I went for a truly wonderful early morning swim this morning. The lake I normally train in has changed its opening hours and created more slots for swimming. One of them is from 6:30am on a Tuesday morning, so at 6:15am I was the first car parked in the car park and I was ready to sign in and get swimming.
It was beautiful, the mist was still rising off the lake, the sun was just waking up and starting to warm up the day, while the lake was warm from all the recent great weather. In fact the lake was possibly too warm – my guess is about 21 degrees C.
Yet there were still people getting in today wearing wetsuits. Why?
I’ve nothing against wetsuits per se, it just seems such a shame to “protect” yourself from such beautiful water. Now I understand triathletes who have to train in race conditions, but for casual swimmers, on a day like today…?
I’m not angry, I’m just disappointed
1000kmstowindermere 
Ha Patrick – dress codes for swimmers? Would you prefer everyone out in their budgie smugglers?
I think that most swimmers should, where possible, conform to the Channel Swimming regulations – http://www.channelswimmingassociation.com/swim-advice/regulations
I used to mock the triathletes wearing wetsuits when they didn’t have to. But then thought, who am I to judge? And what difference does it make? It doesn’t impact YOUR swim, does it?
I wear a wetsuit if I’d be uncomfortably cold or unable to enjoy a swim without one. I’m not acclimated to cold water so rather than NOT swim, or be stuck inside in a pool, I pull on the neoprene! I get to swim an extra couple months outside thanks to my wetsuit. All good in my book! I’m not going to swim any channel rules events, and the events I DO swim have separate divisions for cold wimps like me. I definitely prefer to swim w/o a wetsuit, but I also prefer to swim when I otherwise could not.
I agree with you wholeheartedly. I don’t mind wetsuits, and if it means people enjoy swimming more then great. I just think that it’s a shame that people seem to now be conditioned to pull on a wetsuit first and assess water temperature second.
Personally I’m not gonna swim with one again, so if that means I miss a few weeks on either end of the season so be it.
I am going to defend triathletes!!! Speaking for myself I don’t swim in a wetsuit just because I can nor do I don a wetsuit without any consideration of the water temp. I wear a wetsuit because I am training for a race where I will have to wear a wetsuit!! The experience of swimming with and without wetsuits is v different – in fact the swim technique is even different. You can’t turn up and wing it. It is just the same as the hardy souls in our lake who swim without wetsuits in April – they are training for a channel swim or similar where they are not allowed to wear a wet suit. I say live and let live 🙂
As I say, I’m not angry, just disappointed…
I no longer mock triathletes (sometimes I’m even one of them!). You are 100% correct pwhent: the technique is very different with vs w/o wetsuit. Live and let live is right!
“Disappointed” comes across as judgmental, but hey, that’s up to you.
More swimming, less arguing!
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You do understand wetsuits are not required for all triathlons? In the states they are only USAT legal at certain water temperatures and only early and late season races have athletes wearing them.
In the UK because of the weather and the water temperature, it is extremely rare to see a triathlon with a non-wetsuit swim, even at the peak of summer.
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As one of the swimmers wearing a wetsuit that morning, i agree with you. I would have rather swum without it, but need the practice with the extra buoyancy for a wetsuit compulsory event later in the year.
I get that, I just thinks that it’s a shame that so many events are wetsuit compulsory, especially when the weather and water is as lovely as it is right now.
Good luck with your event.