Nov 07 2008
5 Reasons Not to Wear a Wetsuit
It’s only natural that people should ask why we swim without wetsuits. The water in the San Francisco Bay varies is normally in the 50F range. That is cold compared to an 80F swimming pool or a 95F bath.
- 212F Water Boils
- 95F Hot Bath/Shower
- 80F Swimming Pool
- 63F San Francisco Bay Water Temperature (Summer)
- 47F San Francisco Bay Water Temperature (Winter)
- 32F Water Freezes
When folks ask me why I swim in cold water without a wetsuit I answer like this.
5 Reasons Not to Wear a Wetsuit
- Because we can’t… Swim competitions and Official channel crossings forbid wetsuits because they add buoyancy and give an unfair advantage compared to swimmers who swam prior to the existance of wetsuit technology.
- Because we don’t want to… Wetsuits are constricting and uncomfortable to wear.
- Wetsuits are a drag to put on a take off.
- Sauna feels better the colder we get.
- When you gotta go, you gotta go, but not in a wetsuit.
A shout-out to my high school friend Michelle Macy who posted a similar post on her blog.
While I agree with this post, and I whole-heartedly believe that wetsuits are for surfers and scuba divers, not for swimmers, I disagree with #5. There are 2 categories of wetsuiters out there: those who admit to peeing in their wetsuits, and those who lie about it.
I would like to second Mike. It’s just like picking your nose…
Thanks for the shout out.
Having swam in the sea twice with a hired wetsuit, I am trying by all means to do all future swimming without one. Cant stand the zip digging into my neck.
My concern swimming without a wetsuit is leg cramps due to cold. Do you smear anything on the skin for insulation? Do you take any supliments such as Magnesium to help prevent cramps? Any other suggestions are welcome.
Phil
New Zealand
Hi Phil I don’t smear anything (people that do blend a mixture of lanolin and vasoline. I don’t take magnesium either. Haven’t done either, ever.
These days, I can swim in water down to 56F for about an hour without lasting side effects, colder than that and it starts to get uncomfortable and I can’t stay in the water as long. In my experience cold water acclimatization is all about exposure. Getting used to the water take time. Overtime the body becomes more efficient at shunting blood flow from your periphery and keeping your core warm. That process is painful, and it wears off — just like acclimatization on the mountain. The benefit is no wet suit, which is pretty awesome.
In addition to time in the water, silicon ear plugs, two swimming caps, and a belly full of warm water can really really help.
Sidenote: so many foilks talk about body fat, but just like body smear, there’s no real proof that it helps. Especially when there a lot of it.