Is it OK to wear a wetsuit in the pool?
Saltwater pools, chlorinated pools, gene pools, we don’t care where you choose to stick your wetsuit. You can absolutely use your wetsuit in a pool. Just be sure to go for good quality wetsuits that will last, and for crying out loud… take good care of it! Avoid Chlorine Lots of people use wetsuits in the pool to keep them warm. This is ok, but keep in mind your wetsuit will deteriorate faster in chlorine compared to fresh or salt water. Avoid chlorine where possible, or give your wetsuit a really good wash after you have been in a swimming pool.Recreational swimming: While less common, some individuals may simply prefer wearing a wetsuit for recreational swimming in a pool, whether for personal comfort reasons or to protect against skin irritation from pool chemicals.Whether you’re surfing, learning how to dive, or swimming in open water, staying afloat with minimal effort is key to both safety and performance. This is where wetsuits come into play, offering not only thermal protection but also a significant boost in buoyancy.If you use your wetsuit correctly it can cut minutes off your time on race day. The modern wetsuit will lift your hips up and get your body floating much higher in the water. This lift and alignment reduces your resistance and will help you swim way faster.You can absolutely use your wetsuit in a pool. Just be sure to go for good quality wetsuits that will last, and for crying out loud… take good care of it! If you take good care of your wetsuit, then it should take good care of you, no matter where you choose to use it.
What do you wear under a swimming wetsuit?
The quick answer to the question of what to wear under a wetsuit is – it can be either nothing at all, a thin garment like a rash vest, compression shorts or bikini for comfort or for extra warmth a thermal hooded rash vest. Material Quality and Warmth Retention This water is then warmed by your body heat, creating a thermal barrier against the cold water outside. Expensive wetsuits are often made from higher-quality neoprene, which offers better flexibility, warmth, and durability.If you land between two sizes, or you’re at the top of the size range and are unsure which would be best suited to you then we would always advise sizing up, wetsuits are already designed for a tighter fit without restricting your range of movement therefore its best to accommodate for this by sizing up.You want your wetsuit to be tight everywhere, but it is most important that your wetsuit fits snuggly over the lower back and core. Big gaps in the back or over your chest will fill up with water and make you cold.Very simply, they keep you warm and help you float. Extra warmth allows you to spend longer in the water or make you able to swim in cooler temperatures than if you’re only wearing a thin layer of lycra. Wetsuits keep you warm by holding a thin layer of water between your skin and the suit.
Do you need a special wetsuit for swimming?
Wetsuits for open water swimming are distinctively different from traditional surfing wetsuits. In fact, open water wetsuits are made specifically for swimmers needs. With many having additional buoyancy and flexibility built in, this has really helped the growth of open water swimming. Wetsuits are designed to be worn in the saltwater only and not in chlorinated pools. Chlorine will shorten the life of a wetsuit.Benefits of wetsuits: Buoyancy – A wetsuit will also help raise your position in the water, due to neoprene material of the suit. This is helpful for a better body position in the water to carry out a more efficient stroke and to keep your body flat and near the surface as you begin to tire.The first few times you wear a wetsuit may be uncomfortable because of the new sensation of having tight fabric against your body. Once you get used to swimming in a wetsuit (there’s plenty of helpful guides on our blog), you can use the wetsuit as a tool to help make swimming easier.For many women, the simplest and most common choice is to wear nothing under their wetsuit. This option ensures: Maximum flexibility: No extra fabric to bunch up or restrict movement. Streamlined fit: Allows the wetsuit to conform closely to the body as it was designed for better insulation.Avoid Chlorine Lots of people use wetsuits in the pool to keep them warm. This is ok, but keep in mind your wetsuit will deteriorate faster in chlorine compared to fresh or salt water. Avoid chlorine where possible, or give your wetsuit a really good wash after you have been in a swimming pool.
How to pick a swimming wetsuit?
The key contact points are around the wrists, neck and ankles. The wrists of the suit should conform well to your body. As your arm pushes through the water you don’t want cold water shooting up the arm. This will cause drag, and fill the suit with water and the wetsuit will not work at its best. So, if you’re not a particularly floaty person wearing a wetsuit might make you feel less “sinky” in the water and can make swimming feel a little easier (and sometimes faster). If you’re a naturally buoyant person wearing too thick a wetsuit might make you too floaty. That, in turn, can make it harder to swim.While wetsuits are fantastic for staying warm in the water, they aren’t designed for all-day wear. Since wetsuits fit snugly to your body, wearing one for extended periods can lead to skin irritation, particularly around areas of friction.An excellent way to tell if your wetsuit fits well is to ensure there is little or no excess neoprene on the lower back. The body of your suit must fit well to your body, with the lower back protecting and keeping your kidneys warm. If your kidneys stay warm, then you will continue to pump warm blood around your body.Wetsuits may feel tight around your neck if you’re not used to them – different brands and styles have higher/lower necks so find what works for you. Suits should feel like they are gently compressing you all over. Although they should be tight, you should be able to stretch to your full stroke in it.
