SOME PERSONAL BACKGROUND:
My first 2 years racing I didn’t buy a wet suit, because I’m cheap and don’t mind the cold water. Then, I had a sleeveless wet suit for 5 years, and finally replaced it last year with the DeSoto T1. The suit fits me really well, but I feel like I’m overheating when the water gets warm. Last year, I raced Mooseman with the full and felt warm, but OK during the swim. As the summer continued I felt like it was too hot to wear the top, so I experimented with just the bibs. I had no problems with the fit and wore just the bibs in my last couple of races of the year.
But, I was wondering how much time I was giving up without the top. It’s impossible to measure the disadvantages of over heating (slowing down, dehydration, etc); but I wanted to know the the time difference of wearing the top (adds the value of the smooth sleeves and also may help with water coming into the bibs). I figured the data would help me make a decision if the water was borderline temperature (low 70s).
THE TEST
Was at a quarry where the water was around 69-70 degrees. This was ideal as I wouldn’t overheat in the full, but would be comfortable with no sleeves. The water is clear and completely flat. I chose a straight route where I started at a ladder, swam across to a specific rock & back. I’m guessing (based on my times) it was about 150 yards-meters each way, so 300 round trip.
I did one lap with my full, then 2 min rest interval. Another with the full, and removed the top during my 2 min rest interval and then 2 more laps with the same rest interval with just the bibs. My husband did the timing and I did not have him tell me the times. I tried to swim consistently as I might do if I had a swim workout that said 4 x 300. Here are my times:
Fullsuit, lap 1: 5:13
Fullsuit, lap 2: 5:19
sleeveless, lap 1: 5:09
sleeveless lap 2: 5:13
Yes, I swam faster without the top! I realize this is not the most scientific testing, but I was shocked to see those results. I feel like I’ll probably never wear the top unless it’s really cold water.
Interesting. But I’d say there’s absolutely no way to evaluate consistency/effort in this regard. The test may work for you but pretty much useless. Now if you could create a mechanical swimmer (consistency) with like buoyancy properties of a human and then evaluate it might be more practical and useful.
While I agree it’s difficult to measure consistency/effort, I disagree that a “mechanical swimmer” is the ideal test. I think a mechanical swimmer should find the full wet suit faster, that’s what most other industry and personal tests are showing.
The point of my personal test is to show that individual swimming style may dictate that it’s better to wear an style that is not considered to be generally the faster option.
I’ve done similar tests of my own at Lake Placid two years in a row swimming with a full and sleeveless on consecutive days, 1 loop of the course, directly over the line, so no sighting. In both cases, I was about 90 seconds faster with the Full suit.
there isnt much need to make up these test as there is test done every week in the world cup ITU… they are the fastest triathlete swimmer and swimming is everything in this race. Fullsuit is faster unless you have a suit that dont fit or just decided to swim slower with you full suit
these test you have done is like the test i did today
I rode my new ORBEA!! with training wheels 32 spoke over a 5km road and took me 8 minutes
i put on the zipp 808 and rode the same course and it took me 9 minutes. This prove that i rode slower on the second time. That s all. The obvious is that the race wheels are faster than my 32 spoke wheels but it s still possible to ride slower with race wheels on… you just have to go easier…
Why is it that changes on a bike, tested in a wind tunnel (position, aero helmet, etc) can vary from person to person, but sleeveless vs. full suit cannot?
you talk about position… of course…aero helmet is part of position…that is a complet different story as with the interaction with your body and air flow…
but that you go in the wind tunnel with a cervelo p3 or a road bike… with the same position. on both… you will be faster on the p3 and me also
same for race wheels…faster than training wheels
for wetsuit, unless your suit dosnt fit you and restricte you from swimming properly, the fullsuit is faster and to argue with this is to argue that the Earth is flat and not round…
Why is it that changes on a bike, tested in a wind tunnel (position, aero helmet, etc) can vary from person to person, but sleeveless vs. full suit cannot?
Why is it that changes on a bike, tested in a wind tunnel (position, aero helmet, etc) can vary from person to person, but sleeveless vs. full suit cannot?
Here’s the thing: I don’t know if you know this, but the guy that invented triathlon wetsuits sometimes posts here. He’s done extensive testing on that question and came up with the answer that fullsuits are ALWAYS faster. Even though his anti-doping position kinda sucks, I take his word about this question very seriously.
I’ve also heard a lot of “in the end it’s very personal” For example, there does not seem to be one wet suit that has “proven” to be always faster than another.
I’ve also heard a lot of “in the end it’s very personal” For example, there does not seem to be one wet suit that has “proven” to be always faster than another.
If you want to prove anything, your dinky ass “research” won’t do.
it might be a bit harder for a 1h + ironman athlete to judge what is faster as ability and technical skills arent at the highest level and it also show a not so big background in swimming. From different condition, your times will varie a lot more than a 47-48 minutes ironman swimmer. The faster swimmers will tell you as if you were asking them the most obvious question in the world… fullsuit is faster…the question never comes up… but i hear it a lot more from people that are in developpement like you. You still have a lot of room for improvement and you might feel like you are losing feel of the water with long sleeve? or overheating??? but in the end, if you pass a lot of time in full sleeve and work on efficient technic… the answer to your question will become more and more obvious as you get faster.
no one can siwm in the front pack of a world cup if they forget there fullsuit…almost no one!
Your husband was bored watching you meander across the quarry, started doing something else and made up the times (not that I would ever do such a thing you understand…)
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the guy that invented triathlon wetsuits sometimes posts here. He’s done extensive testing on that question and came up with the answer that fullsuits are ALWAYS faster
Would the person who invented the automobile be an authority opinion regarding the cornering principles of a Formula 1 racer?
Yes if the automobile had evolved as much as wetsuits have since they were invented. It’s not exactly rocket science we’re talking here, you know.
Woah. Relax Paulo. I’m not trying to prove anything.
I decided to do this “research” because I figured that the full suit would be faster (yes, that is what the experts do say). I was really trying to assess what the difference would be so I would have an idea of the time saved vs. risk of overheating/dehydrating. It seems even more difficult to put a time differential on the 2nd option here (overheating/dehydrating).
I guess your assessment is that 1) I’m still faster in my full suit and 2) it doesn’t matter if I overheat?