thinking about getting a swim specific wetsuit for the summer, anyone got any advice as to what to look for and decent brands/models. it will be used for open water sea swimming, non competitive.
i'm probably going to look for a used one this time but if i do buy new ideally something around 150quid.
The best brand for you will be the one that fits you best. Try and find somewhere where you can try them on. Different suits can also have different buoyancy and what suits depends on your swimming style.
Some useful info here and both sites have Facebook groups where your questions are often answered...
[url= http://www.outdoorswimmingsociety.com/index.php?p=swimming_tips&s=outdoor ]OSS - Wetsuits 'n Stuff[/url]
[url] http://www.devonandcornwallwildswimming.co.uk/ [/url]
Try and find a triathlon etc... shop that has a reasonable stock and try a few on - there is a big difference in fit across different brands and models.
One that appears to fit fine can suddenly feel horrible when you try a different one that fits better.
Where are you based?
+1 try some on. Different brands until you find the best fit, and then different sizes. My first wetsuit was too small, only I didn't find out until I got my second.
If you say non-competitive, ie. you're not entering any events that require one, then do you need one? I find they're a pain to put on and take off, expensive if you crash into anything and tear them, a big (and wet) thing to carry around on the way to and from your swim, generally a bit limiting. Oh and they chafe if you don't lube your body pre-swim, and even one that fits really well is not as comfy to swim in as not having one on.
They only have two advantages - warmer, and slightly faster and more buoyant to swim in if you're in a hurry, which is why you need one for events if you race, and extra buoyancy is nice I guess if you want to sit floating while taking photos or whatever (although in salt water any idiot floats easily, so that is less of a big thing).
On warmth, unless you're right up the top of Scotland, the sea doesn't really get so cold in summer that it is too cold to swim without a wetsuit for a long time. You just need to be acclimatised by going in the sea on a regular basis (most people recommend at least once a week). Cold showers can help too - friend of mine started swimming this year two weeks back (at 5 degrees water temperature), just off the back of daily cold showers.
Last year, at 17C water temp, I could swim for as long as I can swim for (more than an hour no problems), without hurrying about it. Even at 14 or 15 I could swim an hour.
This winter I've been swimming through, weekly on Thursday mornings in the river, and 5 mins at 2 degrees, 10 minutes at 3 degrees is no problem, 30 mins at 7 is doable, so I suspect my tolerance is very much improved over last year now, and I'm pretty sure I could swim as long as I liked in the sea in May or June.
The great thing about sea as opposed to rivers too is that the temperature changes much more slowly, so even at night, sea swimming is nice in summer, whereas rivers can drop off hard after sunset, so you can get your weekly swim fix for acclimatisation in any time you have an hour spare.
So there you go. 150 quid saved. Buy you a lot of post-swim cake. Simple.
Joe
Also, if you're at all sceptical about the possibility of sea swimming without a wetsuit, check out these nutters, who do weekly swims in the sea - I'm pretty sure they live somewhere colder than you do, assuming you live in the UK.
