wetsuit buoyancy

Forum guidelines BT super discount
General Discussion Triathlon Talk » wetsuit buoyancy Rss Feed  
Moderators: k9car363, alicefoeller Reply
2008-05-13 2:01 PM

User image

Expert
708
500100100
work, road, bike, pool
Subject: wetsuit buoyancy
I will be swimming in my wetsuit for the first time on Thursday and Using it in a race on Sunday

It is a Blue Seventy - Reaction - Long John..... My question is How bouyant will i now be?

will it be like swimming with a kick board between your legs buoyant? or pull buoyie? or what ever there called....

if it makes a differennce... im 6'2" 210lbs

2008-05-13 2:08 PM
in reply to: #1399941

User image

Champion
5575
5000500252525
Butler
Subject: RE: wetsuit buoyancy
I am 6'7" 210ish and if I go into water over my head I can float like a buoy in the water without moving my hands and feet.  If I want I can float on my back and arms and legs won't sink.  Trust me you won't sink.  If you drown in a wetsuit someone knocked you unconscious.
2008-05-13 2:23 PM
in reply to: #1399941

User image

Expert
708
500100100
work, road, bike, pool
Subject: RE: wetsuit buoyancy
im not too woried about drounding as much as just being able to use my arms and not have to use my legs other then the occasional kick or small flutters.

I cannot float at all in the pool... I try almost every week and noting..

Do you notice a large improvement in your times using a suit?
2008-05-13 2:24 PM
in reply to: #1399941

User image

Champion
6285
50001000100100252525
Beautiful Sonoma County
Subject: RE: wetsuit buoyancy
I don't think my wetsuit is as buoyant as a pull buoy or kick board.  But it does keep my legs closer to the surface than I normally swim.
2008-05-13 2:29 PM
in reply to: #1400010

User image

Extreme Veteran
597
500252525
Fairfax
Subject: RE: wetsuit buoyancy
I wouldn't say that a suit guarantees a faster time, because there are lots of factors in OWS.  I would recommend swimming with it a couple of times in the pool because there's a distinct difference in the amount of pressure on your shoulders while in a wetsuit.  It's not hard to get used to, you just don't want to have that feeling for the first time on race day.
2008-05-13 2:34 PM
in reply to: #1400019

Master
1384
1000100100100252525
Brooklyn, NY
Subject: RE: wetsuit buoyancy
strostertag - 2008-05-13 3:29 PM

I wouldn't say that a suit guarantees a faster time, because there are lots of factors in OWS.  I would recommend swimming with it a couple of times in the pool because there's a distinct difference in the amount of pressure on your shoulders while in a wetsuit.  It's not hard to get used to, you just don't want to have that feeling for the first time on race day.


DITTO - Until I got it clarified, I thought I had bought the wrong suit when my shoulders felt the pressure too. Any form of restrition will be like a weight on you after you've been swimming with no restriction at all. I also second swimming a few times before heading out to a race with it.

Good luck on your race.



2008-05-13 2:40 PM
in reply to: #1400010

User image

Champion
5575
5000500252525
Butler
Subject: RE: wetsuit buoyancy
tri-dg - 2008-05-13 2:23 PM im not too woried about drounding as much as just being able to use my arms and not have to use my legs other then the occasional kick or small flutters. I cannot float at all in the pool... I try almost every week and noting.. Do you notice a large improvement in your times using a suit?
Yes, your legs will float and you don't need to kick at all to keep them up.
2008-05-13 2:44 PM
in reply to: #1400012

User image

Elite
3290
20001000100100252525
Oliver, BC, "Wine Capital of Canada"
Subject: RE: wetsuit buoyancy

madkat - 2008-05-13 12:24 PM I don't think my wetsuit is as buoyant as a pull buoy or kick board. But it does keep my legs closer to the surface than I normally swim.

How old is your suit? Up until 2 years ago I was using a wetsuit I purchased in 95. I had thought the older one had pretty good bouyancy until I tried my new one. With the old suit I could stay verticle in the water with little effort. It's almost impossible for me to do this with the new suit as the bouancy in the legs is that much better.

Wet suits have come a long way in past several years. 

2008-05-13 2:57 PM
in reply to: #1399941

User image

Expert
708
500100100
work, road, bike, pool
Subject: RE: wetsuit buoyancy
its a brand new one... and its a long john... (cut off at the sholders so there are no sleves) will i still feel the same pressure on the sholders?
2008-05-13 3:05 PM
in reply to: #1400010

User image

Coach
10487
50005000100100100100252525
Boston, MA
Subject: RE: wetsuit buoyancy
tri-dg - 2008-05-13 2:23 PM im not too woried about drounding as much as just being able to use my arms and not have to use my legs other then the occasional kick or small flutters. I cannot float at all in the pool... I try almost every week and noting.. Do you notice a large improvement in your times using a suit?
then you will notice it right away, like swimming with a buoy!
2008-05-13 3:06 PM
in reply to: #1399941

User image

Pro
5761
50005001001002525
Bartlett, TN
Subject: RE: wetsuit buoyancy
I have recently bought a shorty wetsuit (shorts and short sleeves) and I am really liking it.

2008-05-13 4:05 PM
in reply to: #1399941

User image

Expert
828
50010010010025
Subject: RE: wetsuit buoyancy
I stopped a couple of times to find the buoy...with my wetsuit I floatedup and down like a cork and wasn't moving arms/legs at all....it was actually a bit nauseating going up and over every 3 foot wave....
2008-05-13 4:09 PM
in reply to: #1400103

User image

Veteran
285
100100252525
Broomfield, Colorado
Subject: RE: wetsuit buoyancy
tri-dg - 2008-05-13 1:57 PM

its a brand new one... and its a long john... (cut off at the sholders so there are no sleves) will i still feel the same pressure on the sholders?


If it's pulled up far enough, you'll feel a bit of restriction, but not much. If it's not pulled up far enough, yeah, you'll feel quite a bit of resistance.

FWIW - Make sure you put lots of body glide on your neck (all the way around), over your shoulders, and underneath your upper arms, because those wetsuit kisses are not much fun as you sweat on the bike and run portion.
2008-05-13 4:33 PM
in reply to: #1399941

User image

Elite
3471
200010001001001001002525
Evergreen, CO
Subject: RE: wetsuit buoyancy

And body glide on your ankles to make taking it off much easier.  I find my wetsuit to be very tight for breathing until I get used to it.  Practice as much as you can in it before the race.  And take the time to put it on right so you can run from the water to T1.

You won't bob like a cork, but it's hard to not be horizontal in the water.

2008-05-13 4:45 PM
in reply to: #1400442

User image

Sensei
Sin City
Subject: RE: wetsuit buoyancy

I found it SURPRISINGLY bouyant the first time I put it on.  Got used to it though.

In terms of speed gains, I see up to 10 seconds per 100 when I put it on for a pool swim and compare it to swims without it.

2008-05-13 7:16 PM
in reply to: #1399941

User image

Extreme Veteran
536
50025
Millersville, MD
Subject: RE: wetsuit buoyancy
I, like you, sink like a rock when staying still in the water. With the wetsuit, I can literally just stay in place and float on my back. It will feel very strange at first, like being a cork bobbing around in the water.

New Thread
General Discussion Triathlon Talk » wetsuit buoyancy Rss Feed