Triathlon Equipment - Triathlon-specific Swim Equipment

Triathlon-specific Swim Equipment

Typical equipment for a swim includes a cap, goggles and a swimsuit and/or wetsuit. Usually, participants must wear a swim cap provided by the event. For safety reasons, the swim caps are generally brightly colored for high visibility. The colors may categorize swimmers by event (e.g. Olympic, Sprint) or by heat.

Any artificial propulsion device, e.g. fin, sock, glove, paddle or flotation device except a wet suit, is prohibited. Snorkels, however, are a gray area. Triathlon Canada, Australia Triathlon, USAT and ITU do not specifically disallow snorkels. British Triathlon does not list snorkels as part of the accepted equipment, thus they are disallowed.

Because most triathlon swim stages are conducted in open waters (lakes, rivers, or oceans) which are often cold, many early races allowed wetsuits. However, typical wetsuits manufactured for snorkeling or water skiing are not optimal for triathlon, because the sleeves generally restrict the range of motion too much for comfortable stroking during the swim. Modern triathlon wetsuits were invented by Dan Empfield in 1987 and are customized to the needs of triathletes, and generally incorporate the following features:

• Thinner and/or more pliable rubber near the shoulders, sleeveless versions are also available.
• Long zippers and sometimes wrist/ankle zippers to facilitate quick removal during transition.

In addition, tri wetsuits have a very smooth, but often fragile, surface. This slick surface helps to reduce water friction and allow a faster swim, but it would be easily destroyed by contact with a sandy surfboard. Another advantage of a wetsuit is the added buoyancy. It provides triathletes with a considerable advantage.

Rules vary by event, but typically wetsuits are allowed only if the water temperature is below a specified threshold on the day of the event (e.g. 78 °F, 26°C). Any athlete has the option of wearing another style of swimsuit allowed by the rules at any temperature.

Unfortunately, most triathletes do not have the luxury of an open water swim environment near where they train, and year-round outside training can be difficult in cold climates. Several swim training products have been created to address this issue including ergometers like the Vasa Swim Trainer or compact swimming treadmills like Endless Pools.

Trisuits may also be used for the swim, bike, and run. They are made out of a swimsuit material and usually have some form of chamois.