wetsuit not helping
5
Member
798 days
courtmo posted 2 years ago.
I recently ditched my full body wetsuit and got a sleeveless Xterra off of ebay and I LOVE IT!!! I have also been getting advice from one of the swim teachers at my gym as well as checking out active.com. They recently had a two part write up about swimming strokes and stuff. I went to the beach yesterday to practice and noticed a difference! I wasn't using my arms to their fullest potential and my stroke was more like a windmill pattern which didn't allow me to "glide" through the ocean. I hope this helps! Check out the articles at active.com. They had pictures, too which helped me.
3329
Member
1310 days
RV posted 2 years ago.
I use a full body wetsuit. The fit is crucial - especially in the shoulders. I had a cheap suit early on and it was very stiff in the shoulder. I replaced it with a good wetsuit (Ironman - now BlueSeventy) also full body and - it is a night and day difference.
Also, do you practice in your wetsuit other than at races?
RV
It takes a long time to get good. - Scott Molina
Slow is smooth; smooth is fast. - Rich Strauss
20
Member
921 days
Fivetenfrank posted 2 years ago.
I guess my question wasnt centered around full vs. sleeveless wetsuits, but rather, personal experience any one can shed on these two manufacturers.
176
Member
1056 days
Ultrarunner posted 2 years ago.
I have always been much more effecient in the water with my wetsuit on (Ironman Instinct longjohn sleeveless). #1 my body position is higher in the water due to the increased bouancy. #2 I have much less drag due to the material of the suit.
I swam one time in the pool with my wetsuit on and cut 4 strokes off of a 25 yard distance!
My first thought was maybe your wetsuit was too big and you were getting a lot of water entering the suit making you heavier and increasing drag. This is kind of hard to do though with a full sleeve suit. I know that mine fits very snug, and I don't get hardly get any water moving through it at all.
Do you notice any water getting into the suit? Are the shoulders tight? Do you feel like you can move your arms the same as when you are not wearing the suit (same range of motion)? Might just be a fitting issue.
79
Member
1155 days
gjpure posted 2 years ago.
The thing feels pretty darn tight to me. I ordered to suit over the phone with another triathelete and she made sure I was sized correctly. I always make sure everything is snug when i put it on the way they tell you. The main thing is how I feel resistance with the arms because their is buyoncy in the arms. Who knows. Maybe I just had a bad couple first races and I will get used to it and everything will pay off in the long run. My first tri this year was my first real OW swim with it on, and I might have just started off too slow just trying to stay calm. In my second race this past weekend, I felt like I swam well, but I have been having sinus problems lately. I realized that doesnt go well with swimming, at least for me. I kept coming up to breastroke in order to cough, burb whatever and that must have really slowed me down. I was taking in the whole lake!!
I have done two triathlons so far this year and have worn my wetsuit both times only two have two of my worst 1/2 mile swims ever. I dont know what the deal is. As I understand it, the worse swimmer you are, the more the wetsuit should help you. I bought a full length wetsuit too, which should be the most advantagous. While I love the feeling of boyouncy I feel as when I make my pull stroke I have more resistance because of the sleeves. But I already bought a full length. I dont know what to think. I know that compared to last year that my endurance and speed have increased. I have put in much longer workouts in the pool and feel much more comfortable in the water, so I just dont understand it...any thoughts?