Tri-suits -vs- Wetsuits??
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vanjames posted 31 weeks ago.
bbushell74 wrote:
I started competing in triathlons about 2 years ago. I have only done 5 in my life. At first I swam without a wetsuit. Then I got a tri-suit and swam in that. But most people swim in a wetsuit? Does it really make a difference?Yes it increases your bouyancy and lowers your drag in teh water.
Is it a bad idea to swim in a Tri-suit? Not necessarily. Most are somewhat hydrophobic so they don't absorb and hold water in the swim so you can swim with them when wetsuits are not allowed. For Olympics and up you will find most people wear wetsuits, sprints no rel need unless th ewater is frigid.
If I get a wetsuit do I wear my tri-suit under it? Yes.
What about getting swimskin? Is swimskin a tri-suit or a wetsuit? neither. it is a swim legal low drag suit to speed your swim up and suck $$ from your wallet. . they are usually made of very thin neoprene so it won't breathe very well if you wore it after.
Example: 2008 Orca Men's RS1 SwimSkin
Thanks!
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Leroy Bonkers posted 31 weeks ago.
Tri-Suit .... one piece outfit for swimming, biking and running. great idea to swim in a tri suit when the water is too warm for a wetsuit. There is a one piece vs. two piece debate that mostly has to do with taking a whiz.
Wetsuit... worn over a tri suit (or swimsuit). A well fitting wetsuit does make you faster. A poor fitting suit makes you a bag of lake water.
Swimskin... a suit worn over your tri suit and removed before getting on the bike. These just became available and are intended to be used when the water is too warm to legally/safely wear a wetsuit.
Speedo... what old timers still wear to swim in, thinking that if it was good enough for dave scott it's good enough for them. Also known as a bannanna hammock or fruit smuggler ;-)
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theShiba posted 31 weeks ago.
Leroy Bonkers wrote:
Tri-Suit .... one piece outfit for swimming, biking and running. great idea to swim in a tri suit when the water is too warm for a wetsuit. There is a one piece vs. two piece debate that mostly has to do with taking a whiz.Wetsuit... worn over a tri suit (or swimsuit). A well fitting wetsuit does make you faster. A poor fitting suit makes you a bag of lake water.
Swimskin... a suit worn over your tri suit and removed before getting on the bike. These just became available and are intended to be used when the water is too warm to legally/safely wear a wetsuit.
Speedo... what old timers still wear to swim in, thinking that if it was good enough for dave scott it's good enough for them. Also known as a bannanna hammock or fruit smuggler ;-)
Leroy has it right. Think of it as layers. Trisuit is a base layer that you wear for the whole thing. Depending on water temperature, you may want to wear a wetsuit (cold water) or a swimskin/speedsuit (warm water). The purpose of the swimskin is to make you more hydrodynamic, and add some buoyancy. With either the wetsuit or the swimskin, you have the trisuit underneath, and just ditch the top layer for the bike.
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Leroy Bonkers posted 31 weeks ago.
vanjames wrote:
bbushell74 wrote:
swimskin .... suck $$ from your wallet. .
Yeah... I'm really not convinced that a swim skin is worth the money involved. I'm not saying I'm a total non-believer, I'm just un-convinced so far.
1074
Member
297 days
TriSooner posted 31 weeks ago.
Leroy Bonkers pretty much summarized it. "Tri-suit" stays on from start to finish (experience, preference, dictate one-piece or two, and distance dictates whether you just change into bike gear and run gear all together). "Wetsuit" is made of neoprene and you look and feel like a seal. Keep in mind there are USAT and IM rules about water temp that determine when a wetsuit can be used. And as I learned from TriFuel (nod in ChunkyB's direction), some races "require" a wetsuit (which I still think is strange). And a swimskin? Never sceen one actually used by an age-grouper. And please, unless you are a guy with single-digit body fat and an affinity for the razor, or a woman as hot as Desiree Ficker with a fresh Brazilian, please God do not ride or run in a speedo.
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fpugsley posted 31 weeks ago.
theShiba wrote:
[The purpose of the swimskin is to make you more hydrodynamic, and add some buoyancy.
Swim skins are supposed to be neutrally buoyant from what I understand.
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514 days
Iron Dan posted 31 weeks ago.
I would strongly recommend getting a wetsuit even if you can stand the water temps because of the buoyancy. I don't like the swim skins very much, but that is just me.
On the wetsuit front, there are a couple of wetsuit manufacturers that give a full refund (typically within a 14 day window) if you are not happy with their product. It would be an option for you to see for yourself whether or not you think the wetsuit is worth it with minimal investment.
727
Member
486 days
theShiba posted 31 weeks ago.
TriSooner wrote:
Leroy Bonkers pretty much summarized it. "Tri-suit" stays on from start to finish (experience, preference, dictate one-piece or two, and distance dictates whether you just change into bike gear and run gear all together). "Wetsuit" is made of neoprene and you look and feel like a seal. Keep in mind there are USAT and IM rules about water temp that determine when a wetsuit can be used. And as I learned from TriFuel (nod in ChunkyB's direction), some races "require" a wetsuit (which I still think is strange). And a swimskin? Never sceen one actually used by an age-grouper. And please, unless you are a guy with single-digit body fat and an affinity for the razor, or a woman as hot as Desiree Ficker with a fresh Brazilian, please God do not ride or run in a speedo.
You might as well just link to the picture gallery. That's where we're all going anyway...
436
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azstinger11 posted 30 weeks ago.
There are boundaries for the buoyancy of swimskins, that pretty much mean they have none. What they are supposed to do is make you slicker through the water, which makes it easier (like the buoyancy in a wetsuit). At least that is my understanding of the technology.
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I started competing in triathlons about 2 years ago. I have only done 5 in my life. At first I swam without a wetsuit. Then I got a tri-suit and swam in that. But most people swim in a wetsuit? Does it really make a difference? Is it a bad idea to swim in a Tri-suit?
If I get a wetsuit do I wear my tri-suit under it?
What about getting swimskin? Is swimskin a tri-suit or a wetsuit?
Example: 2008 Orca Men's RS1 SwimSkin
Thanks!