TI Swimming and Wetsuits

As Total Immersion Swimmers, balance and streamlined body position are primary goals of our diligent practice towards efficient swimming. A result of this practice is getting our legs and torso horizontal – what we refer to as fore-aft balance. We pursue balance and streamline wearing a swim suit and cap as we flip-flop countless laps in a 25 yard/meter pool, even though most of us are training for triathlons or open-water swims far away from the pool.

USMS-sanctioned open water competitions prohibit the use of wetsuits, (even neoprene swim caps) for athletes vying for national standings. However, USAT-sanctioned triathlons allow and even encourage wetsuits in water at or below 78 degrees Fahrenheit. (Age group athletes may choose to wear wetsuits between 78 and 84 degrees Fahrenheit, but this choice disqualifies their results for placement standings.)

Well, I’m a "tri-geek" with body fat in the single digits; and I must confess I do rely on my wetsuit to prevent hypothermia. It’s dangerous to hop on a bike when one’s sense of balance is compromised by hypothermia. (I’ve tried it.) In addition hypothermia leads to a deterioration of my swim technique once my joints and muscles tense-up. I had first-hand experience with this at the 2007 USMS 2-Mile Cable Swim National Championship, in Lake Placid. Half way through – technique-be-damned – I resorted to thrashing the water, in hopes of generating just a few more BTU’s.

I’m not sure it’s possible to train for optimal performance in both hot climate long course triathlons and cold water distance swims. For those of us who choose the former, wetsuits are welcomed, but they come with both advantages and disadvantages.

The advantages of a wetsuit include increased glide and buoyancy as well as warmth. The disadvantages include possible loss of range of motion in the shoulders and arms (depending on the specific wetsuit and fit), a compressive feeling of restriction due to the tight fit, and the loss of tactile sensation to feel the water’s movement on your skin’s surface – a sensitivity that informs the swimmer’s discernment of streamline vs. turbulence.

Perhaps the most significant difference between wetsuit and non-wetsuit swimming is one that is a disadvantage to some and an advantage to others: a change in buoyancy that affects fore-aft balance. Many wetsuits use 3 different thicknesses of neoprene. They employ the thickest neoprene to increase buoyancy in the pelvic region and upper legs. This corrects a lack of fore-aft balance, so common among technically inefficient swimmers who find that their legs and lower torsos sink. However, this buoyancy aid can pose a real challenge to well-balanced, technically proficient swimmers. By elevating the pelvis and legs, the well-balanced swimmer can lose a significant amount of what I call "bite" in the kick. I experience this "bite" as the traction along my shin, ankle and foot as I whip-kick, that gives me thrust and rotational torque.

What’s a technically proficient 2-beat kick swimmer to do? How can a competent TI swimmer enjoy the advantages of a well-developed and refined fore-aft balance and streamlined body position and still enjoy the warmth and glide of a wetsuit?  

The Problem: Wetsuits change fore-aft balance, buoyancy and glide speed, and therefore require adjustments in the well-balanced swimmer’s technique. I will address the following adjustments to compensate for and take advantage of these changes: 1) Angle of entry and path of extension for the arm. 2) Degree of knee bend and adjustment to the kick. 3) Recovery arm mechanics.

Entry and Extension: Let’s begin with the angle of entry and the path of extension of the arm. With or without a wetsuit, generally I find that as I swim faster, (glide faster, rotate faster and – while striving to maintain a patient lead hand – stroke faster), I enter and extend my arm at a slightly shallower angle to increase stroke length. (There is a limit.) Conversely, as I swim slower, I enter and extend at a slightly deeper angle (to maintain a horizontal body streamline). In other words, the faster my glide speed, the more my body "planes out" to an optimal fore-aft balance and streamline, slightly decreasing the need for a deep extension. Since the wetsuit changes fore-aft balance and increases glide speed, I can afford to use a shallower angle of entry and extension.

BUT, there are some very important prerequisites!

First, it is important to note that even though there is this variation in the entry and extension, the deep grip position that my arm/hand moves to before the next torso rotation and arm extension (with a high elbow and near vertical forearm and hand) does remain consistent – regardless of my glide speed, stroke length or stroke cadence. This optimal grip position must be strongly imprinted in the neural system before advancing to varying the angle of entry and extension. Under Switch Drill and close-fist swimming are great tools for imprinting and refining your optimal grip position, especially with coaching and video feedback.

It takes tremendous sensitivity and skill (something I aspire towards but do not claim to have mastered) to slip/slope my extended arm/hand into it’s optimal grip position without causing turbulence or jeopardizing technique, especially as my stroke cadence increases. This means I must avoid pushing down in the water, creating turbulence, as I slip into the grip. We all know that pushing down with the leading arm diminishes fore-aft balance – the result being a dragging torso and legs, or a vigorous energy sapping 6-beat vertical kick with lots of knee bend to push the torso back to the surface. (Note: Although the wetsuit can compensate for this technical error, the swimmer still wastes energy pushing downward with the arm and hand.)

As I slip my hand and arm from extension to grip, I must also avoid dropping into the vertical grip position too soon which will also result in turbulence as my palm and forearm drag forward in the water while I glide with a patient lead hand.