What to know before buying a wetsuit?
Whatever you use your wetsuit for, the most important thing to get right is the fit. Your wetsuit should feel snug and tight all over. If there’s excess material in places like the neck and cuffs, it will let water in and negate all its insulating properties. Don’t be too taken aback by the tightness of a wetsuit. Cons of Using Wetsuits While wetsuits offer great insulation, they are bulkier and restrict mobility more compared to spring suits. The thicker neoprene material limits flexibility, making paddling and maneuvering slightly more challenging.A wetsuit keeps you warm in water, protects your skin, and helps you to float more easily. However, due to the main element of wetsuits, neoprene – a synthetic rubber, the gear often develops an offensive odor that can be rather pungent.You’ll need to be sure that your swimwear is made of lightweight material otherwise that combined with a tight wetsuit may limit your freedom of movement. The best thing might be to wear a pair of swimwear briefs or bikini bottoms and a sports bra underneath your neoprene wetsuit.The best thing might be to wear a pair of swimwear briefs or bikini bottoms and a sports bra underneath your neoprene wetsuit. You could also look into sports underwear rather than something that covers your entire body. If you are worried about the seams chafing, you could also consider a rash vest.You can either wash it in the shower or dunk it in a large bucket of water. This helps to keep the neoprene stretchy and the zippers running smoothly. After washing your wetsuit with cold water, hang it on a hanger to drip dry. Use a horizontal hanger and fold the suit in half over the waistline.
Are swimming wetsuits different?
Supported by Orca. Designed primarily with open-water swimming in mind, swimming wetsuits differ from standard surf wetsuits in two or three main ways. The materials used are more flexible and hydrodynamic, the cut is tighter, and the distribution of neoprene foam follows a somewhat different logic. A material’s buoyancy is its ability to float to the water’s surface. In wetsuits, this can benefit us in different ways when swimming. For swimmers who need more support at their skill level, buoyancy can help them correct their form in the water, since the wetsuit’s buoyancy raises the position of their body.The key is finding the sweet spot between thickness, buoyancy and mobility. A thinner wetsuit will provide less warmth and buoyancy but more mobility, and a thicker wetsuit will keep you warmer and buoyant but can be more constrictive and uncomfortable for swimming.The main disadvantage of wetsuits is that they can still be quite cold in colder water temperatures, as they allow water to enter and then warm up against the body. They also require more frequent replacement than drysuits, as the neoprene material can degrade over time.The lower your body is in the water the more drag is created and the more energy you’ll expend. When you swim in a wetsuit you can focus more on moving forward and less on keeping your body towards the top of the water, reducing your drag and making each stroke more meaningful.
How tight should a swimming wetsuit be?
Ultimately wetsuits should feel relatively tight and fit snuggly to your skin – there should be no pockets of air or wrinkles when you put one on. However, they shouldn’t be so tight as to limit your range of motion or dig in uncomfortably. Wetsuits work by trapping a layer of water between your body and the suit. Yes, a wetsuit will do a much better job keeping you warm in cold water temperatures. This is because when you first enter the water, the wetsuit fills with water. Your body heat warms that thin layer of water, which is trapped by the thick neoprene of the wetsuit, and that keeps you warm.The water in the wetsuit then warms up to the temperature of your skin – about 91F (32. C). Contrary to popular opinion, that layer of water doesn’t warm you. But because it’s the same temperature as your skin, it doesn’t feel cold or conduct heat away from your body.For both men and women, wearing swimwear under your wetsuit means that when you take the wetsuit off, you are still covered, a great advantage when you want to quickly take off your wetsuit after a session – no matter whether you were surfing, paddleboarding or swimming.For most wetsuit brands, it’s perfectly fine to swim in a pool in your wetsuit on occasion. Be sure to do a thorough job of rinsing it inside and out with clear water after you wear it in a chlorinated pool. For many swimmers, wetsuits feel constricting.