10/07/2026
The rise of the non-Wetsuit Swim seems to be a thing now especially in European long-distance races. Year after year now we’ve seen more and more people encounter a non-Wetsuit Swim and 2026 is going that way rapidly, even in the UK. We are coming off back-to-back Roth non-Wetsuit swims and I just got a text telling me about Versailles and the risk to Luxembourg.
As a Swim Coach for some years now I’ve been preaching and encouraging my swimmers that you should train as if you were competing in a non-Wetsuit Swim. If you happen to be given the opportunity to race in your Wetsuit, obviously you should be quicker (if it fits well and is well fitted.) But psychologically it should not be an issue if there is no wetsuit on race day. Your swim technique should be efficient enough to not need a wetsuit.
We still need to practice and prepare and be comfortable in our wetsuit as you will probably be in it for the earlier races in the season. Like my approach to pull buoys, which should be an aid to your swimming fitness, not be your actual swim technique. Wetsuits should not be relied upon for making cut offs etc.
You have got to be ready for swims without Wetsuits now and if it does happen to be a Wetsuit Swim then you’re going be faster. You’re going to be a bit more rested and you’re going to have a lower heart rate getting onto The Bike. That is exactly what a Wetsuit should do.
Hindsight is a lovely thing but with days/ weeks to go what can you do if you’ve not got 9 months to prepare? then obviously that is a very different story.
To help, let us look at what a wetsuit does aside from warmth and overall floatation - they keep the legs up regardless of leg technique. Trust me when I say I have seen a huge array of leg kicks and the wetsuit hiding that multitude of sins. A ‘ high in the water’ bad leg kick is kept high by your suit but the drag it creates won’t be reduced.
Drag, sinking legs and poor body position is going to devastate your swim. What might have been a steady 1:55 pace for 100m is now likely to be a tiring 2:20 or more…
With races imminent what can be done if you have been relying on your suit?
Ankle flexibility - loosen them up so they are not anchoring the body. Look at the rock pose from the world of Yoga. Ankles at 90degrees are nigh on impossible to keep high due to a combination of factors. The increased surface area and the flow of water around that shape pulling them down.
Look to a Smaller kick to keep the legs hidden in the shadow of the body and reduce your profile. Feel the big toes lightly brushing to stop them straying.
Pivot the wrist at the back of stroke to keep the fingertips pointing downwards for longer. Push water back not up, it will keep the hips higher.
Check head position, look forward but not to the extreme you are facing forward which will tip the body and keep the legs lower. Similarly, a straight arm push down might be lifting the head and so lowering the legs. Work on your catch so you pivot at the elbow not the shoulder.
Consider a Skin suit to cover up any drag apparent in a tri suit i.e., those useful pockets for gels on the trisuit will create some turbulence, remember small discrepancies are now magnified at 800x denser than air. With no neoprene in a swim skin the advantage comes from the seams, the fabric, and its water repellent nature and of course the compression. If you can afford one, they work but its small gains.
If the swim is multi lap and you exit, then you have the perfect opportunity to grab a gel and start some refuelling to help offset the fact the swim will now be harder.
Equally you just need to be Psychologically tougher approaching the swim - be tough as the event now gets significantly tougher,
Be prepared perhaps for more recovery in T1 and perhaps even a slower bike ride having worked harder on the swim.
Longer term - hindsight as mentioned is a wonderful thing and in anticipation of next year’s scorchers perhaps we should be addressing those sinky legs sooner than later. For now get your swim technique checked and do what you can to get those feet and hips higher and allow the arm pull, the best opportunity to pull the narrowest of vessels through the water.
