Wetsuit Recommendations

Hi everyone! I am fairly new to open water swimming but for some context I (22F) am a very experienced swimmer, swam competitively my entire life and did a quick little stint swimming D1 in college before dropping out to do what I do now (sorry mom). I grew up in New England and would do the occasional open water meet in boston harbor or maine but would never wear a wetsuit (I was also like 15).

Flash forward to now and I spend my time working in National Parks across America. Last summer I worked in Grand Teton National Park right on a huge lake and started to get back into open water swimming with some coworkers. We only had about a 1.5-2 month period where the water wasn’t absolutely freezing and we definitely took advantage of it, but having a wetsuit would be super beneficial to extending that already small window.

This summer I will be working in Glacier National Park, right on another lake up there. The water is considerably colder than it was in the Tetons but my desire to get into open water swimming is still there, so I think it may be time for a wetsuit investment. I was looking around on swimoutlet (not sure if thats the right place honestly) and couldn’t find much on temperature ratings for suits. It seems as the lake never gets above 50°F, its about 35°F right now but I probably wouldn’t start going in until late June regardless as there is also still a ton of snow up here. The lake is St Mary Lake inside of Glacier if anyone is wondering, also wouldn’t mind taking the trip to Lake Mcdonald if the conditions are better down there.

Really just looking for wetsuit recommendations and what I should look for based on those temperatures. specific wetsuits or just a general push in the right direction would be very appreciated!! Also, if any of you are from northwest Montana/visiting glacier and want to get together for a swim let me know as im assuming its gonna be really hard to find people to swim with up there!! Thanks :)

Genuine question. I am a male swimmer and prefer swimming in a thong due to the support and general comfort. I have been able to do so in the open water for a while now but most of the time I intentionally do it at quieter times. I am a sociable person and beginning to feel that I should be open and confident about my choice of swimwear and swim at busier times. Would you be open for me to swim with you or your group if I were to show up in a swim thong? I just want to swim like every other passionate swimmer but don’t want to be a nuisance if my swimwear is a big distraction. What are your thoughts on this?

Hey !

I have a 5k race coming up in a month (it will be my first OW race 🤞🏼🤞🏼) and I signed up to swim with fins.

I had read around here someone recommending the Arena powerfin pro - which I’ve been training with at the pool. But after trying them out in the sea, I’m afraid they might put a little bit too much pressure on my legs for 5k.

Do you have any recommendations ?

Thank you !!

For context, I've given birth to four kids in the last 7 years and signed up to do this swim as a way to do something for myself. I've been swimming regularly with Masters groups for the past 10+ years (swam on my due date with all my babies!), but this past year has been rough. I'm swimming maybe 1-2 times per week, about 3,000 yards per practice. I don't feel terribly out of shape, but I'm a good bit slower than I used to be and my shoulders are trashed. I was supposed to have rotator cuff/labral surgery last year but was busy gestating my fourth baby so had to put it off.

The shoulder isn't too bad right now though. I just can't do a whole lot of yardage, and I'm feeling stressed trying to get to the pool when I have so much going on at home. I really hate missing time with my kids, but at the same time I'm too exhausted to go to practice at 5:30 AM. Hence the lack of time at the pool.

I love open water swimming so much - have done tons of races, Trans Tahoe, a 5K race, and many others. Even won a few. I love the technical swims that require navigating current, waves, etc. But I'm really nervous about not being prepared for this swim.

Any words of encouragement? Or general thoughts on what to do/expect?

I'm not particularly experienced, so that might be part of the problem, but I find that my technique absolutely sucks each time I begin a swim. I honestly have a few moments where I think I have forgotten how to swim entirely. My mind jumps all over the place trying to correct everything that I am doing wrong, which is everything. After a few minutes I start to relax and swim naturally. At that point I can start to think about my technique a bit more rationally and adress things one at a time. Anyone else relate? Got any suggestions to get into a groove a bit quicker?

Can anyone recommend a good open water snorkel? I’ve got an 11 mile open water swim coming up and my neck won’t cope with all the twists so I’ll just be head down most of it.

