THE TRI-CHRONICLES: A Stitch in Time Saves Nine
Make sure you have the right wetsuit. Image courtesy of Hemera/Thinkstock.
Last Sunday, there was a noticeable opening by the zipper in the back of my wetsuit. One of my biggest fears of finally bursting out of my wetsuit finally came true. Haha!
Seriously, the wetsuit came apart at the stitching in the back portion near the zipper. I started to panic because my next triathlon is this weekend.
I had a few options. I could buy a new wetsuit or I could rent one. While they were both possibilities, I didn’t want to try anything new this close to the event.
The next option was to use the one I had and make repairs myself. Fortunately, I’m a terrible seamstress so I sought another option.
While at Sports Chalet in Brea, the folks at the dive shop suggested contacting a local repair shop. If you Google wetsuit repair the closest one is in Leucadia or Encinitas in Northern San Diego County. I was afraid he was going to send me over 100 miles to get it fixed!
To my surprise, the place he suggested is in Fullerton, California.
I dialed the place on a whim and left a message. Since it was Labor Day when I called, I didn’t expect a response until the following day. I also wasn’t sure how much or how long it would take.
So, I left the best and most creative “Poor-Me” message. Again to my surprise, the owner of New Wave Wetsuits called me back. She said come by tomorrow morning and we could probably fix it while you wait.
Performance depends on the right equipment. Image courtesy of iStockphoto/Thinkstock.
That morning I went to their shop and sure enough they fixed it right away. The total cost was $10.
Triathlon wetsuits aren’t cheap. They run anywhere from a low of $99 to a high of almost $800. Here are three main properties that differentiate triathlon wetsuits with, say, wetsuits used for surfing and diving:
- Buoyancy
- Flexibility
- Fluid Dynamics
Buoyancy in triathlon is designed to help with the swim. So, the thickest part of the wetsuit can be found in the areas that keep the body in a horizontal position.
Those areas are also the thickest and presumably the heaviest parts: the legs and the front torso. These areas have up to the maximum thickness allowed which is around 5 millimeters. The rest of the suit is a lot thinner.
Flexibility relates to the wetsuit’s ability to stretch and return to its original shape. It allows for the arms to move easily during the swim. Equally important, it provides the legs the ability to run effortlessly toward the transition area.
Fluid Dynamics refers to the wetsuit’s ability to move through water with the least amount of resistance. Some manufacturers claim swim improvement by almost 15 seconds for every 100 meters. I‘m sure those numbers are different for each person. But, if my math is right, that’s almost 10 minutes in an Ironman swim of 2.4 miles!
There are other wetsuit properties not listed above like comfort and warmth. Comfort is usually the result of proper fit and use of high quality materials. Most manufacturers base their sizes on height and weight. If you fall in between sizes chose the one that’s more comfortable.
Wearing a short sleeved suit versus a full sleeved suit is a matter of personal preference.
A wetsuit provides the benefit of warmth during the swim. I remember a triathlete at the last XTERRA Snow Valley triathlon who opted not wearing a wetsuit. He suffered from hypothermia and was in the transition area for over 20-minutes trying to recover. That’s a lot of time lost for only a 1,000 meter swim!
Warmth is important particularly in California where water temperatures range from the mid 50’s to the mid 60’s most of the year.
By the way, wetsuits are usually allowed during events when temperatures are less than 78 degrees according to USA Triathlon.
Wetsuits are useful tools in triathlon. Second to the bike, it’s the next biggest initial investment for a newbie so make sure you find one that fits you well. A wetsuit should feel tight and hot especially when you’re out of the water. When in the water, it should feel snug and comfortable.
There are many benefits to using a wetsuits in triathlon. Proper care and maintenance can extend the life of your wetsuit. Knowing a local repair shop definitely helps particularly when you’re in a pinch.
In my case, a stitch in time saved nine.
SamG is a middle-of-the-pack recreational triathlete. Overweight and out of shape, he got into triathlons in 2006, starting with the shorter Sprint and Olympic distance triathlons. He has since completed a number of half-iron distance (70.3 miles) and a full-ironman distance triathlon (140.6 mile).
