Wetsuit in the Pool. Dork Factor?

Well, I think you knew the answer to the dork factor before you posted this.  But we all run around in spandex, so…  welcome to the nuthouse.

While I agree with the chlorine not being great for the suit, were it me and the first time I'd wear it were a race?  I'd take a dip in the pool and swim with it first - if for nothing more than peace of mind.  Not regularly, but in this specific case, I would.

Just be sure to rinse the daylights out of the thing after the pool (and before you then go and pee in it before the race).

Matt

Agree - there was a guy who came to the Y swimming in his wetsuit several times last spring. I thought he must be getting ready for a triathlon and moved on.

I did it once at a gym pool to get used to the wetsuit for the first time.  I guess I didn't really care what other people thought.  I wanted to see what it was like putting it on, getting it off, and swimming in it for a bit.  Wearing a wetsuit in a heated pool isn't something that I'd want to do again.

When I was training for my first Ironman I did the full 2.4 mile swim in a heated pool wearing my wetsuit. That's about 84.5 laps (25 yard pool) so I went 85 laps hah!  Yes it was hot, I got out and poured cold water down the front a couple times. 

My swim confidence was fairly low at the time, so doing that swim was a big confidence builder. I'm glad I did it.

I agree with this ^^^^^^^.  I did the same thing several years ago when I got a new suit in February and wanted to try it out in the water just to make sure it fit well.  I tried going to the pool during a Sunday afternoon when it's usually very quiet in order to minimize being seen and feeling more like a dork.  Ironically, it was the busiest Sunday afternoon I ever experienced and at least a half dozen people asked me what I was doing and all the others just kind of starred at me like I was wearing some type of rubber fetish gear.  There is no doubt I felt like a dork, but I got my mission accomplished.

As others have said, just make sure to rinse it real good afterward.  Oh, and no need to swim a 3500 yard workout in the suit.  I think I only did a couple hundred just to minimize the chlorine exposure.

It's either wear it at the gym pool or do what I did and head out to a local lake. Water temps were 45 degrees Fahrenheit. People driving past probably thought “that guy’s crazy” but it was all about race prep. I’m glad I didn’t wait for race day.

Dork Factor?  Cmon.  It's not like you:

• Wear spandex shorts all the time.... ermmm wait a minute.
• Obsess about how much protein you are consuming in each meal.... ermmmm wait a minute.
• Really need to "get the latest Giro helmet to improve your areodynamics".....   ermmmm wait a minute
• Accept that peeing on your bike is a culterally accepted norm..... ermmm wait a minute
• Constantly talk about the sport of triathlon to people who would rather watch repeat episodes of Full House then listen to one more minute... ermmm
• Drive your spouse so crazy with your type A personality that if "I mention that I NEED to get a workout in today" one more time I better start looking for a new place to live.......  ermmm......

Sorry, I all of a sudden hijacked this thread to discuss the last conversation with my wife. 

We are all dorks.  It's just if you care what the water walkers at your pool have to say about you.  I, for one, don't give a flying fook what they say.

Swim in your wetsuit in the pool a couple of times but clean it off good and absolutely never admit it to the manufacturer if there is an issue.

I personally don't care what people think! I would wear mine in pools that were just too darn cold for me to swim in. One season the heater broke a couple of times at the gym pool. I would pull out my wetsuit and get to it, while everyone else trying to swim was freezing!