I’m looking at the Finis freestyle or glide?

TIA

I'm going cycle touring from Arran to Harris, hopping from island to island at the end of May/beginning of June. Are there any specific swimming spots I should check out on the way?

The sea will obviously be everywhere. I'm just curious if anyone has favourite spots or specific recommendations.

For those swimming in cold water, have you noticed a difference with longer hair and it keeping your head warm?

I'm going to be near Aberdeen and Havre de Grace, Maryland for a week in June and there's a ton water around there so I want to swim in it! But I'm not sure if I can or should. I've found a few resources about the area and have some feelers out, but I'm wondering if anyone knows where I could swim around that area. Any guidance is appreciated, thanks!

I finally broke down and got the Apple Watch Ultra. Costco seems to do a, "sale," every other month, and Apple Care through them is substantially less. The overall price was decent.

As luck would have it, I was meeting a friend at Barton Springs both yesterday and today. The watch arrived yesterday afternoon, so I have 2 maps to compare.

Here is yesterday's. As you can see the lines are all over the place (including in the grass), but not quite to the dam.

Monday's swim

And here is today's Strava map:

https://preview.redd.it/f1gzg5d2q9wc1.jpg?width=448&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c3a53ad85ccb1f2f501a417ef1df366d9852b71c

Much cleaner lines, and they go right to the dam, which is where I actually went (I aim for the 14 foot marker). The one line where I did deviate (near the notch, where the diving board is) was because someone was on the diving board, so I had to divert left of the duck buoys (yes, the buoys look like ducks).

And before someone asks, yes my pace was a bit faster today. A guy I know who is about the same speed jumped in and joined me on about my 2nd or 3rd lap, and we swam together for the rest. When I'm by myself I sometimes get into a daze, think about other stuff, and my mind drifts and I generally don't push myself. Today we were pushing each other.

The true test will be some of my long swims this summer. But just from this, and after getting home (using directions), and walking 3 dogs separately, the battery was still at 75%

Caps just don't fit me right. None have ever. I've accepted and in pool swimming I stop and pull it down every 500 or so. Swimming a long race soon, I'd like to avoid this. There is a required race cap. Any advice??

Hello all,

Thought who better to ask than the people doing it themselves!

I am currently running an experiment which is looking at the effect of intentional cold water exposure on cognitive function and psychological processes - The experiment is only around 10/15 minutes and would allow me to finish my degree.

You would have to take a short questionnaire, heart rate, cold exposure (if in that condition), short exam and another questionnaire. Get involved

Happy to share results after if you would all be interested!

Really appreciate any involvement.

I’m got a pair of first gen Form goggles second hand! I don’t see their value in the pool, but I am thrilled that I won’t have to break stroke to glance at my watch to learn distance and time when I’m open water! Also, maybe having a little screen will distract me from the anxiety of the depths unknown 😂

Any tips

I’ve been doing open water swims for years and ended up signing up for a colder temp swim (60 degrees F). I’ve only ever done swims in just my suit and cap but I opted for a sleeveless wetsuit for this one. I’ve always been curious and it would be nice to be able to start branching out into colder areas. My question is — do I keep my suit on underneath or just swim with the wetsuit? From what I’ve heard, chafing is the biggest concern/complaint

What is your preference: silicone or latex swim cap?

Favorite brand?

Swim cap size?

I’m going to be in/around Kingston, Ontario for 10 days in late May; is there an OWS scene or group?

If I were located along the path of totality (where the moon completely blocks the sun), I think it would be amazing to swim in open water and experience a few minutes of "night" swimming.

Anyone planning to do that? It would be great to hear about it and see some photos too.

I will be outside the path of totality and the moon will only partially block the sun. To view this safely, I have both eclipse glasses and Shade 14 welder's glass.

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https://preview.redd.it/br62j5xwg4tc1.jpg?width=4136&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=35287cf76911fb32bb11273262d08fd46a34f734

Does something like this exist, or is effective? I can find a single result on Amazon which makes it feel more like snake oil than if there were more. Does anyone have any suggestions for preventative measures I could take?

