I'm gonna do my second TRI with an 800m swim this weekend and water temps are 64-66 in a spring fed lake. The race director said wetsuit is a must. I found a $64 O'Neil sleeveless dive suit that I figured would work for the once or twice a year I would use it. I'm under 5' and it fit me well so I figured it would work. I'll swim in it the first time tomorrow, but honestly after reading more and realizing its not made from the slippery sleek stuff the very expensive tri suits are made from is this suit the complete wrong thing for this novice TRI athlete? My 400m was done in under 12 minutes and I expect to do the 800m in 20 or so minutes. I'm not looking to increase seed, just be comfy and warm and still be able to swim. Any advice?

Zoy from New Mexico

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Hi Zoy’E,

Thank you for contacting TriathaNewbie.com!

We like to give advice that is kind to the wallet but practical for the newbie. So we think you should head down to the lake in which you will be competing for a test swim with the wetsuit you already have. If you find that you are super freezing, you might want to upgrade to a new wetsuit that is warmer.

If you can’t get there for a test swim, you can buy a new wetsuit to bring with you to the race. Arrive early and test out your wetsuit. If you find you are cold, tear off the tags from the new one and wear it in the race. If you don’t end up using it, return it.

BTW, we received your race article, but we did not get your photos. Perhaps they are too large and not making it to our inbox. Can you upload them to our Facebook page? WE can grab them from there.

Be well.
Julie
TriathaNewbie.com staff

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