When I swim in a wetsuit, my glide speed increases, and my body is higher in the water – especially my pelvis and legs. I use a shallower angle of entry and extension, increasing the length of my reach and stroke. The challenge is to "slip" my arm/hand into the same powerful grip position – complete with high elbow and near-vertical forearm/hand – by the time I am ready for the next switch. And – in a long-sleeve wetsuit – I must do this without the tactile perception of water flowing on my arms to help me discern streamline from turbulence.

What’s the best way to refine and practice this? Swim in your wetsuit! (But not in chlorine.) Keep your hand and forearm very relaxed so you can sense any turbulence you might be causing during the slip from shallow extension to deep grip. When you are training in the pool (without your wetsuit) make this slip movement from extension to grip a primary focus. Study how you may alter the angle of entry and extension as stroke cadence and glide speed vary. These differences are subtle, but discernable if you train the sensitivity.

Kick: A shallower entry/extension may keep my legs from breaking the water’s surface, but it is still difficult to feel much thrust in my kick. Proximity to the water’s surface is one factor, but another is the increase in glide speed. This increase means that the "whip" of my kick – the impulse that originates at my core/hip and travels through my leg and foot must also be faster. I address both of these factors as I slightly decrease the degree of flexion in my knee and increase the speed from flexion to extension during that whip. Minimizing knee flexion prevents my foot from kicking at or above the surface and increases the speed of the whip to match the increased speed of my glide.

A Few Words on 2BK: Remember, with optimal balance, the function of your 2-beat kick is to help rotate and thrust your body forward. An efficient kick remains within the hydrodynamic "shadow" of your body. If you kick wider than your hydrodynamic shadow, you are using it to correct for rotational imbalance. If your kick extends vertically above and/or below your hydrodynamic shadow with lots of knee and/or hip flexion, you are using it to correct fore-aft imbalance. Both types of imbalance can be caused by incorrect stroke mechanics and/or head position. Practice to correct these imbalances without the enhanced buoyancy of your wetsuit. As you refine your fore-aft and rotational balance, you no longer need to use your legs for correction. Then you can concentrate on developing a 2-beat whip-kick for rotational thrust.

Stroke Mechanics and Cadence: Your wetsuit swimming is in open water – "outside the box", as Terry calls it. There is no longer the stroke pause every 25 or 50 yards to turn around. You stroke continuously so the neural imprint of pausing the arms every 10 – 40 strokes is no longer honored. And, with the increased glide speed in your wetsuit, your stroke speed and cadence increase. Obviously, the best way to adapt to these changes and to refine your stroke mechanics for a faster cadence is to swim open water in your wetsuit.

You can use a Tempo Trainer to focus on cadence. When you are limited to pool swimming, experiment with cadences that may seem slightly too fast, to imprint the faster turnover. You may temporarily sacrifice that highly polished minimal stroke count you’ve spent so long honing, but it will prepare you for the wetsuit. Concentrate on the drift of your hand and arm from entry to grip – since this must happen faster – and minimize the sensation of pressing down to get to grip. Remember, in your wetsuit, you will not have the tactile sensitivity on your arm to discern between streamline and turbulence as you slip from extension to grip. Also focus on speeding up the recovery phase of your stroke – while preserving the leading elbow and marionette forearm. Develop speed without tension! Keep that mail slot entry clean and silent.

Swimming open water in the wetsuit, set your Tempo Trainer at what feels like your optimal cadence and monitor your stroke count for a length you can repeat. (Ideally, this length might be one-eighth to one-quarter of your race distance.) Try swimming your goal race distance in measured lengths at this cadence and see if you can hold the stroke count consistent. If you start to increase your stroke count significantly in the later lengths, try a slower tempo.

Both in the pool and in wetsuit open water swims, as you increase your cadence, closely monitor the tension of your arms during the recovery phase. Think "elbow lead" and "marionette forearm". Keep your entry relaxed as well.

This blog is certainly not an exhaustive discussion of wetsuit adaptation. I welcome your contributions to this ongoing discussion via e-mail or the Forum. To conclude, I wish to mention a few of my preferences regarding wetsuits: Since their introduction in the US, I train and race in 2XU wetsuits. (Pronounced "Two Times You".) In 2010, I will be racing for the third season in my V:1. All 2XU wetsuits are available in 13 men’s sizes and 7 women’s sizes. This extensive range equates to a more accurate fit.

Along with great shoulder mobility, there is another feature of the full-sleeve V:1 that minimizes shoulder and arm fatigue: Part of each forearm is sheathed in open cell neoprene, rather than closed. This decreases the buoyancy of the forearm and makes it significantly easier to enter and extend the forearm. I would not have considered this a significant element in decreasing the arm fatigue associated with wetsuit swimming until I tried it.

Sleeveless wetsuits are quite affordable, ensure full shoulder mobility, and leave your arms exposed for flow sensitivity. They are also easier to put on and faster to take off. Just make sure that there is no water flow into the suit around your shoulders, as this is a significant source of drag. I used the 2XU C:1 Sleeveless for a 24-hour triathlon, where I put on and removed the suit repeatedly, with great results.

Finally, the comfort and range of motion you experience in your wetsuit are contingent on how you put your wetsuit on. Please see my prior blog for this discussion.

Shane Eversfield manages the Lake Placid Swim Studio and leads workshops and open water clinics. He is author of the book Zendurance and numerous magazine articles. He is currently working on a dvd "TI Chi for Athletes" and a vook (e-book with embedded video) on triathlon cycling technique. Shane@totalimmersion.net