I’m entering a Triathlon later in the year which includes a 750m open water swim. The instructions tell me I need a special triathlon wetsuit which I can buy for £150+ or hire for £40.

I’m not expecting to win and I’ll only be doing breast stroke. Is there any reason I can’t just buy a bog standard wetsuit from ebay for £25???

Cheers

Itll be too thick and restrict movement big time

hire one, or if you’re going to train try these – bargain.

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/orca-mens-kaisei-wetsuit/

But with any swimming wetsuit make sure you get tips on fitting it properly – makes the world of difference – from experience…

Look for second hand ones on eBay, I sold a 2xu t:0 recently for 65 quid.

It’s much nicer swimming whatever stroke in a pukka swimming wetsuit. If you use a surf suit for example, you will almost certainly be chafed, and the shoulder panels are nothing like as flexible as a swim wetsuits

If you use a surf suit for example, you will almost certainly be chafed, and the shoulder panels are nothing like as flexible as a swim wetsuits

I used my surfing wetsuit and was fine, but then it’s very thin, flexible and cost more than a tri suit

I did my first open water tri many years ago in windsurfing summer steamer I had already. I was slower in the swim than I could have been and my shoulders fatigued by the end but was mid pack out of the water and finished top 10 overall so it can be done.

If I didn’t have a wetsuit already in your position I’d probably find a nice cheap entry model tri specific swim one though. I’d imagine the entry fee was not small so why not pay a bit extra for the suit and get a suit right for the job. Open water swimming is ace fun so I hope you’ll use it after the event.

Hmmm, so a surf type suit won’t do it then.

Maybe buy from Wiggle and sell it again afterwards might be the best bet. I can’t see I’m going to use it after this one event.

Thanks folks

I’d avoid a 2nd hand one though. People piss in their wetsuits quite often.

I was so well hydrated at AdH tri last summer I had to pee 3 times whilst swimming. Luckily I’m very slow so very few people were behind me!

“I was so well hydrated at AdH tri last summer I had to pee 3 times whilst swimming” was it a double or triple ironman ?

Did an Ironman in a Diver’s wetsuit and was fine, only looked slightly out of place but managed in 1h13min (the swimming, not the whole lot 🙂 which was fine by me.

I would be very careful of using a surf wetsuit where water conditions are warm as they can lead to overheating with potential serious consequences. Early season, or where the water is cold (sea swim) that wouldn’t be a worry. For Mr LL’s first triathlon I cut down an old surf wetsuit so it was armless which made it all a bit easier.

Alpe d’Huez long course trail rat, 2,200m swim, which with my lack of swimming skillz took nearly an hour.

I had one as soon as I got in the water (you’ll know when triathletes are doing this as they stand still, crouch down a little and go quiet), one in the middle, and I felt like I needed to go again before the end of the swim, so I did to save me stopping in the rest of the race – it was a proper squeeze though.

It was a fail though as I had to stop about 3hrs into the bike.

tri suits not only move much better around the shoulders, they are generally more buoyant, which means you will swim faster in one than without (breastroke might compromise this).

I was so well hydrated at AdH tri last summer I had to pee 3 times whilst swimming. Luckily I’m very slow so very few people were behind me!

Very considerate of you, I wouldn’t have given a monkeys; go to go,suck it up folks!

If you think this will be the only tri you do then I wouldn’t bother, any sort of suit will get you through 750m ok. Bearing in mind though that most people don’t just do the one tri.

There again if you spend 25 quid on one from Lidl only to wear it for the 1 event after which it will just be hanging up in your spare room then I’d probably just hire one.

True the tri suits are pretty flexible but for a first time breast stroking tri maybe a bit of overkill.

Fresh pee in the water is likely to be the least of your worries in a swim in the UK 🙂

As above, I’d look at a second hand one.

Actually, when is the race?

Might be warm enough to not actually need one. I’ve done plenty of races where wetsuits were optional due to water temps. Only done one where wetsuits were banned as the water was too warm.

I know plenty who train in the lake without wetsuits as soon as the lake opens up (which is madness as we start swimming when the water is above 11C, it’s still bloody cold!).

I might be selling one on the 6th May….. 😐

“Very considerate of you, I wouldn’t have given a monkeys; go to go,suck it up folks!”

Yeah we’ll you lot **** everywhere as well don’t ya… and leave shed feathers all over the place.

As innit_gareth said. If only doing one with only 750m swim and breast stroke then any suit will do, you can still get chafing from a tri suit. I bought an orca entry level tri suit for £99 had it a good 3 years and it is great.

Unfortunately the wetsuit is compulsory so I have to do something. 750m should only take me 25 minutes or so, I think I’ll get a new cheap one and see how it goes.

Not bothered about people pissing in wetsuits, it’s sterile and probably less toxic than anything it’ll have been cleaned with.

Hire from Tri UK £35 for the whole year(plus deposit) if you like it at the end of the year you keep the suit. Otherwise return it.

http://www.triuk.com/products/foor/foor-classic-2011

Ditto what others have said about restricted movement in a non tri suit.

Also mine is cut off just below the knee and has a longer zip up the back so you can get out of it much quicker in transition.