At what triathlon distance is it not worth using a wetsuit?

Question

For instance, does it take more time getting out of a wetsuit than is saved during a 1/2 mile swim? Where is the breakeven point.

Answer 1

Well there are two ways to look at this. One way is you do the 1/2 mile swim and may win, thus getting the thrill of the cheers which is very worth it. But if you lose you just put on a  wet suit that will take a while to get off/on for nothing. My personal opinion would be that doing the race would be better cause it also increases your health.

Answer 2

This is a personal decision based on several factors. It's all part of the science/magic of triathlon. Are you a strong and confident swimmer? Do you have very low bodyfat? Do you get chilled easily? What do you expect the water temperature to be? How long do you expect to be in the water?

If the water is cold (below 70), you'll probably want to wear a wetsuit regardless of distance. Any time you lose pulling off that wetsuit would be negligible if you come out of the water cramping and chilled to the core. If, however, you're confident you can swim with ice bergs without problems, you can probably go without.

Answer 3

Unless you're already a very fast swimmer, and and the water is pretty warm (at least 78 F), and it's a very short swim (750 m or less)--it's almost always faster to wear a wetsuit.  

If you're not that great of a swimmer, a wetsuit can improve your time by as much as 20%, so it's worth the extra 30 seconds to take it off.  

And 30 seconds is all it should take.  Unzip and get your arms out while you're running to the transition area.  When you get to the bike, sit down and pull off the legs.  Using Body Glide on your legs helps the wetsuit slide off easier, or some people even use Pam cooking spray. Aquaman brand wetsuits have a high-cut ankle which also helps.  

Whatever your equipment, it definitely helps to practice.  The first time may take 3 minutes while you writhe around on the ground like an octopus, but once you get it down you'll be out of it in 30 seconds or less.

Answer 4

Most Triathlon events are governed by a regional or national rule book, which generally state the conditions recommened for wearing a wetsuit. If the water is too cold, the race is off (<12C) and if the water is too warm (>22C) then wetsuits are optional. The British Triathlon Federation state "9.3 The minimum water temperature at which wetsuits are optional is

14°C.", for instance .Usually between those ranges, a wet suit is either recommended or mandatory, though you can aply for an exception if you have a good track record in swimming without a wetsuit at lower temperatures. Depending on distance, the rules vary with regards to min/max temperatures.

See which rule book is being used for the race and that should guide you.

There are positives in wearing a wetsuit, like bouyancy, warmth, etc, and the negatives (takes a while to get off) can be reduced by good preparation (lubrication on the cuffs, etc) and practice getting it off. Usually most people try to get the suit off the arms and down to the waist before they reach the bike, then down the legs as far as it will go, then step on it to get it off - you should with practice get this down to about 20-30 seconds.

Good luck.