Really? Yes. Yes. Yes.
Depending on your pace, you will be in the water at least an hour (and perhaps quite a bit longer), assuming you are swimming any distance.
Wetsuits provide thermal insulation and give you an advantage because they provide buoyancy. This means your energy gets used for propulsion, not staying afloat.
Jay Peluso, owner of Peluso Open Water in Richmond, VA, recommends you wear a wetsuit in any event that is wetsuit legal.
“Wetsuits are, without question, faster than swimming without a wetsuit,” Peluso said.
This is supported by a large amount of research that has compared the performance of swimmers and triathletes with and without wetsuits.
Now this means you can’t borrow your neighbor’s scuba diving wetsuit: that one is designed to compress and sink; not exactly what you are looking for.
Be sure to practice in the wetsuit you will be swimming in. It will feel different and you want to be certain it fits you properly and won’t cause any unnecessary anxiety on event day.
Peluso reminds us “body type, neck fit, and a comfortable cut are unique for each individual. You have to practice in the wetsuit you will use.”
Peluso recommends a wetsuit with sleeves if at all possible because sleeves are faster. He cautions that “some swimmers who have been training their whole lives without wetsuits may feel overly constricted or lose their feel for the water if they swim in sleeves.”
Some people argue that a sleeveless wetsuit is easier to remove.
Peluso points out that “taking the top part of a wetsuit off is never an issue, it’s the legs that are difficult to remove.”
Peluso supports full legs, too, and not a shorty.
“The more coverage you have, the faster you will be.”
Renting a wetsuit vs. buying one is a personal decision.
Peluso says, “If you aren’t going to be doing many races, then it makes more financial sense to rent. Trying a wetsuit is vital. Just like you would never try a brand new pair of running shoes on race day, you should never try a wetsuit for the first time on race morning.”
Karen Kovacs, PT, OCS is a physical therapist and clinical director of Tidewater Physical Therapy‘s Gloucester Point location. She is an accomplished endurance athlete and is a USAT Level 1 Coach.