Would you forego wetsuit in sprint

your wetsuit isn't causing cramping

Unless he's unconsciously tensing up muscles when he wears the wetsuit, which then causes the cramping.  If that's the case, more time swimming in the wetsuit will alleviate them, because he'll either learn to relax, or he'll gain enough fitness that he doesn't cramp anymore despite the cramping.

Either way, my answer to his question of whether I'd forgo the wetsuit in a sprint is no, assuming the swim is at least 200m.

Just curious,. since I see you and Shane use it when this topic comes up, where does the 200M mark come from?  What's the formula there?

Removing a wetsuit should cost no more than 10 seconds in T1, or 20 seconds if you're really slow.  The average triathlete swims about 10 seconds faster per 100 with a wetsuit than without.  At 200m, the time "invested" is 10-20 seconds, and the average "return" on that "investment"  is 20 seconds, so that's the tipping point (Or, to continue the business analogy, the "Break Even Point")

edited for clarification.

I'm still curious to know how the wetsuit is causing the cramping, and on what basis the OP has excluded every other cause.

I'm just a typical age grouper, but I've never heard of a wetsuit causing a cramp in 10+ years of racing....

Gotcha.

I was wondering about the avg. gain from a wetsuit.  That's a diminishing curve as swim ability goes up though, yeah?

If you aren't wearing a wetsuit, you're giving away time.  It takes me 5 seconds to take off my wetsuit. I step on the legs while I put on my helmet. Pro tip, cut the bottom 3-4 inches of your wetsuit legs off.

Yep, a wetsuit swim is a bad thing for a good swimmer....you're giving up time to almost everyone in a triathlon.

Agree. Swim Benefit - Added time in Transition = Decision.  I usually wear one at 800 or more. Certainly never at the 200 mark. I've gone without in a 500 swim in 50 degree water.

Yes, the benefit is less for better swimmers.

TJ has gills.  He's so far above the average triathlete AGer in swimming ability that the comparison is academic. 

Keep in mind that in order for the logic to work, everything else has to be eliminated. Or nothing at all had to have changed. For many, many people that is far from a given. Not realizing something else has changed doesn't mean nothing else did. Just don't have the experience to determine this all the time.

Also, see this:

The key word being "unconsciously". In other words, without realizing it.

How does anyone tense up in a wetsuit?  I think I could fall asleep in the water wearing one.

Still confused, as you are not the OP.   And still not buying that it is the wetsuit, but maybe it is, or it is I suppose if that's what you believe.  If anyone wants to swim bareback in a race I am in, I am all for it (especially if in my AG  )

Do you ever swim in the pool with a pull buoy?  That's a similar body position to a wetsuit (raising the hips), under your theory you should cramp there as well.