What temperature is a wetsuit necessary?

[watchman]

I have read my opinions concerning wetsuit as far as competitive advantage but what temperature does it become a necessity?
When hypothermia is an issue. Is there a rule of thumb?

mike

[Aussie Rob]

I can only offer my experience. I got in the water when it was 66 for the first time (didnt have a wetsuit) and was surprised by how ok it was. Next year ill probably venture in at the lowers 60's.

[watchman]

I am doing the Findlay Sprint Sept. 8. It is my first Triathlon.

I decided that the faster speed with a wetsuit would not make up for the time to take it off in transition so I was planning on going without one. It has started getting cooler at night so I have just started thinking about what to do if we had a huge drop in temp.
I know it probably will not happen but I was wondering.

Mike

[chuckm]

I ALWAYS ware my wetsuit when I race. I can get out of it in about 10 seconds. If you're worried about being too cold, just do a warm up of at least 5 minutes without the suit, if the water's too cold, you'll know it.

[Brandon]

Water should be plenty warm to go without the wetsuit. Considerations would be time gained during the swim with it vs. time lost taking it off in T1. Arm warmers on the bike in Sept.....that may be the thing to consider.

If it's snowing.....wear the wetsuit ;-) I agree with Rob, I can swim without it when water temps. are in the upper 60's.

[Steve Yutzy]

Unless you're swimming Alcatraz, or a wetsuit is mandatory like Great Lake Escape, my opinion is to judge time gained vs. time lost. Generally speaking for me that means without wetsuit in sprints, with wetsuit in olympic and up. I actually can get my suit off in about 10 seconds, I just don't like wearing it in sprints for some reason.

As far as temperatures, I personally can usually stand low 60's without a wetsuit.

However, Chuck and Brandon made a good point. The best wetsuit in the world won't do you any good if you can't get the darn thing off. Unless you want to bike in it...

Practice practice practice

[trikpark]

watchman said:

I have read my opinions concerning wetsuit as far as competitive advantage but what temperature does it become a necessity?
When hypothermia is an issue. Is there a rule of thumb?

mike

When it's too cold to get in without one. Seriously, Hypothermia would be a function of the individual and the duration of the swim at cold water temperatures. Heavier folks could stand it a bit longer. But why would you want to risk it anyway? I don't see the point in swimming in 50 degree water. I've swam in water at about 56 degrees with a full suit. It was cold, but tolerable for a 1.2 mi race swim. But I wouldn't want to swim in anything colder just from a personal preference point of view. That's why they make lap pools.

[sarajean]

watchman said:

When hypothermia is an issue. Is there a rule of thumb?

Here's the hypothermia information the Coast Guard distributes with life jackets. It assumes the person is floating in open water without a wetsuit.

Water Temperature	Exhaustion/Unconscious	Expected survival time
32.5	under 15 min	under 15 to 45 min
32.5 to 40	15 to 30 min	30 to 90 min
40 to 50	30 to 60 min	1 to 3 hours
50 to 60	1 to 2 hours	1 to 6 hours
60 to 70	2 to 7 hours	2 to 40 hours
70 to 80	2 to 12 hours	3 hours to indefinite
over 80	Indefinite	indefinite

[watchman]

thanks for all the info.

I am new to all this . I am trying to ask the experts

mike