Wet suit

My DeSoto Smart 1 wetsuit had been lying in the cupboard for more than two years, and finally it saw the light of day this morning. I bought it on CS's advice back then in anticipation of a triathlon in Adelaide that did not take place, and promptly forgot about it all this while.

First off, it was a bit of effort to put the wetsuit on. But the fact that Smart 1 is a two-piece wetsuit helps. Immediately I noticed how tight fitting it was, especially across the chest and neck. Did I put on so much weight since then? Hhmmm...

Anyways, it was early in the morning and having rained the night previously, the weather was cool. The most noticeable impression within the first few strokes was the buoyancy. The hips and legs came up with less effort. Next, the constriction around the arms and shoulders was evident. It took a few laps to get used to.

Then there was the heat build up. I was glad for the two piece design for I could pull down the neckline or flip the bottom of the top piece for some cool water to get into the suit. At rest points, I did rapid funneling of water through the front and back to cool down.

I meant to pull off the suit when it got too hot, perhaps after 45 min or so. But surprisingly, the suit was bearable as long as I ventilated.

Now that I reflected further, perhaps the reason I didn't feel as much fatigue after the 6x500m swim was that the wetsuit helped keep me horizontal. Ave 100m lap time: 2:16

Taking off the suit would need more practice, especially yanking the sleeves off the hands. Other than that, it came off pretty easily. Credos for the thoughtful design.

Addendum: Completed another 3.8km continuous swim in the wetsuit 4 days later. U-turned at ends without touching the sides, so that might have added 200m more to the distance. 1:35 for 4.1 km total.