Wetsuit illegal – to drown or not to drown?

[Face Plant]

[gummibear]

+1

 

It's a triathlon of which being able to swim the distance is the first and most important priority.

 

Wetsuits were introduced to triathlon to prevent competitors drowning due to hyperthermia issues, NOT because they cannot swim properly.

 

What next? Allowing drafting in triathlon will also defeat the object Oh crap to late the wankers already allow it....

 

That about sums up the problem with this world, to bladdy soft you humans are....

 

 

I did my first tri in 1988 with no wetsuit and......no bike helmet.

Edited December 8, 2011 by gummibear

[Garfield2010]

HTFU

 

So I win. Everyone agrees to allow wetsuits?

[SwissVan]

 

I did my first tri in 1988 with no wetsuit and......no bike helmet.

 

LOL my first tri (also in 88) was in a canoe....15km but probably swam a couple of km's cause i fall out so much.

 

 

Longest swim tri without a wetsuit was the Durban Souther Sun Ultra (+/- 3km) from Vetchies pier to North beach, at least the salt water helped with the floatation...

[SwissVan]

HTFU

 

So I win. Everyone agrees to allow wetsuits?

 

Urhm no, only if the rules (as per ITU) allow it udderwize it's cheating.

[Garfield2010]

Urhm no, only if the rules (as per ITU) allow it udderwize it's cheating.

 

I hope the guys who make the rules and more importantly decide the temps actively do triathlon.......

 

Global Warming are changing the way we race as well!!!

[gummibear]

LOL my first tri (also in 88) was in a canoe....15km but probably swam a couple of km's cause i fall out so much.

 

 

Longest swim tri without a wetsuit was the Durban Souther Sun Ultra (+/- 3km) from Vetchies pier to North beach, at least the salt water helped with the floatation...

 

I never did the Durban Ultra...always wanted to but never did.I did the Vanderbijl swim Ultra a few times.Was shocked the first time i had to swim in a River.Guess that's how the guys feel who do PE Im swim in the sea for the first time.

[gripen]

I did the 5150, JHB City Tri and also 70.3 in EL this year. I can tell you the water at 5150 wasn't cold. JHB City was perfect temperature (19-20). To be honest, the wetsuit does help but I find it hampers you as well - your arms work much harder in a wetsuit. You do feel this the next day. Personally, I have decided to work hard on my swimming, thus I don't care either way. If it's not a wetsuit swim, I need to harden up © and get stronger.

 

To quit a race if it becomes a non-wetsuit, that's going a bit far in my book. Self-seeding should really be encouraged or even better proper seeded starts (like with cycle races) based on previous swims. They do it for Midmar etc so why not? Most triathlons are chip-timed anyway so it's kind of irrelevant. I'd give up the ceremony start at the IM races to get a nice properly managed seeded swim start. No matter how good your swimming is, you will always get kicked.

[SwissVan]

I never did the Durban Ultra...always wanted to but never did.I did the Vanderbijl swim Ultra a few times.Was shocked the first time i had to swim in a River.Guess that's how the guys feel who do PE Im swim in the sea for the first time.

 

Durban Ultra was imo one of the great SA tri's, great venue and routes. Humidity was abit *** on the run, did it 4 times, only once without a wetsuit.

VdB did it twice both with wetsuit, its a strange river that funny smell and uphill in some parts

[Face Plant]

Durban Ultra was imo one of the great SA tri's, great venue and routes. Humidity was abit *** on the run, did it 4 times, only once without a wetsuit.

VdB did it twice both with wetsuit, its a strange river that funny smell and uphill in some parts

hey watch it that my back yard you speaking about

[SwissVan]

hey watch it that my back yard you speaking about

 

Strange smell (in those days) was what i would call a sand or mud smell, probably not what you thought i meant.

[Face Plant]

hahaha noooo.... today it actually does have a strange smell but mostly because of the raw sewage that flows into it every now and then

[Garfield2010]

These days the wetsuits protect you against all the crap in the water as well!!!

[SwissVan]

These days the wetsuits protect you against all the crap in the water as well!!!

 

Ha ha nice try....

 

Ever noticed how it's impossible not to swallow some water during a swimtri...

[pastapouch]

What is not clear to me and hundreds who think like I do is why race organizers do not make some sort of special provision for the use of wet suits purely for safety reasons.

I can't agree, learn to swim, and do the distance you're planning to compete in, without a wetsuit...and if you have aproblem DURING THE SWIM, you raise your hand and the life savers will asist. 600m swim is far, especially for beginners, TRAIN. We won't like to see the 94.7 thing in triathlon, too many people who compete and can't do the distance and never have done even half that. With a triathlon, if you battle in the swim, you'

re gonna battle afterwards as well.

[Disylizzy]

Its not that simple. Is it not dangerous to go swim alone in the open waters? And training groups are hard to find accept if you live at the coast.

 

Instead of shwong this guy away lets rather find a way to increase the numbers. The more people who do tri, the more events will pop up.

 

In any case who gives a damn about wetsuits. I am not bothered if another guy has a wetsuit...

 

I race for myself..............

 

Maybe let the non wetsuit guys start 5 min earlier?

 

 

A triathlon consists of swimming, biking, and running, does it not? So any new comer to the sport is aware that they would have to swim, if not then there is something seriously wrong somewhere.

 

If you are not comfortable with open water swimming, get some people together and go find a lake or dam to swim in. If you can't find anyone that wants to swim with you, don't go alone, but have someone on shore to watch you and stick to the shore line. Don't just look at triathlon clubs, look at swimming clubs as well in your area to get an idea of where and when people swim.

 

If you are scared of the crowds, start in the back.

 

I'm a firm believer that if you really want to do something, you'll find a way to do it.

 

And I'm most certainly not trying to chase people away, I'm all for helping people out, I'm more than happy to share my 20+ years of swimming with anyone that wants to hear it. Cause like you said the more people exposed to the sport, the more events.