For people who have done IM with no wetsuit
718
Member
1028 days
gfd posted 11 weeks ago.
No info on the IM wetsuit question, but happy b-day. 33 isn't old, you are just hitting your prime.
"If you set a goal for yourself and are able to achieve it you have won your race." -Dave Scott
~Garen~
1190
Member
337 days
TriSooner posted 11 weeks ago.
nyfan21 wrote:
I wouldn't let the possibility of not wearing a wetsuit factor too much into your decision about which IM to choose. Choose a race you want to do, in a venue that gets you excited about visiting, during a time of year where the weather will be conducive to training at home. Then the night before the race go to the pre-race meeting and see if wetsuits are allowed. If not, blow it off and move on.
I am real close to choosing an IM . . .
464
Member
143 days
trigirltina2 posted 11 weeks ago.
Happy Birthday. If they let you wear the suit wear it and if not not.
.jpg "Mike20124's picture")
75
Member
685 days
Mike20124 posted 11 weeks ago.
No difference if you've practived some with a wetsuit. Times just a little slower without it
23
Member
104 days
warrenp posted 11 weeks ago.
I'm so used to wearing a wetsuit in an ironman i'd be pretty worried if i couldn't. I don't mind sprint distance without one at all. I think some of it is just confidence and comfort in what you are used to. Of course wetsuit helps with bouyency.
A wetsuit can make an average swimmer a good swimmer.
1768
Member
1396 days
brittda posted 11 weeks ago.
I don't see much of a time differnce either way. I have always done all my training with out it and have been easily able to make the distance with out.
55
Member
575 days
spazz posted 11 weeks ago.
i didnt have one my first season, this season i used one at rockman, Muncie Endurathon it was too hot and so was IM Louisville, I prefer not having a wetsuit as it is one less thing to worry about, I didnt think the wetsuit did much for me except keep me warm and give me maybe 1-1.5 minutes better time in a half, its not going to be the deciding factor in having a successful IM swim
40
Member
109 days
Trilosopher posted 11 weeks ago.
I am a much-less-than-mediocre swimmer who had become wetsuit-dependent, and had very similar worries just over a year ago when considering whether or not to sign up for IM Louisville: why pay $500 to drown in a dirty lake? Well, I signed up, put in the time at the pool, and ditched the wetsuit when it came to open water training. I pulled a 1:42 swim time, which I have no real complaints about. Could I have done better with a wetsuit? You betcha. Would it have been significant relative to a 15ish hour finish? Nope.
Now that I have actually done an Ironman, I think the most important thing to take into consideration is how the bike course matches up with the kind of terrain available to train on. A hellish 2.4 mile swim is nothing compared to a hellish 112 mile bike ride.
1790
Member
1530 days
PrinceofClydes posted 11 weeks ago.
The only M-dot races I can think of where it may be too warm for a wetsuit are Langkawi & Florida (Brasil says wetsuits okay for AGs)
Last week at IMC I was shivering because I had only a farmer john style wetsuit that did not cover my shoulders & arms. MEC sells 'em for less than $100 I suggest you get one.
You may even find a second hand one for less.
90 minutes, give or take, is a long time in the water. You can get hypothermic even in the Bahamas just snorkeling.
I have done Olympic tris of 1500m swimming without a wetsuit in 18C degree water without worries, but 4k is a different game. You may not be able to swim hard enough to keep warm at that distance. Wanna get hauled out of the lake/ocean with blue skin, shaking like a leaf?
Of all the Ironman gear you can spend money on, I think the $100 on a wetsuit is the best value for money, except possibly running shoes.
PoC
"Pain doesn't last, chicks dig scars, glory is forever!"
- Shane Falco.
325
Member
1292 days
nyfan21 posted 11 weeks ago.
Thanks for everyones comments. Yeah I have a great Xterra Wetsuit but I was just worried about using the wetsuit so much it has given me a crutch to swimming. And a 2.4 mile swim is a long distance. I guess If I train for it it shouldn't be a problem. Thanks
-Mat
gdf- Thanks for the prime comment....
4914
Member
1716 days
beads1985 posted 11 weeks ago.
A wetsuit will give you buoyancy you could use for the long distance.
Nothing to it, but to do it
325
Member
1292 days
nyfan21 posted 11 weeks ago.
Yeah I know a wetsuit is generally a good idea but some IM's have water over 78 degrees...
28
Member
567 days
Steve- posted 11 weeks ago.
It depends on how comfortable you are in the water. If you're not, the first thing to remember is it is VERY VERY difficult to drown...seriously. So don't worry about that. You can inhale water into your lungs, continue to swim, and just cough it out at each exhale while not missing a stroke. It takes practice but, like anything else, if you practice it you'll become proficient at it and be more comfortable in the water.
Secondly, swimming several strokes and many drills in your swim training program will also get you more comfortable in the water. As you become more accustomed to just being in the water in different ways (on your back, breast, side, front crawl, and drilling consistently) you'll just gain a feel for the water that will make you more comfortable.
What all this means is that if you end up not being able to swim with a wetsuit....it should matter because you'll be a proficient swimmer.
When I did IM Louisville this past weekend, I swam in my tri shorts only and just knocked it out. Granted I took it WAY easy since I have a bigger goal in mind than just that IM....but I felt just fine without a wetsuit and I attribute that to the things I mentioned above:
1) knowing it is VERY difficult to drown while swimming. VERY difficult
2) knowing that when I inhale water, I don't panic and stop...I just keep on stroking and just cough out the water as I exhale keeping comfortable in the water
3) knowing that the drills and multiple stroke proficiency provides me with a "feel" in the water that just...makes me comfortable being in the water
Good luck!!
325
Member
1292 days
nyfan21 posted 11 weeks ago.
Steve-
Thanks for these words of encouragement. I guess that is what I needed someone to tell me I wasn't going to drown doing a 2.4 mile swim with no wetsuit...Because I think some of us get so use to using a wetsuit and the floation that we get so comfortable with it and so uncomfortable without it. Thanks bro!
-M
31
Member
446 days
vjohnson posted 11 weeks ago.
Get a skinsuit. I used one for IMKY and I loved it. If you are looking for a crutch a skinsuit will at least provide a cain.
325
Member
1292 days
nyfan21 posted 11 weeks ago.
vjohnson-
I was referred to this : http://www.blueseventy.com/products/detail/pointzero31/
What kind of help (cain) did the skinsuit provide?
28
Member
567 days
Steve- posted 11 weeks ago.
nyfan21 wrote:
vjohnson-I was referred to this : http://www.blueseventy.com/products/detail/pointzero31/
What kind of help (cain) did the skinsuit provide?
FWIW don't waste your money....they're not worth it unless you are a fast swimming looking to gain an extra minute or so.
go hard core....it's an Ironman. :)
I just have a question I am real close to choosing an IM; for people who have done the 2.4 mile swim with no wetsuit. Was it rough? Was it an ocean swim or a lake? And were you worried? I've never swam more than a mile without a wetsuit. Thank any words of encouragement will help
Thanks
-Mat
PS today is my birthday man am I getting old (33)