How thick should my wetsuit be for a triathlon?
USAT, ITU and WTC (Ironman) have rules restricting the thickness of the wetsuit to no more than 5mm. Most brands will put the thickest rubber on the front torso and legs to give the heaviest areas of your body the most buoyancy. Thinner rubber (1.5-2mm) at the shoulders allows for greater flexibility and arm speed.
Do I need a wetsuit for triathlon?
Triathletes normally wear a tri suit during a triathlon. A tri suit is made of a thin athletic material and can come in one or two-piece options. Sometimes because of colder water temperatures, a tri suit is not enough and triathletes will opt to add a wetsuit to wear during the swim.
Can I use a diving wetsuit for triathlon?
Surfing and diving wetsuits are designed to provide adequate buoyancy and warmth, but not help with swim speed or quick removal. Surfing or diving wetsuits are not allowed to be worn on triathlon race day.
How much does a wetsuit help in a triathlon?
Tests with and without wetsuits have shown a time saving of five to ten seconds per hundred meters, with wetsuit. Simply put, a full-sleeve suit will help any swimmer go faster. Like with any athletic gear, fit is important.
Do triathlon wetsuits keep you warm?
Wetsuits used in diving and water sports are designed to keep you warm. Triathlon wetsuits are not only designed to keep you warm but they also can keep you cool enough to prevent overheating. Made from neoprene, the thickness of the fabric varies with triathlon wetsuit brands.
How do I pick a wetsuit for a triathlon?
A triathlon suit should fit like a second-skin; it shouldn’t be too loose or too tight and you should have a full range of motion in your shoulders. The three wetsuit qualities to pay attention to are buoyancy/flexibility, warmth, and hydrodynamics.
Can I swim in a diving wetsuit?
September 18, 2019. Can wetsuits be used for swimming? Even if you aren’t a professional surfer, you can still experience the benefits of wearing a wetsuit in the swimming pool, sea and ocean. In short, you can wear a wetsuit for any water activity, including swimming, diving, surfing and water aerobics.
What is the difference between a triathlon wetsuit and an open water wetsuit?
First of all, keep in mind that triathlon wetsuits are performance oriented, while open water wetsuits are designed to help you swim comfortably and safely. On the other hand, swimrun wetsuits differ the most from the rest, with elastic, durable materials that adapt to the conditions of the sport.
Should I get wet in a wetsuit?
Wetsuits are made of a kind of rubber called neoprene. The suit traps a thin layer of water between the neoprene and the wearer’s skin. So, the wearer is always wet—that’s why it’s called a wetsuit. Body heat warms the layer of trapped water and helps keep the wearer warm.
How do I break in my new triathlon wetsuit?
There isn’t much of a trick to breaking in a wetsuit. You just need to wear it often and move around in it a lot. Just putting on the wetsuit will stretch it out just a bit each time. The areas that will get stretched the most from donning the wetsuit will be the shoulder region of the suit.