How buoyant is a wetsuit

elvis jones · 22-06-2011 1:00pm #1

Hi all,

I'm a fairly rubbish swimmer but really want to do an open water triathlon. I am wonder how buoyant are the wetsuits and how much they will help me to stay afloat. I'm still very nervous in water and just the fear of going under is freaking me out and finding it hard to get over it.

I'm training to improve my fitness etc but the thought of open water still sends shivers down my spine. I'm looking at doing a tri in a lake so its deep water i'll be dealing with and no current to help me along.

Any advice, thought or help would be great.

mloc123 · 22-06-2011 1:22pm

Short answer, quite buoyant.

If you have done a few pool based tris an OW will seem easy.

elvis jones · 22-06-2011 1:25pm

My worry is that i can't do the full distance without stopping to rest and thats when i'm worried i'll eh sink:D

I know what you mean about the pool, i do intend to stay at the back of my wave, i know i'll finish but i'll have to rest along the way...........i only started swimming in feb so i'm very weak in that area.

hf4z6sqo7vjngi · 22-06-2011 1:27pm

The first time i swam in a wetsuit i was like wow swimming is so much easier with one of these on. Helps with buoyancy and also your body position in the water which helps with technique and makes everything feel easier.

Woddle · 22-06-2011 1:31pm

Last year while swimming in the sea I drifted out a bit and just about managed to get back to land. At the time I was describing it as a near death experience

but in hindsight my wetsuit was so buoyant that the worst case scenario was I would have drifted/floated out to sea and have to be saved by the coast guard.

SeaFields · 22-06-2011 1:32pm

I got a present of a tri wetsuit recently as i attempted an open water swim for the first time.

My initial thoughts were - its impossible to sink in this thing! You can put your hands by your side and your feet stuck together and you just stay upright bobbing in the water!

I was in the second wave of swimmers. The "not-so-serious" competitors. Throughly enjoyed it. I only learned to swim a few years back and only go swimming at the local beach. You'll be grand. good luck.

elvis jones · 22-06-2011 1:33pm

Blaine Melodic Fireplace wrote: »

The first time i swam in a wetsuit i was like wow swimming is so much easier with one of these on. Helps with buoyancy and also your body position in the water which helps with technique and makes everything feel easier.

Thanks,

The distance is 1500M, i've done that in the past in a pool during training and i'll be doing 4 or 5 times a week between now and the race ( along with some river swims with the suit in a few weeks )

Its just the resting and not sinking i think that are my main worries. I know i can out of the water and do the cycle and run but the swim just has me so so worried.

elvis jones · 22-06-2011 1:35pm

SeaFields wrote: »

I got a present of a tri wetsuit recently as i attempted an open water swim for the first time.

My initial thoughts were - its impossible to sink in this thing! You can put your hands by your side and your feet stuck together and you just stay upright bobbing in the water!

I was in the second wave of swimmers. The "not-so-serious" competitors. Throughly enjoyed it. I only learned to swim a few years back and only go swimming at the local beach. You'll be grand. good luck.

Are these still your thoughts:D

I might try to do the back stroke for a while to get some breathing in without actually stopping.

Thanks for the replies so far.

SeaFields · 22-06-2011 1:45pm

elvis jones wrote: »

Are these still your thoughts:D

Ha ha! yep, they are. Was even snorkeling in it last night for an hour and a half. They have suburb buoyancy. I wouldn't be the strongest swimmer either. I alternated between breast stroke and doggy paddle when i needed a rest. Helped rest the muscles and at the same time at least i was still going forward. Saw lots of people doing the same (also saw lots of people that look like they have a bloody propeller attached!:eek:) mine was only 750m tho.

catweazle · 22-06-2011 1:47pm

I would hold of on buying one Elvis till closer to the date - from the way you seem to be losing weight you need to be careful as you wont get the best from it otherwise. It should be super-super tight on you for best results.

elvis jones · 22-06-2011 2:11pm

catweazle wrote: »

I would hold of on buying one Elvis till closer to the date - from the way you seem to be losing weight you need to be careful as you wont get the best from it otherwise. It should be super-super tight on you for best results.

I agree with that and am thinking the last week in July, i want to get a few open water swims done before the tri.