Sharkfest doesn’t have as many Events in 2024 for some reason. Anyone know why or how I can find events on the north east coast of USA

Traveling through London after an open water trip and would like to continue my swimming…. Any long form pools in London that offers daily passes? Thanks all! Absence long form can you all recommend lap swim pools?

So I want to go for a swim Sunday morning and here is the local beeches forecast, the waves and frequency seem higher than usual but I have no concept of what can be seen as too choppy.

For context I know the current and beech pretty well, I swim 10 m from where I can stand at waist height, the coastline is very very gradual and the tide will be making its way in during my planned time (10 am).

Anyone have a nice scale of calm - much to wavy please let me know or a site to reliably check local see conditions in Ireland

Hi there. I'm a somewhat novice open water swimmer here, but I am a strong swimmer. I live in San Francisco. I've swam Alcatraz twice (about 1.5 miles) and the golden gate bridge once (closer to 2 miles) over the past 10 years. I did these swims without really having trained at all in open water. Certainly didn't set any records, but I finished them easily. I joined a club and I'm now swimming in the bay a few times a week. This year I'm planning on doing both the golden gate and alcatraz over again in prep for a bridge to bridge (10k) swim in September (I should note that this swim is with a strong current, so while you cover 6.2 miles, it supposedly feels more like 3.5). Cold temps are limiting how long I can stay in the bay right now while I'm getting re-acclimated, but I can easily swim 4+ miles in a pool.

I've got a wild hair lately about working my way up to a Gibraltar crossing. I know there's a big gap between where I'm at now skill wise and where I'd need to be. At the moment it's more aspirational and motivating then it's is a concrete plan. Any tips from someone who's done the crossing before? Or how to take your swimming to the next level?

(Originally posted to r/Swimming!)

I (F22) joined a masters club a month ago, hitting the pool seriously for the first time in 5-ish years. I was a competitive distance swimmer (pool and open water) throughout middle and high school, and though I certainly lack the speed I once had, I feel quite comfortable technique-wise. I am considering signing up for an open water meet in early June, specifically to swim the mile. I have no timing goals at all; I just want to finish the course without my form falling apart (and to hopefully have fun while doing it!).

I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions for workouts I could implement into my routine over the next couple of months to prepare for the swim? Relevant dry land exercises would be appreciated as well. For context, I won't be able to see/use the lake until race day.

(I plan to approach my coach for some ideas as well but he’s not very hands-on, and all the workouts he’s assigned to us so far are on the shorter end distance-wise, maxing out at 5x100s within a single set. Anything suggested here I'd likely pursue on my own outside of my masters sessions.)

Any advice at all would be wonderfully appreciated!

I'm training for my first triathlon and have never before been open water swimming. I bought a wetsuit as the water temp during the race averages cold, around 55 degrees F. I'm based out of New York and know that its still quite cold and that many groups dont officially begin their program until end of May-ish. Does anyone here happen to know how I can get some training in before my race mid-May?

My friend told me when she swims with one of the local open water groups here. Some of the members give her a hard time and are very nasty towards her because she wears a wetsuit.

Seems like a very elitist mindset some of these people have. Also most of them are old and slow.

I just wanted to ask if anyone has any stories and experienced this?

I am going to my first OceanMan this week, in Salvador, Brazil, and I am wondering if anybody has any tips or recommendations on what to expect! Thanks!

Hi all,

I'm training for several OW swims this spring and summer - I'm currently training in the pool as it is way to cold outside right now where I live- I swim 6 days a week and have focused on continous (non-stop) 2km or 3km swims - I've been told by other swimmers in the pool to start breaking this up into intervals (as I have proven that I have the stamina to go the distance) as it will eventually make me faster (which I honestly don't see the logical behind) - and also reduce fatigue - my only worry though about going to interval is that I will somehow lose the ability to go 2 or 3km without a rest and when it comes yo the events I don't want that to happen - any advice or thoughts? Thanks!