Triathlon - Wet suit?

My girlfriend is doing her first "triathlon" this weekend. It's a super sprint...very short. She has a 1/4 mile swim...in Lake Michigan. The water is about 60 degree's right now. Should she be wearing a wet suite?

My girlfriend is doing her first "triathlon" this weekend. It's a super sprint...very short. She has a 1/4 mile swim...in Lake Michigan. The water is about 60 degree's right now. Should she be wearing a wet suite?

Are you sure its 60 degrees? Thats mighty cold for August.

I would highly suggest a wetsuit at that temperature.

Wear a wetsuit only if you want to be competitive, it's a big advantage.
Most people will totally freeze at 60.
I have no idea what you guys will do with a wet suite, a water leak at Embassy Suites?

Personally, I think wet suits are for *******.

In 60 degree water, wear a wetsuit or risk hypothermia if you're not properly trained to swim in those kinds of temperatures. Regardless of the distance.

Wetsuits will be faster in almost any triathlon swim. The time penalty for removing the wetsuit is 60 seconds MAXIMUM if you're VERY slow at taking the suit off. Most mid-pack or back-of-pack swimmers will gain those same 60 seconds back in a swim as short as 300 meters.

I guess this question fits in rather well with this thread, but I've read that the buoyancy from a wet suits really help the swim portion. I swim laps now in a pool in normal bathing suits and can make do on the swim. I wonder if wearing a wet suit and swimming open water (like the Hudson River in NYC for the NY Tri) would help a good deal? Also, during transitions, does the suit come off? do you wear a pair of cycling shorts under a wet suit and change in transition? I would imagine coming out of a wet suit and just throwing a singlet or cycling jersey on while having tri-shorts under the wet suit. Is that how it works?

The news said 61 the other day. A quick search isn't too far off
http://www.coastwatch.msu.edu/michigan/m5.html

60 is cold. I'd definitely be wearing a wetsuit and maybe even gloves and a cap, but I'm a wimp like that.

I guess this question fits in rather well with this thread, but I've read that the buoyancy from a wet suits really help the swim portion. I swim laps now in a pool in normal bathing suits and can make do on the swim. I wonder if wearing a wet suit and swimming open water (like the Hudson River in NYC for the NY Tri) would help a good deal? Also, during transitions, does the suit come off? do you wear a pair of cycling shorts under a wet suit and change in transition? I would imagine coming out of a wet suit and just throwing a singlet or cycling jersey on while having tri-shorts under the wet suit. Is that how it works?

I did NYC and yes it helps a lot, You float with the suit on. Tri suit are also designed to come off relatively easy for your transition. Like was mentioned earlier 60 seconds max.... You won't wear cycling shorts wear tri-shorts, they are line cycling shorts but the pad is smaller so you can run in them. Running in wet cycling shorts will make for a bad day for your twig and berries.

You can wear a tri-shirt under your wetsuit or throw a shirt on after you pull your suit off (I do that but probably will start just wearing one underneath soon).

60 degrees is really cold in water. I scuba dive and wouldn't consider diving in that temperature water without a wetsuit. Your girlfriend can rent one at a dive shop for around $15 for the day. Besides keeping her significantly warmer, the wet suit does provide an advantage as others have said, because it will make her more bouyant.

nessessary-no
good idea-yes

60 degrees is really cold in water. I scuba dive and wouldn't consider diving in that temperature water without a wetsuit. Your girlfriend can rent one at a dive shop for around $15 for the day. Besides keeping her significantly warmer, the wet suit does provide an advantage as others have said, because it will make her more bouyant.

Hold on a sec though.... Definitely don't rent a Dive shop wetsuit or surf or anything like that. Those are not designed for open water swimming and while it will keep her warm, it will otherwise put her at a disadvantage in the swim. There are a couple online companies that rent them, or check your local running store/tri shop.

I don't think a wetsuit is needed unless she gets cold really easy or will be in the water longer than ~10 minutes. But i do recommend one if you can find a place to rent.

I've been doing triathlons since 1985 and didn't bother buying a wetsuit until 2000 for IMLP (2.4 miles in 70 degree water) and even then it was more for competitive advantage than warmth. In my pre-wetsuit days I think my coldest swim was 1990 Malibu which was 1/2 mile in 64 degree water (almost everyone else had a wetsuit). My hands and feet got a bit cold but I was fine.

actually wait a second, a 1/4 mile swim is nothing, i wouldn't bother.

normally i would say definitely but 400m is pretty short, she could probably survive without it. she may only be in the water for a few minutes depending on how she swims. even if she's a poor swimmer she's only looking at like 10-15min max. but if there's a suit readily available i'd use it.

My girlfriend is doing her first "triathlon" this weekend. It's a super sprint...very short. She has a 1/4 mile swim...in Lake Michigan. The water is about 60 degree's right now. Should she be wearing a wet suite?
If she has a wetsuit tell her to wear it. If she doesn't, I don't think I'd worry too much about hiring. Even a slowish swimmer will only be in the water for 8 or 9 minutes and she won't freeze in that time. I did a (wetsuit banned) 1k ocean swim earlier this year at @ 61F and whilst it felt pretty chilly, after a few minutes it was fine.

My inlaws live on Lake Michigan so I can relate first hand that the water is always cold. Read the attached news story about the Milwaukee Tri held earlier this month and I think you may want to get the wet suit.

http://www.wkowtv.com/global/story.asp?s=10834565

For 90+% of people 60F is really freakin cold. They will enter the water and immediately hyperventilate unless they warmup in it beforehand. Even with warmup, most will react negatively.
Even with a short swim, the wetsuit will help - buy, rent, borrow one that fits if you can.
That being said, for myself - I abhor wetsuits and don't use them. Even for Alcatraz at 53 F- them's fun times!

Lake Michigan is friggin cold right now. WAY colder than it was last year at this time.
Chicago Triathlon is Sunday, and I'm guessing there will be a lot of hypothermia induced DNF's.

I am not looking forward to that 1.5k swim on Sunday morning... in 58-60 degree water, with an air temp in the mid to upper 50's with a stiff wind blowing from the North. I'm hoping to stop shivering around the 20 mile mark on the bike.

She got down to the city this afternoon. Her and her friend went to check out the water. Early reports: Not good.