I meant to say that by aug i would like to be up to 300 to 500 m without needing to rest so i'll have to stop roughly 5 times.

noeleoreid · 22-06-2011 2:31pm

I think one of the most important things to do is start swimming OW with some other people, possibly a club, I just completed my first tri in open water about a week ago, and at first its very daunting and scary , but I started with a club and after 5 sessions , 1 a week, my confidence sky rocketed to a point where i was very confident goin into the swim, its strange , but swimming with other people in the water beside you, all be it they dont really help you a such, but the confidence is much higher and you will feel a bit more secure with company.

On the wetsuit front, they are very buoyant, honestly if relax and lie on ur back there is no chance of sinking. I have a fairly entry level suit which is pretty thick which helps, cant remember what millimeter it is... Catweazle might be able to answer that one??

All tho 1500 meter sound like a lot for ur first open water tri.. Personally I would do a shorter one for my first race.. All the best with it..

elvis jones · 22-06-2011 2:37pm

noeleoreid wrote: »

I think one of the most important things to do is start swimming OW with some other people, possibly a club, I just completed my first tri in open water about a week ago, and at first its very daunting and scary , but I started with a club and after 5 sessions , 1 a week, my confidence sky rocketed to a point where i was very confident goin into the swim, its strange , but swimming with other people in the water beside you, all be it they dont really help you a such, but the confidence is much higher and you will feel a bit more secure with company.

On the wetsuit front, they are very buoyant, honestly if relax and lie on ur back there is no chance of sinking. I have a fairly entry level suit which is pretty thick which helps, cant remember what millimeter it is... Catweazle might be able to answer that one??

All tho 1500 meter sound like a lot for ur first open water tri.. Personally I would do a shorter one for my first race.. All the best with it..

Ya i'll be doing it in the Barrow it my tri club Trilogy. They meet twice a week and i can always rope in a few memebers to meet on an extra evening or two. I agree that others around you really can help with confidence.

1500 sounds a lot, but if someone can do it so can i. I might be slower but i'll go from not swimming in Feb to 1500m open water swim in Aug. Belief is half the battle, if i can do it in my head then all i have to do is tell the rest of my body.

mloc123 · 22-06-2011 2:38pm

noeleoreid wrote: »

swimming with other people in the water beside you, all be it they dont really help you a such

If you draft off them they do help

noeleoreid · 22-06-2011 2:52pm

thats a fair point actually , forgot about that,,..

noeleoreid · 22-06-2011 2:54pm

elvis jones wrote: »

Ya i'll be doing it in the Barrow it my tri club Trilogy. They meet twice a week and i can always rope in a few memebers to meet on an extra evening or two. I agree that others around you really can help with confidence.

1500 sounds a lot, but if someone can do it so can i. I might be slower but i'll go from not swimming in Feb to 1500m open water swim in Aug. Belief is half the battle, if i can do it in my head then all i have to do is tell the rest of my body.

I admire ur confidence there elvis jones... u sound very motivated.. keep up the good work... with an attitude like that, you should have no problems finishing.

elvis jones · 22-06-2011 3:00pm

Thanks,

I believe if i put in the training and do all the right work its possible and i'm willing to do that if it means i get out of the water after 1500m and heading to my bike:)

Oryx · 22-06-2011 9:15pm

Just echoing what others have said. You wont sink in a suit. To rest, just bob around or better still do an easy backstroke till you get your breath back. Open water is very disorienting, so make sure you can sight well. Youll not be in a river you know, its very easy to lose track of where you are. Check the swim route and know what to sight for.

elvis jones · 23-06-2011 7:57am

Oryx wrote: »

Just echoing what others have said. You wont sink in a suit. To rest, just bob around or better still do an easy backstroke till you get your breath back. Open water is very disorienting, so make sure you can sight well. Youll not be in a river you know, its very easy to lose track of where you are. Check the swim route and know what to sight for.

The backstoke is something i intend to work on in one session a week and going to hold off on the suit until 3 weeks brefore the race as it allows me time to get some more weight off !

Genghis · 24-06-2011 8:08am

Get a wetsuit, even borrow one. Go to the club session. Lose the fear. Change boards.ie name to El Fish Jones. Simples.

Seriously, the only way to beat tge fear is to meet it.

elvis jones · 24-06-2011 9:01am

Genghis wrote: »

Get a wetsuit, even borrow one. Go to the club session. Lose the fear. Change boards.ie name to El Fish Jones. Simples.

Seriously, the only way to beat tge fear is to meet it.

Cheers,

I'm holding off a few weeks on buying one as i'm in the middle of a push to get my weight down and i as others have said i need it tight so i want a few more inches of the belly before i purchase but i might rob one next week !

How buoyant is a wetsuit

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