a couple minutes and tread water to get past this before starting hard swimming.
Your feet and hands will get numb, this is normal.
Below 55deg. it is not fun to have your face in the water. Noeprene caps help, but your cheeks will still sting (just gotta HTFU).
The race isn’t until Sept. There will be plenty of time to practice using a wetsuit during the race season when the water temp is a bit less daunting.
A tri wetsuit is good to about 60 deg. I’ve done races as low as 52 in SF Bay in a tri wetsuit, but it’s not fun.
Some tips:
When you first get in the water it will be hard to breathe and you lungs will feel like they are the size of walnuts. Get in the water for a couple minutes and tread water to get past this before starting hard swimming.
Your feet and hands will get numb, this is normal.
Below 55deg. it is not fun to have your face in the water. Noeprene caps help, but your cheeks will still sting (just gotta HTFU).
The race isn’t until Sept. There will be plenty of time to practice using a wetsuit during the race season when the water temp is a bit less daunting.
Thanks for this feedback. I did not tread at all. The lake has a shallow run so you have to walk out quite a ways to get to deep enough water. Good to know that I’m not a super wuss - just a moderate wuss. I’ll be back up at the lake over the New Years. Maybe I’ll try it again if the weather is unseasonably warm like last year.
Im no expert or anything but spent alot of time in my parents pool this spring (un heated at the time) getting used to my wetsuit (plus I was too cheap to go to the local indoor pool). Water was 8-10 celcius (less than 50F) and I was ok as long as I wore a scuba diving hood. I could swim for an hour easy, though my feet and hands were pissed with me. With no hood, I could only get through maybe 5 minutes. My head would feel like it was being crushed in a vice in no time
If you are determined to swim in really cold water, give the diving wetsuit hood a shot, they are cheap and warm.
Im no expert or anything but spent alot of time in my parents pool this spring (un heated at the time) getting used to my wetsuit (plus I was too cheap to go to the local indoor pool). Water was 8-10 celcius (less than 50F) and I was ok as long as I wore a scuba diving hood. I could swim for an hour easy, though my feet and hands were pissed with me. With no hood, I could only get through maybe 5 minutes. My head would feel like it was being crushed in a vice in no time
If you are determined to swim in really cold water, give the diving wetsuit hood a shot, they are cheap and warm.
I Googled a hood on the Xterra size (seeing that’s the wetsuit I have) but nothing came up. Any recommendations for hoods or booties? Does it really matter or are the accessories basically all the same?
At the rate I’m buying cold water gear, I’ll be diving for gold in the Bering Sea in December with Shawn Pomrenke. :o)
Find a scuba shop instead of looking at a tri site. http://www.scubagearcanada.ca/hoods
I cheaped out and just borrowed a buddies old one and just let it hang over top of my wetsuit though I am sure you could tuck it in if you needed (I never bothered).
A tri wetsuit is good to about 60 deg. I’ve done races as low as 52 in SF Bay in a tri wetsuit, but it’s not fun.
Some tips:
When you first get in the water it will be hard to breathe and you lungs will feel like they are the size of walnuts. Get in the water for a couple minutes and tread water to get past this before starting hard swimming.
Your feet and hands will get numb, this is normal.
Below 55deg. it is not fun to have your face in the water. Noeprene caps help, but your cheeks will still sting (just gotta HTFU).
The race isn’t until Sept. There will be plenty of time to practice using a wetsuit during the race season when the water temp is a bit less daunting.
That’s been my experience too. I have to get used to the cold water or it’s tough to breathe. I have friends that can swim in that water without a wetsuit, don’t know how they do it.
Swimming wetsuits aren’t generally temperature rated.
In my experience the cold water is entirely a personal thing. As it has been said above, I swim with plenty of people in the OW throughout the year that refuse to wear a wetsuit, even in low 50 degree water. One of them even has license plates that say “nowtsuit”.
Plainly stated, anything below 60 degrees is going to be cold no matter what. The best thing you can do is allow your body to adapt, and to protect it from the cold where you can.
My suggestion would be to get ease in at first, and then get in and get moving. Or get in and just get completely underwater. The point being to let your body adapt. Yes, it is going to be very cold at first. Just keep moving. The hyperventilating probably was the shock to your system with the cold water. The more you get in, the better off you will be. But don’t do it alone. Always swim with someone else in open water. Especially when it is really cold.
As for gear, first a neoprene cap, or an insulated cap (polyurethane coated) is a good start. Then a silicone cap over top of that. Your body tends to lose warmth fastest from your head. Keep that warm and you’ll be much better off.
I won’t say that booties and gloves are a bad idea, but be prepared for your kick and pull to be a little less effective with these on.
Thanks for all the helpful advice and perspective, ST’ers. I’m committed to stick at it. With all the advice given above I did what all noobs do, I Googled “why?” Found this link. Guy seems reputable. Anyone vouch for him and/or what he is saying?
I KNOW the next time I go into the water I’m going to be super nervous, based on my first trial. That will only ensure heightened anxiety. I want to do all I can to adjust properly.
Your experience is 100% expected. I’d actually be surprised if you didn’t feel that way with cold water + wetsuit.
The key to avoiding the hyperventilation next time out - spend a good 5-10 minutes prerace in the water, with plenty of face under time. You’ll hyperventilate then, but come race time, you’ll be good to go. It makes all the difference for cold water swims, where it’s a normal reaction to hyperventilate to cold water.
The wetsuit tightness never real goes away but you do get more used to it the more you practice in it. Coupled with the less feeling of hyperventilation if you get in the water early, you’ll probably have no problems with a few more OWS-wetsuit under your belt.
You don’t need to make it more complicated than it is - you had a normal experience, and it’ll get better the next time out, especially if you get some pre-swim time in the water. Good luck!