Needing to replace my wetsuit this year, and IM Canada is on my calendar. Do you think a sleeveless is enough ? Or is a full long-sleeved wetsuit necessary ? What are the normal water temps ?
I swam IMFL this year with sleeveless and thought that was just fine! thanks,
Could go with either. Water temp last year was ~68 degrees and nearly everyone was in a full suit, probably due to the speed gains.
I think it is safe to say that the swim at Florida and Canada are 2 different swims for the most part.
If you normally swim in a sleeveless suit, and that is what you feel most comfortable in, then I would say to stay with what you feel comfortable in.
On the other hand, I am a big proponent of a proper fitting full sleeve wetsuit.
I don’t think you can go wrong with either depending on your level of comfort in each suit (proper fitting) and the water temperature.
Jake
Full sleeves are faster.
Sleeves are faster but if sleeveless is what you’re used to, go with it. Raced IMC last year and those water temps definitely wouldn’t be a problem for sleeveless.
Like others have said. Full is definitelty faster but water temp is not usually cold enough for sleeveless to be an issue. IMC was definitely noticably colder than IMFL though.
The lake temperature can vary wildly. It’s a deep lake so if there’s a storm that stirs it up, even in August, the water can be quite cold. On the other hand, a couple of years ago the Kelowna Apple Olympic tri, the weekend prior to IMC on the same lake about an hour North of Penticton, was a no wetsuit swim as the lake was so warm.
If you chill easily my recommendation is to be safe and go with a long sleeve.
Lake Okanagan is a deep lake and can experience “inversions” on very windy days. This is what happened about five days out from the 2008 race. A buddy and I were pulling on our suits and asked the girl coming out of the water how the water was (this on the Wednesday before the race). “Freezing”. My buddy and me look at each other, shrug our shoulders and say “chick”. We get in and realize she was right. I am talking stinging red-skin, can’t-stay-in-more-than-ten-minutes-due-to-numb-extremities cold. I’ve swam in 13C water before and this was as least as cold. I remember thinking what the hell are we going to do if it’s like this on race day?! I could not fathom being in that water for over an hour. Thankfully the water did warm up to be typical on race day, but I would not arrive in Penticton without a full suit at the ready.
Thanks, all! Getting a good variety of info here, and it seems like I can’t go wrong with a GOOD FITTING full suit . The swim is the best of the 3 legs for me ( little good that does!), so not really interested in additional speed. Mainly in comfortable fit and protection from the temps. Thanks,
I trained for that race in a sleeveless suit because I believed I didn’t need a full suit because I’m a swimmer. Long story short I ended up in a full suit the day before the race because I had lost my sleeveless. Race day was my second swim in a full sleeve suit and I had the swim of my life. The flexibility in the Superful was better than the sleeveless I’d been swimming in.
Depending on the year that lake is either going to be warm enough for a sleeveless but not too war for a full sleve, or so cold you’ll wish you had a full sleeve. Plus a good full sleeve is going to be faster no matter what.
Have done IMC a bunch of times, both with sleeveless and full.
Would recommend running a full suit.
My buddy and me look at each other, shrug our shoulders and say “chick”. We get in and realize she was right. I am talking stinging red-skin, can’t-stay-in-more-than-ten-minutes-due-to-numb-extremities cold. I’ve swam in 13C water before and this was as least as cold.
I read this post and thought ‘chick’! 
I swim in Okanagan lake three times a week or more in spring / summer and it has never been that cold. In December it was 10 degrees and was as you mentioned. Stinging. It may have been cooler but were you not just already hot from being outside and got in? Not saying you as wrong, just saying that I have never experienced it and it has been my local swim haunt for the last 4 years.
The chances of the lake being too cold for sleeveless at IMC, bearing in mind exertion levels, are pretty slim unless you are particularly cold sensitive.
Raced IMC 2008, 2010, Full Suit is the way to go, did not overheat & that usually happens to me, Florida I have always used a sleeve-less.
My friends and I were swimming without wetsuits the entire week before IMC this past year, but used and recommend the full suit for speed since its fresh water too. Pray that they give out colorful swim caps so you can actually see people in the water as well. Last year was dark blue.
Nope, I’m not cold sensitive, nor is my friend. Others that were in IMC in 2008 will verify if they swam the same day. I’m sure the temperature was unusual and probably unlikely for a race, but I’ve not heard of the water being too warm as to make swimming in full sleeves uncomfortable, so I would always want to bring a full suit. To each his own, of course, just my 2 cents worth.
Sleeves and always sleeves, if the water is too hot it wont be wetsuit legal, if its borderline every now and then let a tiny bit of water in through the neck.
Sleeves are much faster, there is a reason why 95%+ of ITU guys and Pro Ironman Athletes wear sleeves, if you feel constricted it means you dont have a correct fitting wetsuit.
I’ve swam in that lake a bunch of times and every time I’ve been glad I have sleeves.