first wetsuit swim

[divingbiker]

Y'all better never become scuba divers--we pee in our wetsuits all the time! One learns the method of yanking on the leg to get more water flow in there to rinse out the pee.

And the suit doesn't don't smell if you run it through the washing machine on the gentle cycle.

[rocknrollgirl]

Ok, so I will never surf cold water, be a scuba diver or a pro triathlete...I can live with that!

And I cannot fathom putting my wetsuit in the wash, not even on gentle, ....I have poked holes in it just putting it on.

[paytash]

Hmmmm-
My swim shop told me to NEVER swim in the pool with my wetsuit....Chlorine pools cause the material it's made of to disintegrate. Salt water pools I'm not so sure of because we don't have any here. I only use mine in open water.

[Wahine]

Chlorine does damage neoprene but not for a test swim or two. You wouldn't want to swim in the pool with it all the time. I have an old wetsuit that I use for working with clients in the therapy pool. I've worn it in there at least 5 or 6 times and no signs of accelerated wear as of yet. And those pools are really heavily chlorinated.

[silver]

this is a salt water pool. (And I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it!!!)

I'm liking the orca better than the 2XU. It's a little more flexible. I tried it out today. it's a little shorter on the arms and legs but the body seemed ok.

overall, I'm not really very happy with the whole wetsuit thing. why did I say I would do this tri

[rocknrollgirl]

Silver,
I think everyone, or most people feel that way about the wetsuit in the begininng. Once you get used to it, you will love it. Given a choice between two races, one that allows wetsuits and one that does not, I would always go with the wetsuit.

My DH is a sinker and he will not race without one. I hated it at first, and now I love it. Well, I still hate getting in to the thing. Give it time. Wait until you get in the open water.

[kelownagirl]

I tried on a wetsuit for the first time today. Now THAT was an experience. It was a size too small but I really had no clue because I know they fit tight. I got it from another teacher so it was dropped off at work. I had a prep so I went into the washroom and changed right then and there - I was dying to try it on. OMG. It was so hard to get on! But I managed to zip it almost all the way up. Then I got worried that I might split the zipper or something so I went down to the office, barefoot, in a wetsuit, and got the secretaries to take a look at the back and make sure I was wasn't hurting it. They zipped me up and the vice principal walked in and laughed that I was wearing a wetsuit in school. It was pretty funny. My class was in music at the time so of course, I had to go in and interrupt music to model it for them. I looked SO skinny in that thing - it held everything in tight. Unfortunately, it also cut off the circulation in my wrists and that my hands started to turn purple so I had to take it off. Ah well. A perfect Orca wetsuit, one size too small. Better luck next time...

[teawoman]

I'm going to have to rent one this summer for at least one tri (first ow swim), so this is all of interest to me!

[HillSlugger]

Try to make sure to pick it up ahead of the triathlon so that you can try it on in the water and try a swim in it. I hope you'll get a chance to practice OWS between now and then.

How long will the swim be? How cold will the water be?

[kelownagirl]

I get to try on another wet suit tomorrow. This one is supposed to be bigger. Again, I have to try it on at school. More people want me to give them a fashion show. I might have to start charging for it though.

[Bron]

And all of the children will be telling their parents "guess what our teacher was wearing to school today....."

I have my new wetsuit. It's a bit snug, so I hope it will be ok to swim in. DH certainly thought it was amusing watching me get into it.

[rocknrollgirl]

At our house we call it " doing the wiggle"

[Wahine]

We affectionately refer to it as "The wesuit dance."

[kelownagirl]

Well the girl who was letting me try hers forgot to bring it today but I did get another one in the inter-school mail. It was a sleeveless suit, with capri length legs. I don't think I really want a sleeveless suit but I figured I may as well try it.

I don't know. I tell these people my height and weight but they are TOO SMALL! I know they are supposed to fit tight, but this one was so tight, I really couldn't get it on. I finally managed to get it most of the way on but I couldn't zip it, at least not myself. Argh. I assume the next long sleeved one will arrive tomorrow and it IS supposed to be bigger that the first but I'm starting to wonder. Maybe I need to try on a medium at a store and see what THAT feels like. I'm not that big! What do the women who wear these tiny suits look like???

[kelownagirl]

And - Tri question. I was reading all the rules of the tri I am hoping to do next August. The swim starts at 7:15, you have to get body marked before that. So I guess you don't wear your wetsuit there eh? SO where do you put it on anyway? Out in public? The wetsuit wiggle dance, in the transition area?