10 Degrees Latitude » channel crossings http://www.10degreeslatitude.com Traverse 10 Degrees of Latitude on every continent. Tue, 21 Jun 2011 23:32:12 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.1 5 Reasons Not to Wear a Wetsuit http://www.10degreeslatitude.com/2011/05/5-reasons-not-to-wear-a-wetsuit/ http://www.10degreeslatitude.com/2011/05/5-reasons-not-to-wear-a-wetsuit/#comments Thu, 26 May 2011 00:50:19 +0000 neal http://www.10degreeslatitude.com/?p=1296 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

  1. 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.
  2. Because we don’t want to… Wetsuits are constricting and uncomfortable to wear.
  3. Wetsuits are a drag to put on a take off.
  4. Sauna feels better the colder we get.
  5. 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.
  
  
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