This week we will look at what you can do to make you that little bit quicker in transition when taking your wetsuit off.
Swimming in a wetsuit can affect a swimmer’s experience in a number of ways, particularly with regards to buoyancy, mobility, and warmth. Firstly, a wetsuit provides additional buoyancy to the swimmer, which can make it easier to maintain proper body position in the water. This can be particularly helpful for beginners or those who struggle with maintaining proper form. The buoyancy can also reduce the amount of energy required to stay afloat, allowing the swimmer to focus more on their stroke and technique.
Secondly, wetsuits can impact a swimmer’s mobility. The added layer of neoprene material can make it more difficult to move freely, particularly around the shoulders and hips. However, modern wetsuits are designed to be more flexible, allowing for a greater range of motion than older models. Nonetheless, some swimmers may feel restricted in a wetsuit compared to swimming without one.
Finally, wearing a wetsuit can provide warmth and protection from cold water temperatures. The neoprene material traps a thin layer of water between the suit and the skin, which is then warmed by body heat. This insulation can help prevent hypothermia and allow swimmers to stay in the water for longer periods of time. However, in warmer water, a wetsuit can become too hot and uncomfortable, leading to overheating and fatigue.
… also, they can be a pain in the backside when it comes to transition! So, we thought we’d give you some tips about how you can make removal a doddle when it counts:
1. There is always time for lube! – make sure that when you are putting your suit on that you liberally apply your chosen wetsuit lubricant (I tend to use vaseline as its cheap, but manufacturers don’t recommend it as it can degrade the rubber) to the sticking points. Wrists, ankles and around your neck (which will help with chaffing).
2. Unzip and pull down to your waist as soon as you can when exiting the water, its so much easier to remove when its still got water in it. If you want you can remove your hat and goggles and hold in one hand as you pull your arm out let go of the hat and goggles so they stay inside the sleeve. This should make life a bit easier for you getting to transition without losing anything.
3. Once at your transition area, pull it down as far as you can in one swift movement, then step on each side in turn to pull it off your feet. Alternatively you can sit down and roll it down past your ankles but, in my view it wastes time. Plus if I sit down I might never get back up!
4. Practice, practice, practice. I really can’t emphasise this enough the more you practice removing it the easier it will be to do.
If you have any that we haven’t included let us know!
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