It's all a matter of personal comfort. I did a half ironman distance in a tri suit, and I found it uncomfortable. This may have been my seat, but my experience has been that both tri shorts and suits are not particularly comfortable. I gave my tri shorts to another guy because they hurt my male parts. The other guy thought they were great. Back in the day many of us raced in speedo-like suits. I was most comfortable then. They are designed with a man's body in mind.