Being an openwater swimmer who has never swum in a wetsuit I am a bit overwhelmed with all the choice (and cost) associated with aquiring a wetsuit for triathlon.

I'm doing a HIM in Sept and will need a wetsuit as I know it will drop my swim leg time. But I really don't know where to start.

I am a decent swimmer (technique wise) but won't have time to train to get a better swim time as need to really work on my bike and run legs. So I will do the 1.9km swim in OW in about 30min with no suit to give some idea of my pace.

So, should I go for a cheap suit since I'm not going to be the slowest out there or will that frustratingly restrict my stroke. Should I go for a more flex/thinner suit to optimise time reduction? Has anyone got any experience they can share on this front? I'd really rather not fork out $100s if I can avoid it.

What about sleeveless? They look like they could be a good option for fast T1, are cheaper and may not restrict shoulder movement BUT none of the elites wear them so maybe they are not a good choice.

By the way I don't at all care about it keeping me warm as I can quite happily swim in 55degF water for several hour without a suit - maybe I should worry about getting to hot?