Triathlon Wetsuit Selection Calculator
Determine wetsuit legality, recommended thickness, and estimated swim time savings based on water temperature and race rules.
Inputs
Results
Wetsuit status
1
How to Use This Calculator
- Enter the expected Water Temperature in °C.
- Select your Competitor Type (Age-Group or Elite/Professional).
- Choose the race Governing Body (ITU, USAT, or Ironman) for accurate wetsuit rules.
- Enter the Swim Distance in meters for time-savings calculations.
- Review Wetsuit Legal Status, Recommended Thickness, Total Time Saved, and overheat/cold risk levels.
How the result changes with Water temperature (°C)
| Water temperature (°C) | Wetsuit status |
|---|---|
| 8 | 1 |
| 16 | 1 |
| 25 | 4 |
| 32 | 3 |
What each input means
- Water temperature (°C)
- Expected water temperature in Celsius. This determines wetsuit legality and recommended thickness.
- Competitor Type
- Different temperature thresholds apply to each competitor category.
- Governing Body
- Wetsuit rules vary by organization.
- Swim distance (meters)
- Race swim distance in meters. Used to calculate total time savings from wetsuit buoyancy.
What each result means
- Wetsuit status
- 1 = Mandatory, 2 = Optional, 3 = Banned, 4 = Allowed but no awards/ranking.
- Recommended thickness (mm)
- Suggested neoprene thickness in millimeters. 0 = swimskin or no suit.
- Water temperature (°F)
- Water temperature converted to Fahrenheit.
- Time saved/100m (sec)
- Estimated seconds saved per 100m from wetsuit buoyancy.
- Total time saved (sec)
- Total seconds saved over the entire swim distance.
- Overheat risk (1-5)
- Risk of overheating in a wetsuit. 1 = very low, 5 = very high (do not wear wetsuit).
- Cold water risk (1-5)
- Risk of hypothermia without a wetsuit. 1 = very low, 5 = very high (wetsuit strongly recommended).
How this is calculated
Worked example, using the default values
- Identify Input Parameters4 parametersWater temperature (°C) = 20, Competitor Type = 1, Governing Body = 1, Swim distance (meters) = 1500 = 4 input(s) provided
- Calculate Wetsuit status1 = 1
- Calculate Recommended thickness3 = 3
- Calculate Water temperatureWater temperature = waterTempC * 9 / 5 + 3268 = 68
Engine last updated .
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