1. Put wetsuit lubricant on any areas prone to chaffing. Prepare the suit by unzipping and rolling it inside out down to half a leg. Put your foot in a thin plastic bag and then slip it into the leg pulling the suit up as you go. Peel the bag off your foot and repeat on the other leg. This helps you to put the legs of the wetsuit on a lot more easily.
2. Pull the wetsuit over your thighs; make sure it’s snugly into the crotch. If this area is sagging, the suit will be too tight at the shoulders and chest.
3. Pull the sleeves on over your arms. Make sure the armpit area is pulled up, similar to the crotch.
4. Pull the zip up securing any Velcro fastenings. The zip ‘strap’ should be beneath the fastening and hang over the top.
5. Bend forwards and make sure that any rolls of neoprene are worked out by hoisting the material upwards towards the shoulders.
6. Put some extra lubricant around the neck and at the bottom of the legs to help wetsuit removal in transition.
7. Before you dive or run into the water, always swing your arms slowly (forward and back) to loosen them off.
8. Work through some stroke patterns to activate the relevant muscles. This also prepares your mind.
9. In the water do a 10min warm-up (with some 10-15sec speed pick-ups) and then arrive at the start line 5mins before the gun to create space for yourself