THE BIG DEBATE SHOULD YOU WEAR A WETSUIT?
Nicola Joyce chairs a controversial debate between two expert open water swimmers
Does this, or any other, issue in open water swimming get you hot under the collar? Vent your thoughts to us by email to
letters@h2openmagazine.com. Why not suggest a topic for a future debate?
There are two swimmers in a lake: one's got a wetsuit on and the other is just in a swimming costume. Which is the ‘real’ open water swimmer? Do wetsuit wearers sacrifi ce the authenticity of the open water experience in their search for
speed? Are non-wetsuit purists missing out on the protection and performance a wetsuit affords? As our two experts show, the wetsuit debate divides the open-water community in two. Which side are you on?
NO
“I never wear a wetsuit. In the 1970s, I became involved with a group of researchers at the University of London and the University of California who were studying the effects of cold on the human body, trying to learn more about survival in
cold water and re-warming after exposure. I volunteered to be their research subject so that they could study my responses to the cold. They told me what they learned, and with that greater understanding I was able to push further into colder waters. My cold water swims have always been about human ability and reach, not about technology. “I once had to wear a wetsuit for scuba diving (although I
eventually convinced the instructor to let me dive without one) and didn't like the feeling of being disconnected from the water. I felt restricted and missed that wonderful soothing feeling of the water. Once I took off the wetsuit I escaped from the neoprene prison and could feel the freedom of movement and beautiful sensation of being in the water. “For me, true open water swimming is done without a
wetsuit, but who am I to judge other people's open water swimming goals or experiences? We all have different ways of moving through the world, and the water world.”
WITHOUT A WETSUIT, I ESCAPE FROM THE NEOPRENE PRISON AND CAN FEEL THE FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT
LYNNE COX Lynne Cox (
lynnecox.org) is a long-distance open water swimmer who has held the record for the fastest crossing of the English Channel twice. She specialises in cold- water swimming.
SWIMMING IN A WETSUIT IS SAFER FOR BEGINNERS, GIVING A FEELING OF PROTECTION FROM THE ELEMENTS
YES
“Wetsuit and non-wetsuit open water swimming are two different disciplines, and I think it's absolutely correct to stick to different rules for each specialism (for example, no wetsuits in Channel swimming). ”If the choice is available, I will always wear a wetsuit to swim in open water because I'm racing and I know wetsuits are the faster option. I like the speed you can generate by wearing a wetsuit. “I do swim without a wetsuit when the water is warmer (it's lovely to feel the water) and I would swim without if the triathlon rules over water temperature dictated, but I don't operate well below 18°C. I prefer to be warm when I swim, as the cold affects my stroke and my performance. “I think it's important for triathletes to train with a combination of both. It is more realistic to swim without a wetsuit, because the suit's buoyancy changes your stroke, “Swimming in a wetsuit is safer for beginners, giving an extra
level of buoyancy and a feeling of protection from the elements. Wetsuits make it possible for anyone to swim outside, even if they are not a strong swimmer. They are helping encourage more people to get outside and be active. "Anything that attracts people to open water is a good thing. If the availability of wetsuits is enabling more people to have that initial experience, then greater numbers of people will fi nd their niche within open water."
RICHARD STANNARD Richard Stannard is an elite multisport athlete, a fi ve-time world champion and one of the fastest swimmers in triathlon. He now coaches and runs open- water training venues (
openwaterswim.co.uk).
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