Malibu Triathlon encourages the use of a wetsuit in it's event but it is not enforced.
So would I encourage the use of a wetsuit? My answer is always Yes. Unless a race is in a pool or the distance is short, I would always encourage the use of a wetsuit.
The reason for this is the time advantage that it gives you. Okay, so the waters off Malibu for the last couple of years have been at 61°F so having a wetsuit for the warmth factor alone is a good enough reason, but a wetsuit gives you buoyancy. Buoyancy during a swim is your friend. It allows your body to lay flat in the water and reduces drag. During a 20 minute race, you will probably save about 3-4 minutes due to wearing a wetsuit. You will need to take this suit off before getting on your bike but this time is nothing compared to the time you have already made up during the swim.
So can I use my wetsuit I use for surfing? My answer to that is No. Technically you could, but wetsuits designed for swimming are specifically designed to have thick rubber where warmth is needed but the rubber thins considerable where articulation is needed such as the under arm areas. This means that you are not restricted during the swim but still get the benefits of a full wetsuit.
I would also encourage the use of body lubrication such as Body Glide. This can be applied in the areas of most articulation such as the under arms, neck and importantly the lower legs, as the last one will help you remove the wetsuit easier.
If you need to get a wetsuit you can either rent one for the race if you don't want to commit right now or XTERRA is the official sponsor for this years race and will be offering a 50% discount on their Vortex3 wetsuit. Use the following code to get our team discount: C-SONYAs always, it is not recommended to try something new on race day so make sure you get access to your wetsuit before hand and practice swimming in the ocean in it as well as getting out of it when it is wet. You don't want to be getting this wrong in the race.
