I’ve had limited open water swimming experience and have always swam in the same wetsuit. It’s always seemed to work fine, but I do get a bit of water inside it while swimming. I thought this was normal until someone told me that water should not be getting inside the suit… and that if this is happening the suit does not fit properly… Thoughts?
I’ve had limited open water swimming experience and have always swam in the same wetsuit. It’s always seemed to work fine, but I do get a bit of water inside it while swimming. I thought this was normal until someone told me that water should not be getting inside the suit… and that if this is happening the suit does not fit properly… Thoughts?
Wet= water. The suit is designed to allow water in (and, for those of us who pee in the suit- thank god for that).
I believe there are things called ‘dry-suits’ that are not supposed to allow water in.
Your wetsuit is not a drysuit - it is supposed to have a layer of water (or urine) in it. I prefer urine.
It’s a wetsuit, not a drysuit. The thin layer of water that gets in is warmed by your body and insulated by the neoprene which in turn keeps you warm. Now that being said the suit should be quite snug and water should not be pouring in. A tri wetsuit when fit properly should be very difficult to pull away from the body once on and zipped up.
Wetsuits work by having a layer of water between your body and the suit. If water is flowing through then it won’t stay warm but it’s fine if some is moving through. Diving wetsuits are a bit different and in my experience let a bit more water in. Diving dry suits let no water in.
R10C, you are one sick DUDE!
Thanks for the replies everyone.
As many have already said, it is a wetsuit not a drysuit, but…
The issue is what degree of water enter you a experiencing. You will get wet, no doubt, but you should not have pools or “rivers” of water inside the suit. If you do there is a fit issue that can be improved either by adjusting your suit or by getting a different size or brand. The suit should fit like a second skin and should take a bit of time to put on and adjust.
Please reply if you think this applies to you or if you have further questions.
Thanks,
Dan
Dan Rishworth | Founder
http://www.nineteenwetsuits.com
http://www.facebook.com/nineteenwetsuits
http://www.twitter.com/nineteenwetsuit
I seem to get to much water in my lower back area. The suit fits fine on land,but when I swim I tend to arch my back and a pocket forms. I can feel cool water rushing in at times. I am not sure if its a fit issue or a swimming issue. If I go down a size in the wetsuit I am afraid it will be too small in other areas. I have a pretty small waist and good size shoulders and chest. Any thoughts? Thanks.
Oh, and having done some diving in the past I was surprised by how little water my wetsuit for a Tri let in. I felt almost dry. I didn’t really notice cold water coming in until it started to come through my zipper at the back and trickle down my butt. Even with full emersion I didn’t feel wet all over although when I got out I was. Plus at a water temp of close to 20c I’m almost too warm with it.
I think it is a wetsuit fitting issue. You might need to try on several brands. I wear Desoto. The fit of the two piece eliminated that “pocket in my low back” . I get a little water leaking in the neck when I get in the water, but nothing else other than when I pee. I’m short about 1.52 meters with a big butt, big quads, small waist, and had issues with other wetsuit fitting well until I tried Desoto.
I thought this was normal until someone told me that water should not be getting inside the suit… and that if this is happening the suit does not fit properly… Thoughts?
While water should not be flowing through the suit like a river, a wetsuit absolutely should have water in it when it is being utilized. I think the person telling you otherwise is incorrect.
No. False. A wetsuit only lets water in because it raises the cost considerably to keep the water out.
Water is s conductor, not an insulator.
What keeps you warm when you’re using a wetsuit is the insulation from the neoprene. Any water that enters the suit has to be warmed by your body and that water will continue to require heating to keep it close to your body temperature.
There is no positive thermal advantage to letting water into the suit.
It’s called a wetsuit because it doesn’t keep water out, not because it’s supposed to let water in.
Water gets trapped, warmed, them insulates you = myth.
Totally understand. I know that water is not an insulator.
But wetsuits are designed to allow water intrusion. But if I’m wrong, I’m always open to learning new stuff. What do the wetsuit companies say about this?
Wetsuits aren’t designed to allow water in. They’re just not designed to keep water out.
To keep water out you have to add a waterproof zipper (very expensive) as well as wrist, neck, and ankle seals to prevent water intrusion. With the addition of those features, expect to pay hundreds of dollars more for a suit that will only keep you marginally warmer.
The most cost effective thing to do is design the suit to fit well enough that very little water gets in (because there just isn’t room) and prevent that water from cycling through the suit or being replaced by new water that needs to be warmed.
If you could swim with two identical suits, one that let water in and one that didn’t, you would be warmer in the drier suit every time.
http://www.ewetsuits.com/acatalog/How-Wetsuits-Work.html
Some additional info re wetsuits and water intrusion/insulation.
HAHAHAHAHAA…just done it yesterday. Had to go really bad just right before the start and of course on the beach.
Your wetsuit is not a drysuit - it is supposed to have a layer of water (or urine) in it. I prefer urine.
I useda synergy wet suit for the first time today. and itwas almost compeltely dry on the inside! A little water came in the zipper area…I used to wear what ever wetsuit the model/brand is in pic below, it would always flood, and sucked on cold days. I wish I had the synergy suit for when I did races like leadman, where water temp was 58*
I take the time to fill my suit with water. It makes moving easier. Wetsuits are designed with this layer of water in mind. They should feel snug and restrictive when dry and loose and fluid when wet.
…Wetsuits are designed with this layer of water in mind…
Where do you get that information? Just curious because I’ve never heard that. It may be true that the suit is more comfortable when wet inside, but I’ve never heard of it being linked to the design/fit of a wetsuit.