Last night, I wore my full wetsuit for the first time. I’d never worn a full wetsuit before. Afterwards, it was a struggle to get the thing off, particularly the legs. I have a few questions now.
If someone knows what he/she is doing, how long does it typically take to remove a full wetsuit?
How does one practice removing a full wetsuit? Do people actually remove the thing, then put the soaking wet suit back on, then remove it again? Or, do people just use it a lot so they get plenty of opportunities to remove it after a workout?
Besides putting Body Glide on one’s lower legs, are there any techniques that make wetsuit removal faster?
I’ll take a stab at these questions, but people will have their own opinions. A good removal is probably 10 seconds, but I can’t do it that fast (about 20). The key is to get the top half of your suit rolled down to your waist as you run up from the beach. When you get to your bike, you just have to get your legs out. I don’t know if anyone specifically practices taking their wetsuit off, putting it back on, taking it off, etc. Have you ever tried putting on a wet wetsuit? It’s nearly impossible (some speak of “rolling it on”, but I’ve never been able to figure that out). I just practice each time when I get out of the water after a training swim. By the way, it’s MUCH harder in a race when you’ve just swam hard and your head is dizzy and you’re trying to balance on one foot to get the other out…
look for a product like suit juice, its like KY for wetsuits. amazing stuff. that being said. i have worn mine only in races and a handfull of other swims. i can get the top off while running, and the bottom takes about 5-10 sec.
practice getting it off smoothly, and speed will come.
With a bit of practice and following a few key directions a wetsuit should come off fairly quickly right after swimming in about 10 - 20 seconds total.
As you start to stand up to start to stride out of the water reach up and just slightly pull the neck down in front. This will scoop more water inside the suit.
Stand up and start to run out of the water.
Reach back behind your head and un hook the top velcro strap that protects the top of the zipper. With the other hand reach around and grap the pull cord and start to pull the zipper down. Some, with practice can do this all with one arm/hand and in one motion
Pull the top down as you begin to run to the transition and pull each arm out and roll the top down to your waist.
Run like this to your bike.
At your bike, pull the bottom half of the suit down and then pull the legs off either with your hands/arms or buy standing on the suit with one foot and pulling the legs out each on their own.
Variations: At big IM races they have wet suit strippers who will pull the bottom part of your suit off for you. You get the top off then just lie down and two people will pull the rest of the suit off for you and then hand you the suit. For races with long runs from the edge of the water to T1 it maybe better/faster to take the suit completely off at waters edge and then run with the suit off and on your shoulder. I will say this quietly as this could result in chaos if everyone did this. It is faster this way because with the long run to the bike a lot of water will drain out of the suit making it harder to get off at your bike.
Practice makes perfect. If new to the sport and new to wearing a wetsuit while racing, I suggest you find some open water ( or even a pool) and practice this routine as many times as you like until it becomes second nature.
My opinion is you have to get a suit that allow the legs to come out fast. Whether it is the material, how high they are cut, etc.
but it must be fast. I have NEVER used any body glide stuff. IMO, if you need it, one needs a new suit.
I know my aquaman was easy to get the lets out since they were cut a little high.
My new T1 is super easy to get the legs out of also, which I think is the material. I just roll them down, then step on each leg,
pull, and I am out.
I watch so many struggle in T1 trying to get their wet suits off their legs. I just smile as I zipp out.
It really is practice, I agree with what everyone said above (except the taking the suit off at the beach…total chaos!). One other big thing to note, is just to relax, it is a comfort thing, and until you are used to wearing a wetsuit; breathing, swimming, and getting in/out can almost cause a claustrophobic attack!
Once you are relaxed and comfortable in your suit, it shouldn’t be too bad.
My opinion is you have to get a suit that allow the legs to come out fast.
Dave,
Indeed. Key point. Typically it goes well to that point and then the fun begins. However, a manufacturer accomplishes this, it is very important that the legs come off quickly. At Nineteen we believe it is related to using the right sort of material at this critical part of the suit. It is also related to my point #1 in my previous post, in that the more water that is in the suit when you take it off, the easier it will come off. Now too much water in the suit when you are swimming is not a good thing, but when taking it off, it helps. Thus the scooping action just as you exit the water if you can.
I always run to my bike. While I am running, I first take off my T1 top. Then as I am still running, I start to take off the bibs
and roll them down. When I hit T1, I then drop my top, pull my bid the rest of the way down, step on each leg section and pull
once and it is off.
I have never tried a water removal but since I have no issues with my above process, not sure if I would save any time?
Has anyone done it both ways and seen what is faster?
This won’t win you any style or speed points, but it is reliable and less prone to disaster by post-swim dizziness. By the time you get to your bike, the suit should be at or below your waist. Quickly roll it down and use each leg to stand on the suit from the other leg and pull up. I can’t get the suit to roll all the way off, but it’s down to the ankles. Sit down – this assumes you put your cycling shoes on while sitting down, which serious folks won’t do, but it eliminates the chance of falling over onto the bikes while futzing with your shoes. Once seated, just stick a few fingers in the ankle area and the rest of the suit should come right off. Put on cycling shoes, stand up, sunglasses, helmet and outta there.