OK, question of the day. How tight should a wetsuit fit? Should you shave your legs, so the wetsuit strippers don’t take care of the extra leg hair for you when they do their job at the race? I live in South Louisiana where a wetsuit is unheard of, so to do a race with one is new to me. Thanks for your help.
Never had a problem with hair. The suit rolls off more than anything.
Not an expert on fit, but it should be snug all over, like a second skin. Want to pull it up high enough, and pull it over your arms as much as you can so that you can grab a handful of material over each shoulder.
it should fit pretty darn tight when put on dry. it should be tight on land because in the water (or once the swimmer is thoroughly wet) it will always fit looser, but not because the water has any real effect on the elasticity of the neoprene (as many incorrectly say).
no, it will fit looser because water gets under the wetsuit (as it should, that’s why they call it a wetsuit) and acts a lubricant and allows the wetsuit to shift around on your body and have a more uniform (but overall lower) tightness.
Thanks for your input.
it should fit pretty darn tight when put on dry. it should be tight on land because in the water (or once the swimmer is thoroughly wet) it will always fit looser, but not because the water has any real effect on the elasticity of the neoprene (as many incorrectly say).
no, it will fit looser because water gets under the wetsuit (as it should, that’s why they call it a wetsuit) and acts a lubricant and allows the wetsuit to shift around on your body and have a more uniform (but overall lower) tightness.
Ok, how does inserting a thin film between you and the suit result in a looser fit?
Lubrication? yes; increased flexibility? yes. Looser, no that is an illusion created by the increased flexibility.