Beach to Battleship

Hey everyone. I am a swimmer, competing in an IM relay this fall. I have never worn a wetsuit for a swimming event. I started swimming competitively when I was 4 and currently swim 1.6 miles straight daily. I do most of my training in the pool but have been able to train in some lakes and in the ocean. My question is, am I totally crazy for not wanting to wear a wetsuit to this event?

My one open water race was Big Shoulders in 2007 (Lake Michigan in Sept every year). I swam without a wetsuit (they actually make you compete in a separate group if you wear one--most people don't) and it was approximately 69-70 degrees. I was actually very comfortable in the water and wondering if I could get away with not wearing a wetsuit for the B2B race this year (that is if it is not unseasonably cold like last year). I have been swimming so long that I am pretty sure a wetsuit will not make my swim easier.

Any thoughts or suggestions would be great. I would love to hear from locals that train there--do you wear a wetsuit all the time? Also, where do most of you draw the line, temperature wise, on when you wear a wetsuit? Thanks for your help!

I swam the Big Shoulders 5k in 2001 also without a wetsuit and it's a great swim. In your post you said "I have been swimming so long that I am pretty sure a wetsuit will not make my swim easier." It won't make it easier - it will make it faster. Wetsuits make all swimmers faster. If you're not going for the win, just get in there and swim. But if another team has a person with equal talent and that person wears a wet suit, they'll beat you.

It also depends on the temperature, though. If it's too warm, the wetsuit will slow you down, but the chances of that happening in November are low. I'd say anything below around 75º water temperature a wetsuit is automatic no matter how good you are.

Others might not share my opinion. James Kegley is the all-time winningest Chesapeake Bay Bridge (4.4 miles) swimmer by far and he would never dream of wearing a wet suit.

Have a great race,

Jay

Got to agree with Jay on this. I was one of a handful of people in the half IM event last year who didn't use a wetsuit, and although I was mostly comfortable in the water, by the end I was quite chilled, and running down the dock was pretty comical (think tilting sidewalk at the fair). My advice, even if all you're doing is the swim leg: get a wetsuit. I rolled the dice last year and got away with it (sort of....), but I am definitely using one this year.