Triathlon - speedo fastskin v triathlon wetsuit

What is the difference between a speedo fastskin and a regular triathlon wetsuit? if you are doing triathlons from about a half mile through olympic distances, what benefits do each suit offer? is a fastskin similar to a wetsuit or is it merely for "speed" ?

well to answer my own question i simply asked 2 of my friends who coach a college swim team or swims for texas am. to answer my question: fastskins are simply for gliding through the water. they really offer no support for boucyance and tend to retain water over time. they are mainly useful for shaving milliseconds off yourtime when you are in competitive swimming competition. Wetsuits are useful for tris and the boucyance issue. i was mistaken that fastskins could be used in place of a wetsuit but nope i was wrong

Good to know, thanks.

I, for one, am lamenting the move to all these new, hi-tech textiles. I have fond memories of itty bitty "paper suits" at the big meets and think it's such a ripoff that these folks, who arguably have the best-looking physiques in the sporting world, are wearing more fabric these days. Sigh.

H2O,
I'm not sure I've ever seen a "paper suit" of this sort, so please feel free to post any pictures you might have. For educational purposes only, of course :D

I think the fastskin option does help in longer swims like 1/2 IM's and full IM's that don't allow wet suits due to water temps warmer than the guidelines allow. In fact I see many of the pro's using knee-skins in Kona. When I raced IM Hawaii in 2003 I used Fastskin Jammers as the salt water helped alot. In shorter events you will loose more in T1 than you gain using a wetsuit or fastskin - so in shorter events just go with something like the typical tri wear that can be used for all 3-events. For some it may just be a safty feeling of being able to float with a wetsuit and or added warmth/comfort over a straight speedo.
I use the speedo Fastskin (hi-neck kneeskin) option for all my Tri's now (although I am a long course person) when the water temps don't allow wet suits. Although mine is last years model (Fastskin first generation) and not the Fastskin-II, although they are very close in design. If the temps do allow wet suits I will go with my IM Stealth longjohn for better arm motion. In early season I'm a wimp and just hate cold water (must be age) and go with my IM Stealth Full. Remember in either of the above 3-options you still have to get out of it in T1, although for me comfort is an overiding option and I will give up 20 seconds in T1 to get it. I tend to wear a speedo under all of the above options and use them as underware - putting my bike shorts on over them in T1 after I get out of any of the above 3-options. For all out swimmers in the college ranks it is a 1 - 2 seconds at best but more likly milliseconds (as noted) But that which can make the difference between winning an 800 or not.

Let's just say they were smaller than this... remember, this was in the early 90s before all the high-tech stuff. Back then, less was more.

(photo from kastawayswimwear.com)

Oh - you probably mean for women. Ours were just really tight speedos, but seethrough. Naturally, I won't be posting any of those. :)

Ya, I have to ditto MHR. They will help in longer distance wetsuit ilegal races. Though, for racing up here, there are races were you HAVE to have a wetsuit(first race of the season here usually has a handfull of hypothermia cases after the swim). Not to mention for anything sprint and over, I find the time saving of a proper tri wetsuit, greatly outweighs the time it takes me to get my suit off(50-60sec T1, opposed to a 30sec T1). Plus if you use it right, you barley have to kick wich saves your legs for the bike/run.

Let's just say they were smaller than this... remember, this was in the early 90s before all the high-tech stuff. Back then, less was more.



well we are in the middle of the first decade of the 21st century... ill take full advantage of the jammers, wetsuits etc... im sure the ladies wish we could go back to 90s haha. more power to the swimmers who still sport the speedo hahahahahaha that was the funniest and best post ive ever read on here. im still laughing haha thanks

Last year I raced a guy wearing a wetsuit and watched him get out of it in around 5 seconds, he was pulling it off as we exited the water (lake.) He had his bike shorts under the wetsuit. Needless to say, his T-1 was really fast. After the race, he told me he had Pam (cooking spray) on his body to help get the wetsuit off. I laughed; however, he swore up and down it was true. Anybody heard of this before?

Last year I raced a guy wearing a wetsuit and watched him get out of it in around 5 seconds, he was pulling it off as we exited the water (lake.) He had his bike shorts under the wetsuit. Needless to say, his T-1 was really fast. After the race, he told me he had Pam (cooking spray) on his body to help get the wetsuit off. I laughed; however, he swore up and down it was true. Anybody heard of this before?

I always assumed they used 'something' to get the suit off fast. I just didn't know what.

I don't use a wetsuit, so I need somebody to try this out! Maybe we could get Mythbusters involved!

I've seen dozens of people doing it, and I've only done two races!

I always assumed they used 'something' to get the suit off fast. I just didn't know what. I would never use "PAM" with a wetsuit I owned - a much better product that almost most everyone (and will not hark your wetsuit) uses is "ultraglide" a stick that most marathon runners use toi fend off chaffing. I use it on my ankles, sholders, neck, wrists (if I'm wearing a full). I can get out of my wetsuit in like 10 seconds or less, but then again I practice alot by swimming with swimmers in several open water races (a race series I do in the spring/early summer - 1.0 mile swim and a 5k run) that are not Triathlons.

Interesting...are you referring to the "lubricant" ultraglide or is this a specialty product?

Let's just say they were smaller than this... remember, this was in the early 90s before all the high-tech stuff. Back then, less was more.

(photo from kastawayswimwear.com)

Oh - you probably mean for women. Ours were just really tight speedos, but seethrough. Naturally, I won't be posting any of those. :)

I still have an unworn paper suit, found it last month while cleaning out my closet...yes, a size 24 mens paper suit (to get an idea of how big this suit is get out a small ziplock bag, yup, thats about the right size...) I rememebr when girls wore see through suits, god i loved swim meets...then aquablade's came along, and unless they were any other color besides black or dark blue...they weren't see though until after a few meets...I still have about 6 aquablades left over...all size 28....then came jammers, first aquablade jammers and then the fastskin/sharkpoop stuff...no more see through suits on girls and guys looking like something out of a sci-fi movie....:(. Some of the full body suits claim that they limit extraneous muscle movement increasing endurance...i didnt notice a difference...plus you dont get to feel the awesome shaved diving into the water feeling....

Ahhh, a kindred spirit. Cheers!