It has been a long time, but I think Dan posted numbers last summer indicating that for a roughly 1 hr IM swimmer a T1 wetsuit saves about 10 minutes. * If this is correct * then a wetsuit should save you 1’23" in a 1/3 mile race. How much time do you lose in T1 due to a wetsuit? For the average person I’m guessing it is close to 1’23". No, I’m not talking about how long it takes to remove, I’m including taking it off, putting the wetsuit in your gear pile next to the bike, putting the wetsuit back after it falls under your neighbors bike, etc. Yes, I’m sure there are plenty of people who are very fast so insert your own T1 time here.
60 degrees is certainly cold for swimming, but I think you can take it for less than 600 yds. The only caveat, if you are a very poor swimmer or have never been in very cold water then a wetsuit may be a safety issue. (but then if a wetsuit is required for a person to complete the swim safely, then they shouldn’t be competing - but that’s an entirely different rant)
I’m a good one to answer this question since my swimming absolutely sucks. I am totallly wetsuit dependant. Last year I did a quick little sprint race (those hurt!) and went without a wetsuit. That was the right thing to do. I was only in the water about 8 minutes and I doubt there would have been a huge time savings. I basically just went all-out. When its that short you’d be lucky if it were a break-even proposition on time. I say gut it out and go without the wetsuit.
“How much time do you lose in T1 due to a wetsuit? For the average person I’m guessing it is close to 1’23”."
Perhaps if you try to take it off without unzipping it…
I am no speed demon in the transition areas, but even for someone like me it only takes a couple seconds to get out of my wetsuit. Peel it off as you are leaving the water, kick the rest off when you are at your bike. A minute feels like ten when you are in the transition area, which is why it may seem like it takes a minute plus to get it off. Reality is, I bet you could take your wetsuit off, thoroughly rinse it in fresh water, and hang it to dry in less than a minute 23.
Unless you are going to be contending for an overall or AG medal, I would go with the wetsuit. The time difference is likely to be negligible and you’ll likely be able to get off to a better start on the bike because your muscles will be a little warmer. Here in Colorado I use a wetsuit for every open water swim and can get through T1 in 1:30. Wear your biking/running clothes under the wetsuit and you’ll be through T1 fast.
If you’re serious about not using a wetsuit, try a swim/bike brick in cold water during training. See if it affects how well you do on the bike in the first mile or so. I’ve seen people without wetsuits come out of the water so cold they could barely run to the transition area and have to take extra time because they were shaking so bad. If you can do it in training effectively then it may work for you in a race.