I am working on speeding up taking off a wetsuit. I am curious how fast others can do it? I am talking about the number of seconds AFTER you have pulled it down to your waist.
Probably from this point not much difference between sleeveless and full. Not sure if really much difference with a speedtube. But like to hear what I should be shooting for. Also please specify full, sleeveless, or trunks (Speedtube type).
Most of the races I’ve done have wetsuit strippers. I figure I can’t get it off faster than that,
even with the time “lost” to drop and get back up.
I did notice at SOMA last year when the “Best of the West” or whatever it was, happened
that a lot of the pros were taking theirs off at the bike. I saw a lot of struggling there
and didn’t know if they weren’t allowed to use the strippers or felt it was faster.
-Jot
I can do it in less than 30 seconds I think from fully zipped. Full suit is same as sleeveless as the arms come out easily. Things I have noticed are that:
After it’s down to the waist? Maybe 5 seconds. For a full suit.
After it’s down to the waist? Maybe 5 seconds. For a full suit.
x 2
I don’t know exactly how long it takes to just take the wetsuit or the speedsuit out. But on the last wetsuit legal race that I did, the temperature was 77 so a lot of people did not wear a wetsuit. I had a full sleeve suit on and I had the fastest transition.
During the last try that I did I had a Blueseventy Pointzero 3+ and I was only 8sec slower than the guy that had the fastest transition on my division and was the 3rd fastest.
So, if you practice you shouldn’t loose anytime to most people. Just the ones that really put some effort to practice transitions and are not wearing suits will be faster than you. Try to pull it low enough that when you get to your bike, you can put on the helmet and glasses while you step out of the suit. Stepping out is faster than pulling it out.
Tiago
not very long - even with me being to chicken to cut a couple of inches off the legs of my suit…
Full wetsuit. I always have to sit down to take off past the ankles, I will say I loose just a few seconds by doing this, it really has no effect on my overall race.
Peace
x 1 more.
Put your helmet on while removing your wetsuit to have an even more impressive transition, allowing you to get all the ladies.
10-15 sec max. Full suit (BS helix). I did cut off a couple inches off the leg to allow my size 13 feet a little more room to escape. 
13 seconds all together
I’m pretty quick with my new suit, a Synergy Endorphin (Fullsleeve). Not 5 seconds like some of these folks, but about 10-12 or so. I put bodyglide on my legs and on the outside of the wetsuit legs at the bottom. I don’t think it really even needs the bodyglide though because it’s just a really easy suit to get out of. I can go down to the knees in one swoop and then go one swoop for each leg from there. I’m never the fastest in transitions, but I’m definitely faster than most and I just started last year (my one year anniversary of tri’s is actually next weekend, 8/29).
Now the old Zoot I had…totally different story. It was like getting out of Chinese fingercuffs. I guess they were trying to keep water out of it, but it only worked to keep me in it. That may have just been me or just that model, though.
I think I am the only person that does it in the water, comes off in seconds.
usually by the time I get back to transition, its stuck on me.
In the water it slides right off
14.2 sec, but that includes hitting the buttons on my stop watch.
I am working on speeding up taking off a wetsuit. I am curious how fast others can do it? I am talking about the number of seconds AFTER you have pulled it down to your waist.
Probably from this point not much difference between sleeveless and full. Not sure if really much difference with a speedtube. But like to hear what I should be shooting for. Also please specify full, sleeveless, or trunks (Speedtube type).
like you said, pulling it down to the waist doesn’t count because you do that while running to T1 and so you lose little if any time.
Once to my waist, I step on my transition towel < start clock> with both hands I grab the wetsuit at my hips then push downward until my hands hit the ground. Then I stand on the wetsuit with one foot while pulling the other foot out. Then repeat. perhaps as little as 3 seconds? Up to 7-8 seconds if it gets difficult. If I sit down then it’s going to be around 15 seconds.
Feet, calves, wetsuit are prelubed to make it possible to slip right out without extra effort.
I can remove my T1, the entire thing, standing still in 13 seconds. So when you count the fact that you can remove the pullover while moving, it is much less. But see for yourself!
CLICK HERE!
What the Video on the right side!
im sure you could save half the time by cutting the legs on your wetsuit by a couple inches. i did, cut it to just bellow the biggest part of my calf and it is much easier. i can step out of it using my legs and have my hands free so i can put my helment and sunglasses on at the same time. remember if your gonna cut it measure twice, cut once and cut less than you think youll need. try it and repeat if needed.
good luck.
A Tom Demerly tip - Bodyglide or Pam generously from the knee down on your legs AND the outside of the wetsuit legs - slicking the outside of the wetsuit greatly eases the rolling off motion.
Practicing I was able to take off in 5 seconds. I was practicing at 9:00 pm the night before the race :(. In the race I did fall down taking it off :(. At least I was on the beach. Did not time but sure I had it off in less than 10 seconds.
Tri-Zone and Desoto were xcellent to work with. I purchased from Tri-Zone but did not have in stock. They had it overnighted from Desoto for no extra cost
Xterra also had unbelievable customer service. They got me the VectorPro X2 John in time and were a total pleasure to work with as always. I really, really like this suit. It really was a toss up which to go with. Decided on the Speedtube because of my inexperience of taking it off. I did try the VectorPro in the pool and did not experience any leakage around the arms. Really like the suit.
I have a MLO in the VectorPro, MLO in both Velocity speed suits but a M in the Vendetta. Not sure why I purchased the M in the Vendetta but after wearing the VectorPro in MLO I think I should have gone with a MLO in the Vendetta.
I now feel I have all situations covered. Warm, medium and cold water.