The water has been really warm lately. Do you think anyone will be wearing a wetsuit for the August Club Race at Glorietta Bay? Does anyone advise using a wetsuit when the water is so warm?
A wetsuit is always faster. For any swim over about 300m, if you can use a wetsuit, it will help your time. I don’t know exactly what water you are talking about, but if wetsuits are allowed, you probably want to wear one, unless where you place doesn’t matter, or if shaving off 10 or 20 seconds doesn’t really matter to you…
The race is Olympic Tri. The swim is 1000m. The water has been about 75 degrees is San Diego. I figure its going to take time and effort to get out of the wetsuit in T1 anyways. If I can just find someone to draft, I don’t think the wetsuit will really buy me any time.
The race is Olympic Tri. The swim is 1000m. The water has been about 75 degrees is San Diego. I figure its going to take time and effort to get out of the wetsuit in T1 anyways. If I can just find someone to draft, I don’t think the wetsuit will really buy me any time.
It should take you, at most, 20 seconds to get out of your wetsuit. A good wetsuit should net you 8-10 seconds per 100m. So, a wetsuit should save you at least a minute (including the extra time it takes to get it off in T1) over 1000m. Add in the fact that you can draft off a faster person, and a wetsuit is a very good idea. If your wetsuit doesn’t buy you that much time, buy a new one…
The majority of people will be wearing wetsuits at the race even those doing the beginner race. The run up to T1 is long enough for you to be almost out of your wetsuit by the time you get to your spot.
That’s great info. Thanks for the help.
If its an Oly, then the swim whould be 1500 meters, not 1000. Tim
I concur with the others that if the swim is longer than 300 meters, then it’s to your advantage to wear a wetsuit for the improved swim performance that it gives.
Now, it being a just a club race, perhaps it might be reasonable to come to a deceison before the race with everyone in the race to have a gentleman’s agreement and not wear wetsuits. I have experienced this in the past at smaller races, when all the top people have agreed not to wear wetsuits. Could be something interesting to try.
With this being a club race the swim is short at 1000 meters. Since the course is not closed we are a bit restricted on the swim course.
I coach the beginner swim there on Tuesday nights and most of the participants have been wearing their wetsuits although with the warmer temps you can certainly get by without one. I do recommend that you wear one as it will make you faster even if you are doing the beginner race at 300 meters as it is great practice.