So the water temp is 78.1 degrees.....

In my oly last year (where we actually swam .. the other one they cancelled the ocean swim and made it a Du) it was just over 78.  I figured I would be in contention with the field, so I did not wear my wetsuit.  I did wear my speedsuit that I had bought for just that circumstance the year before.

Swim ended up being long and I had a terrible one, then got a flat about 3 miles into the ride, so my chances of placing were thrown out the window anyway although I still ended up 9th in the AG.

If you feel the comfort need for a wetsuit, go for it!  It is your race to do as you please.

Well technically, wearing it above 78 degrees would be against the rules.

I guess I see it in the same boat as fouling in basketball. It's definitely against the rules, and as such, you are assessed a penalty. In certain situations, it can be advantageous from a strategic standpoint.

Is the penalty worth it to you?

EDIT: I also wanted to add that I've never, ever seen a wetsuit being worn in a non-wetsuit-legal race. If I did... I would immediately think either the guy did not understand the rules, or was physically uncapable of completing the swim without it. In which case he should not be in the water. Either way, you will definitley stand out in a big way if you wear it.

I will be doing the Vineman 70.3 this year. It is stated on the web site that water temps could be above 78 degrees and not wetsuit legal. However, I have been reading race reports from the last 5 years and the water temperature always seems to be 77 degrees which makes the race wetsuit legal.  I believe they do not take an accurate temperature so that it can be a wetsuit legal race.  I will not be placing in by AG at this race and will only be racing myself. That said, I would still like to place high in my AG and will be giving it everything I have. There is too much of a competitive advantage when wearing a wetsuit versus not wearing one. If it is wetsuit legal I will be wearing my wetsuit, but I am afraid of overheating. However, I swim quite well without a wetsuit and hope that it is not wetsuit legal because I believe I will place higher if everyone does not have a wetsuit. Although, I am thinking about buying a speed suit. 

I wouldn't wear it.

You will be hot and sweaty. Any opportunity to NOT wear a wetsuit is a great thing, in my opinion.

I would not, but I am comfortable swimming without a wetsuit.

If it's a sprint, your time savings go down, shorter time in the water, longer time in transition taking it off (only a couple seconds, but still....).   If it's Oly or longer, i would just get overheated.  Doesn't just affect the swim, affects your performance later in the race.  Your body has to do some work to regulate that temperature, so you may not in fact be working less

That is not really right.  It is the race directors call above 78 as to whether or not they want to allow people to use them, but with the caveat that they will not be eligible for placing.  As the OP said.  It has been the same in the races I've done where it is either really close or over the cut off.

At the one I mentioned, they recorded your number before the swim start if you wanted to wear one.  No penalty, just moved you out of the AG category.

But yes, if the wetsuit is used as a "crutch" then there are some other underlying swim issues and perhaps it is not best to do races without one until they are more comfortable swimming.

It's not AGAINST the rules.  It just takes you out of awards consideration if the water temperature is between 78.1 and 83.9 degrees F.  Thus, if you want to wear a wetsuit at 81 degrees, it's your option, but if you place, you don't get awarded as such.

That being said, I don't think I would consider the person INcapable of swimming the distance without the wetsuit if I saw someone wearing one.  I just know it makes swimming a lot easier for folks.  I don't  think I would wear one.  I've swam a lot of races without a wetsuit that were VERY wetsuit legal.  I regret NOT wearing a wetsuit in those situations.  

Just be aware of the overheating potential if you do decide to wear it.  

What's "not right"? That I've never seen it? How would you know? I understand the rules; I was simply stating that I have never observed it in the races I've participated in or watched. Which is why I would think someone would really stand out if they chose to do so.

Fair enough. In my mind, though, they don't assess penalties unless you've broken a rule.

Who said it was a penalty?  USAT certainly doesn't refer to it as a penalty.  And it's NOT breaking a rule to wear the wetsuit at 78.1 degrees F as stated before.   

Perhaps I should have put it in quotes to appease the wordsmiths. The "penalty" is not being eligible for AG awards. That seems obvious. You are put in a different category because you choose to play by a different set of rules.

I also said "in my mind." Which refers to the fact that not everyone thinks exactly alike.

Wordsmith I am not.  An observant reader would be a more appropriate title.  I just wanted to clarify for those that would consider wearing a wetsuit between the temperatures of 78.1 and 83.9 that it is NOT a penalty and it IS legal.  I wasn't trying to offend you at all.  

Not sure if it semantics or not, but the races I've been in don't just disqualify you from the awards for wearing a wetsuit, they disqualify you from placing at all.  Those who decided to wear wetsuits are placed in their own little group at the bottom of the standings sheet, because they didn't "race."  They were allowed to be in triathlon, their time was recorded, but that's it.  There is no reporting of their time to any agencies, since they technically didn't race.

Wow, pretty touchy aren't we?

You stated you understand the rules.  But in your previous post you said that the person wearing it  either did not understand the rules or is incapable of swimming without it.  Two very not-so-nice things to say.

Because you have demonstrated that you do NOT understand the rules.  The rule states (verbatim):

4.4 Wet suits. Each age group participant shall be permitted to wear a wet suit without penalty in any event 

sanctioned by USA Triathlon up to and including a water temperature of 78 degrees Fahrenheit. When the water

temperature is greater than 78 degrees, but less than 84 degrees Fahrenheit, age group participants may wear a wet

suit at their own discretion, provided however that participants who wear a wet suit within this temperature range

shall not be eligible for prizes or awards. Age group participants shall not wear wet suits in water temperatures equal

to or greater than 84 degrees Fahrenheit. The wetsuit policy for elite athletes shall be determined by the USAT