Let’s face it – the task of choosing a triathlon wetsuit can be difficult enough, but once it arrives at your doorstep in all it’s rubbery glory, how should you actually begin using it? What are some changes that will be necessary to your swim stroke or pre-swim and post-swim rituals?

These 10 quick tips from the Rock Star Triathlete Academy will get help you prepare for using your triathlon wetsuit.

10. Don’t panic. When you first put on a triathlon wetsuit, especially if it’s a new one, you might feel a little claustrophobic and short of breath. Don’t worry…that’s completely normal. After the first few uses, it will loosen up a little bit. Excessive tightness will also be helped with the tip below.

9. Pull the sleeves and wetsuit legs far enough up your arms and legs. Too many triathletes wear a wetsuit like their sweatshirts or pants – pulled all the way down to the bottom of their wrists and the ankles. To allow for adequate freedom of rotation, pull your triathlon wetsuit about an inch or two higher than you would normal clothing, then pull that extra slack that this creates up into the shoulders and the hips.

8. Shave. Yes, this is for you guys, and maybe some of you ladies too. You’ll slide in and out of your triathlon wetsuit much easier if you don’t have all that hairy friction holding you back. Not only does this free up time for more swimming during practice and training, but your race transitions will of course be faster as well.

7. Kick Gently. Some triathletes kick too much in their triathlon wetsuits, while others drive their legs just as forcefully as if they were swimming without a wetsuit. The buoyancy of a wetsuit means that your legs float
closer to the surface of the water, and a light flutter kick will propel you just fine. Don’t completely stop kicking, just give yourself a bit of gentle propulsion (from the hips, not the knees!).

6. Wear It. This triathlon wetsuit tip should go without saying, but so many triathletes still wait until the day of the race or even the race itself to actually don the mighty wetsuit, then panic or swim slowly because they just aren’t used to the feeling of the wetsuit. Instead, for at least the final 6 weeks leading up to your race, try and swim at least once a week in your wetsuit. You can wear it in the pool, but just make sure you thoroughly rinse it in fresh water afterwards.

Tweet This Post

If you are in the market for a triathlon wetsuit, but you don’t have a clue about the difference between one triathlon wetsuit and another, here’s a few helpful tips about finding the right one for you.

Triathlon wetsuits offer many advantages, but they can also create some limitations. You’ll need to figure out which model will work best for you.

Triathlon wetsuits come in different forms. There is the full-body triathlon wetsuit, which is designed to cover the full length of your arms and legs, all the way to the wrists and ankles. Another form of triathlon wetsuit is called the “full John.” This model is similar to a vest on top, leaving the arms free, and covering the full length of the legs. Then there is the, “half John” Which is sleeveless and is much like a pair of knee-length shorts on the bottom.

Many people looking for a triathlon wetsuit sometimes confuse them with “skin suits.” Olympic swimmers often use skin suits. They can also be used for triathlon races. They are designed in such a way that the water slips around the body faster and gains slightly more buoyancy.

A triathlon wetsuit is legally allowed when the water temperature is below 78 degrees. Skin suits are designed for water temperatures above that level. Whether you use a triathlon wetsuit or a skin suit really depends on the temperature of the water.

Some people, those who naturally feel hot, will probably find a triathlon wetsuit or skin suit to be rather uncomfortable in waters that aren’t really cold. This is one of the disadvantages of a triathlon wetsuit or skin suit. They can make you heat up, especially if you are in a long triathlon race like the Iron Man. But if you are a person who naturally feels cold, or if you are swimming in water that is in the 50’s ferinheight or 10-13 celsius, a triathlon wetsuit will serve you well.

One of the other factors to consider when shopping for a triathlon wetsuit is how much flexibility it has, especially in the shoulder area. Most triathlon wetsuit brands are thicker in the torso region (the material is about 5 mm thick) and thinner in the shoulder area (about 1.5 mm thick). The fact that most triathlon wetsuit brands, are thinner the shoulders, means that it won’t limit your movement as much when swimming. So be sure to buy a triathlon wetsuit that is made to provide you with free mobility.

Many people also wonder which brand of triathlon wetsuit is best. Frankly, there are many great brands out there. The key is to find the wetsuit that best fits you. So you’ll need to try them on. A good-fitting triathlon wetsuit will be very tight everywhere on your body, but especially in the armpit and groin area. If a triathlon wetsuit is loose in these areas two things will happen. First, the loose material will rub on your skin and cause chafing. Second, the loose areas will fill up with water and slow you down as you swim.
So keep these factors in mind as you shop for a good triathlon wetsuit, and ROCK ON!

Tweet This Post