The Russian River is getting pretty warm. I’m thinking of doing Barb’s Race without my wetsuit even if it is still wetsuit-legal.
Do you guys think the pockets in the Desoto Power Shorts would create swim drag?
How about the small side pockets in a regular tri top?
I guess I wouldn’t wear my tri top that has a pocket in the back.
Thanks.
fantastic question…wish I knew the answer. I am having the same debate leading up to Vineman 1/2.
Anyone help us out?
Just before Vineman last year I had the same question. I called Oomph, and they said that they didn’t think the pocket would fill up. But, I wasn’t planning on using it for anything, so just to be sure I put a few stitches in the middle of the pocket to secure it closed.
And then they released a bunch of water, dropping the temp, and we wore wetsuits!
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I was wearing a Hammer one piece tri suit last week in a pool and when I would push off from the wall I swear I could feel the one back pocket grab water like a freaking break. Tim
No top for me in non-wetsuit swims - rear pocket(s) drag. But don’t take my word for it; time yourself in the pool with & without.
At my competitive swim club sometimes we put on 4-pocket drag suits… let me tell you swimming a 200 fly is the same difficulty as swimming a 1000 fly… we use it because it works your muscles more than it works your aerobic capacity (sprints do this too but sprinting also dramatically increases heartrate… 4-pocket doesn’t do that as much so you can do it longer)
Anyway, it doesn’t matter what type of pocket it is, any sort of pocket will cause drag.
I’ve been wondering the same thing for 1/2 Vineman. Even if its wetsuit legal, I don’t want to start overheating in the swim (its supposed to be 90 next weekend). I ordered a DeSoto speedsuit so we’ll see…
same as riding your bike with a parachute attached at the back…
it will definitly had drag… put a speed suit over your tri suit and remove it after the swim… all the pro do it in hawaii…
I had my wife sew the pockets shut in my Desoto tri top after using it for the first time in a little pool tri. I seriously felt like I was dragging a boat behind me while swimming.
I’d suggest timing yourself both with and without in the pool. If they slow you at all, go pocketless.
Get a speedo trisuit. There’s a zipper on the rear pocket. Problemo solved.