[quote=jeweldavies@hotmail.com]I am entering my first triathlon in Chicago in August, total beginner to tri's, training for the last 2 months. I don't swim the front crawl well, and am very comfortable with my breaststroke so i planned to do the mile swim in breaststroke, with some side stroke and periods of backstroke [u]if i have some room[/u].[/quote]

Are you doing the [url=http://www.chicagotriathlon.com/]Chicago Tri?[/url] Since you referenced a mile swim, it appears you are doing the Olympic version? (Is the Chicago Tri the old Mrs T's tri?) xc800runner could either confirm/deny this, but I suspect Chicago is a huge field and you may find it really difficult to do breastroke without making contact on every lateral kick. Do whatever stroke you want, but I'm Just sayin' . . .

[quote=jeweldavies@hotmail.com] and i figure i'll just have to swim it in my trisuit, as the wetsuits with bottoms make my lower half far too bouyant and push my head in the water, i have to fight my body to do the stroke correctly.[/quote]

So you have a two-piece [i]tri wetsuit[/i] or some kind of scuba/surf two-piece and you are wearing the bottoms-only? Wearing a wetsuit to create lower-body bouyancy is the whole idea :) I can't see how [i]tri[/i] wetsuit bottoms-only can create that much bouyancy imbalance.

[quote=jeweldavies@hotmail.com]i'd like to get a wetsuit pullover or wetsuit vest, to get the bouyancy in my upper half without the lower half, but i don't see many vests or pullovers for sale that are for tri.[/quote]

A wetsuit 'vest' would be a pfd (personal flotation device), so it seems you need a full wetsuit or at least wear the tops that match the bottoms.

[quote=jeweldavies@hotmail.com]what kind of bouyancy do non triwetsuits have and are they helpful at all if i can't find one i can afford made for a tri.[/quote]

I knew it! You're in a non-tri wetstuit! That's the problem :) Non-tri wetsuits are not really designed to be swum in. Here's some previous threads on why:

http://www.trifuel.com/forum/12408/tri-wet-suit-vs-regular-wet-suit
http://www.trifuel.com/forum/18683/wetsuit-question-tri-vs-surf
http://www.trifuel.com/forum/12463/tri-suits-vs-wetsuits

+1 to everything TriSooner said
I'm not xc800runner :) but yes it is the one, formerly known as Accenture

Being this your first tri, why don't you start with a sprint? I haven't done it but i do come out to watch my friends participating, and it's really crowded.

Also why do you want to get more buoyant vest? Your lungs are usually enough to keep your upper body floating.

[quote=jeweldavies@hotmail.com]i'm wearing a one piece trisuit. i'd like to get some kind of wetsuit to go over it for the swim part, with bouyancy on my upper half only. Desoto makes expensive tri wet suit vests and a tri pullover longsleeve top but i'd rather not spend 130-200 dollars.[/quote]

Ok, now I've got. You're wearing a one-piece trisuit and based on your description, it seems a two-piece tri wetsuit is your best bet, wearing the top-only, but as you noted, they will set you back a few hundred. You could look into renting one?

[quote=jeweldavies@hotmail.com]i see other vests and pullovers but they don't say they are for tri's so i'm not sure they are worth buying , if they don't have extra bouyancy, though i would be warmer. yes, its the chicago tri. my trainer says i should be able to breaststroke if i keep to the outside. [/quote]

Post the link to one and let's see. And yes, your trainer is right: If you stay wide you can do any stroke you want and won't make (much) contact.