Wetsuit or Speedsuit
I am sure I am not the only n00b that faced this purchase decision. I currently have neither and have 2 HIMs planned this year (see sig). If I do Augusta then certainly no wetsuit...
With the thought of a IM in 2012/2013 and that likely to be Madison, Mont Tremblant or Florida all would seem to be wetsuit swims. Thinking of the longer term has me thinking wetsuit instead of speed suit.
The counter is if I got a DeSoto suit (with pad) that would be the easy go-to suit for Sprint and Olympic races and can use over my kit for HIM.
Appreciate thoughts on the Wetsuit v. Speeduit.
FYI - Looking at XTerra Vector ProX2 full (not really looked into others) for a wetsuit and DeSoto LiftFoil. Scary part is the price isn't that different after the insane discount codes from Xterra...
Thanks Again!
// Jeff
Comments
Jeff-with the qualifier that I am an average triathlon swimmer who has used both wetsuit and speedsuit-I think you will get more use out of the wetsuit.
I think most races around here (I'm in Cleveland, Ohio-near Cedar Point) are wetsuit "legal". I also think the wetsuit makes you faster due the buoyancy. I did IM Wisconsin in 2010 (water temp 68) and nearly everyone was wearing a wetsuit. As far as the speedsuit, I think it reduces drag comared to swimming in the tri top. (I just did Eagleman last week with water temp of 82 and I had a good swim, partly due to speed suit). I have also heard that if you swim without a top, it's a real pain to put it on in T1 when you are wet. So overall, if you will do most racing in water temp < 76, I think the wetsuit will get more use.
Venkatesh
Why not get the Vortex 3 instead and get the speed suit...? Is there really all that much of a difference between the Vector and Vortex?
@George - Wasn't it raining in Augusta last year -- contributing to lower temps?
@John - Not a bad idea - still costs more but only by ~$100. Only concern is going "cheap" on the wetsuit to my detriment during an IM. Perhaps I am over thinking the differences between the suits.
The new rules regarding legal material for speedsuits has sort of hamstrung their effectiveness, IMO.
Following on @John's and @Dave's comments, I bought the Vortex 3 online after renting BlueSeventy and Nineteen suits for a couple of years. Both of those are good, but I've found the Vortex 3 to be an awesome suit both from a fit and buoyancy perspective. Unless you're legitimately vying for a Kona spot and a couple of minutes on the swim are going to make the difference, I can't imagine the extra cost would be worth it. Plus, a girl told me I looked like Batman wearing it, so really how can you go wrong? Just my $02.