Triathlon wetsuit in a surfski ?

Hi,

Have anyone tried a triathlon wetsuit in a surfski ?
Does it restrict shoulder and back movement too much or is it comfortable to use ?
The weather is very cold here in Norway at the moment, only 5 degrees in the air and almost the same in the water.
I guess that a triathlon wetsuit would keep me warm enough and that it would be possible to swim 1 or 2 km in the water in an emergency case without freezing to death (I'm a former swimmer).
Yesterday I tried my windsurfing wetsuit, I managed 10km, but it was not comfortable due to too little flexibility in the shoulder area

Regards,
J?rgen

would you consider drysuit instead?

I've paddled in a trisuit fairly often and it never caused chafing. I don't have a triathlon wetsuit but will ask my friends. I have a neoprene / lycra top by Scubapro that works well but I think that will only be good down to about 10 degrees.

I'm ludky to paddle in tropical waters, but if i was somewhere where the water temp is close to 5?C, I wouldn't take a chance, hypothermia kilss... I would go for a drysuit.

Dry suits are very hot when paddling hard-expensive too. A farmer john wet suit can be useful but is still restrictive of paddling motion. On a windy day they are not so great.
Maybe time to clean skis?

Thanks for the inputs.

My concern with a drysuit is that it will take twice the time to swim to shore compared to a Triathlon wetsuit, which means that I have to wear lot of clothes inside the drysuit to swim 1 km in 5-10 degrees water.
Another concern is that a drysuit might take in water around the neck and hands which can be fatal.
It takes me 15min+ to swim 1 km in a swimming pool. A triathlon wetsuit makes you faster, so i guess that it should be possible to cover 1 km in 20min in cold ocean water with waves.

Regards,
J?rgen

Hiro is right. If there is a chance of a long swim it is better to stay closer to shore. If you want to be absolutely safe, then a cold water survival suit is the thing. It will be difficult to paddle in and the suit will cost more than the boat.
Not sure, but I think some death(s?) of surf ski paddlers recently off north west Canadian coast.
Anyway, you might try an experimental swim with support on hand to see what happens. Recovery from hypothermia can be tricky too, if advanced enough.

Jorgen,

Have to ask... why would you even consider the idea of swimming to shore? Of all the cold water deaths I've heard of, all have the same thing in common. The swimmer is separated from the boat.

Here in the pacific north west we had 3 deaths last year. One was a very experienced guy on ski in a dry suit. But he was separated from his ski.

I've already pulled out my dry suit. Expensive, but worth the money to me. It keeps me warm. I can't swim in it very well. If I had to, I'd be in trouble as I sweat in it from paddling, but I don't stay in the water. I get back on my ski and start paddling.

I used to spend winter paddles in a 3 mil farmer john with a running windbreaker to protect my arms from wind, but the dry suit just keeps you warmer.

I also suggest doing some of the other smart stuff, like paddling with a partner, carrying flares or a radio, life jacket etc.. but thats your call. Just don't ever swim for it.

Jorgen, this is a complicated question, and that's why your answers vary substantially. One paddlers "cold water trip" does not equate to another's.

As was just mentioned, don't leave your ski - that's rule #1. So, use a body to ski leash. But, what if the leash fails in some way, or you didn't use one on that day, or you just can't get back into it and time is "a wastin'"? Then, you use a second line of defense which means that you use your vhf radio to call for help. Next, and possibly worst case scenario (which we obviously take measures to try to avoid) may mean that you'll have to swim to shore as you are suggesting.

I understand that drysuits are warmer in the water but difficult to swim in. They also have the unsettling risk, though rare, of catastrophic failure due to a hole or not "burping" it and air pooling at your feet putting you in a head down position in the water. I don't use one because of this fear - which might be somewhat irrational.

If, however, you stay relatively close to areas of water where you can stand up in, which is what I do, then it may make more sense to dress in whatever attire will allow you to get to shore 100% of the time, OR in whatever attire will least get in the way of you getting back on your ski. If you stay near shore, the issue is less of "how long can I stay immersed" and more "can I get to shore before my arms shut down from being hypothermic". On my cold (1-5 C) water paddles, I dress very lightly - almost in XC skiing attire - but I stay very close to shore. I've fallen in 3 times midwinter and never had trouble making it the 50 m or less to shore or back onto my ski, but I know that 200, 400 m would be questionable.

The next issue is that once you capsize and are wet, either back on your ski or on shore, are you prepared to fend off hypothermia then?

If you try the triathlon wetsuit route, I think many people would be interested in hearing about your simulated cold water swims to see how you fare and if that choice is working for you.

Hi J?rgen
I live in Stavanger (Norway) and use a drysuit with my Surfski at this time of year. It is a professional product from ursuit. It's made of Gore-Tex? , is very breathable and perfect for kayaking.
www.ursuk.com/multipurposesuit

Hi,

It is only two reasons why I would swim to shore:
1. The footleash fails and the ski blows away
2. The ski hit something in the water and start to take
in water
I will probably never experience any of these problems, but it could happen, and then I would like to be prepared.
...and there is a kayak rule that says "you shall always dress yourself so you are able to swim to shore".

If the water is flat and I stay close to shore, I wear a 2mm Hydro Skin longjohn and a dry jacket. I have capsized several times in the winter without problems.
I even made an experiment with these clothes in 4 degrees water. After 10km padling, I jumped into the water and swam 300m without big problems. In an emergency case I think 1 km could be possible, but it would be on the limit.

The problem is when you want to surf waves in the spring and autumn 1 or 2 km from shore. The weather can be nice and warm in the spring, but the water is still cold.

I'm just looking for the ultimate combination of comfort and safety when it's cold in the water and maybe the triathlon wetsuit is the answer for me.

At the moment I'm leaning towards a triathlon longjohn combined with a dry jacket, because then I can use only the longjohn when it's warmer.
www.desotosport.com/products/product.asp?Category=FW
This longjohn have 5mm thickness in the legs and 3mm on the upper body. It is higly flexible and the straps over the shoulders are thin and close to the neck.

I will anyway make a new swimming experiment in cold water when I have got new clothes and let you know

Regards,
J?rgen

Triathlon wetsuits are specifically designed for swimming, they are made from very flexible neoprene and you literally float on top of the water in them, making swimming that much easier. Because of the flexibility of the suit it would be ideal to paddle in and unlikley to cause chaffing under the arms. If you were in the unfortunate position of having to make a swim in cold water I think I'd rather be in a wetsuit as opposed to a drysuit that would impede your ability to swim. The wetsuit definitely will make the swim easier - I don't think you could make that claim with a dry suit. I'd also take out a neoprene swimming cap and wear that to limit heat loss through the head if I had to swim . Orca make both. The downside to tri wetsuits is that they aren't cheap, but sometimes there are sales on the previous season's stock. Some retailers may even have a demo wetsuit to try before you buy. Worth testing in the [cold] sea if this option is available.

Have you looked at the Point5 wetsuits which are advertised on this site. They have a good range of wetsuits which might be what you are after. see www.point5.co.nz

Now I've ordered a 2 piece tritahlon wetsuit for a total of 267 US dollar
Top: trisports.com/desoto-t1-blackpearl-pullover.html
Long john: trisports.com/desoto-t1-blackpearl-bib.html

Time will show if it works for paddling or not...

I'm sure the longjohn will work, but I'm more unsure about the pullover.

Alain, the Point 5 wetsuits would be unsuitable for paddling in really cold water if you had to swim for it because they are too thin. There is a sale of Orca wetsuits on at the moment if anyone is interested. See www.triathlonsale.com