Wetsuits are highly recommended when swimming outdoors as they provide you with extra warmth, buoyancy and will make you slightly faster. The British Gas Great Swim Series are wetsuit only events.
- Wetsuits vary in thickness and in styles. Most wetsuits can be worn for swimming outdoors, however ‘swimming specific’ wetsuits, by design, better facilitate swimming ‘actions’.
- For a Great Swim event it is recommended that you wear a well fitting, swim specific wetsuit, i.e. those designed for triathlons
- These are usually made from a flexible neoprene that allows you to swim normally whilst helping to insulate the body against the cold water.
- Wetsuit styles vary from full-length suits to wetsuits with short legs and arms, to wetsuits with long legs and no arms. They also vary widely in thickness. The thicker the wetsuit, the more buoyant and, of course, warmer.
- The most important thing is that whatever wetsuit you decide to wear it fits well.
- It should be snug when you put in on, so the water is trapped next to your body to warm you up. It should not be loose fitting, so the water flows through it, as this will not warm you up and could restrict your swimming.
- Swimming in a wetsuit for the first time can feel strange so it is a good idea to try it out before event day, even if it is in the swimming pool
- Trunks should be worn underneath your wetsuit.
- Neoprene ‘booties’ and gloves can be worn if the water is excessively cold. These however, can hamper performance as they reduce a swimmers ‘feel’ of the water and feel bulky.
- Neoprene hoods are a good idea when the water is very cold.
Visit the Great Swim Shop to hire and buy suits and accessories