Had a debate with my swim coach about gear dependency

So I was at the pool last Tuesday and my coach said I should ditch the wetsuit for my next open water practice. He claims people lean too hard on gear and never learn proper body position. But I've been using a rental wetsuit for 6 months and my times dropped by 4 minutes on the 1.5k. He says it's a crutch, I say it's confidence building. What do you all think, is gear a tool or a trap when you're still new?

2 comments

2 Comments

miles_perez7d ago

Get where you're coming from, that confidence boost is real and it's not like you're cheating. I've seen guys at the local lake ditch their float suits too early and spend half the practice swallowing water instead of working on form. Six months isn't that long, if the wetsuit keeps you in the water longer and feeling good, that's a win for building technique. Maybe meet him halfway, use it for longer sets but try one lap without it each session just to feel the difference.

kai4637d ago

Don't you think six months of relying on buoyancy just builds bad habits you'll have to unlearn later?

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