Adjusting technique to wetsuit swimming
 

Most wetsuits increase buoyancy in the legs. I realized that after 6 months of practicing balance in the pool, my wetsuit legs are now bothering me in open water, because my feet keep breaking the surface.
Now, I'm hoping to find some more wetsuit-wimps out there like me who can give some advice. What adjustments are you making?
- Relax legs and let them sink more?
- spear more horizontal (less deeper)?
- reduce time of recovering arm being above surface and in front of shoulder?

I really have no idea so my answer is a question.
Wouldn't you just lift your leg less to kick ?
If you're not kicking And your heels are out of the water that'd have to be a good drag reduction.

When you're trying to find balance in a Skate position, one of the components is to find the ideal position of your leading arm. Your body is like a teeter totter that is balanced on the fulcrum of your lungs, and it is your head and leading arm (on one side of the fulcrum) that balance your legs (on the other side). So if the wetsuit is making your legs more buoyant, you aren't going to need to lower your leading arm as much to bring your body into balance.

I'd suggest experimenting with your leading arm position in Skate (on both sides) while wearing a wetsuit and finding the arm position that brings your body into balance. Then incorporate that new arm position into your wetsuit freestyle stroke.


Bob

I am pretty new to open water and have noticed this as well. I am willing to guess that I occasionally look like a spouting whale with a splash so high that I can feel it hit my swimming cap.
I am not particularly bothered by it. For me the kick is just the flick at the end of my body role. Not much of the power comes from the movement of my foot through the water so I just 'roll with it.' :)