To wear a wetsuit when I weigh so much?

[Arkengarthdale]

I'm desperate to go swimming in the sea when we go to the beach soon. I love it. But I'm 5 stone overweight and self conscious. WIBU to stick two virtual fingers up to judgy people, zip myself into a size 18 wetsuit and hide in the water?

Or is the prospect just too grim to contemplate? Might I be mistaken for a stray sea lion and culled? Or find myself on the wrong end of a whaling harpoon?

We're talking Scotland BTW, although it's June it's still bloody freezing, hence the need for neoprene

Where we are (South West) it's normal for people to go swimming in wetsuits anyway because it's so bloody cold for most of the year. Go for it!!

Go for it. You'll be too busy having fun to care what anyone else thinks. Angelichosts you could try decathlon for larger suits.

Go for it OP. Open water swimming is so wonderful. Hold your head high and sod anyone shallow enough to care.

You only get one life, makes sense to get the most out of it that you can.

I want to try open water swimming but am letting my size 18-20 body stop me. I might take a leaf out of your book.

Thehop I've taken part in the great North Swim. There are people who take part of all shapes and sizes, many many way bigger than a size 20. All anyone shares is anlove of open water swimming- some are gym bunnies speeding along in front crawl. Others are just enjoying the event and doing a gentle breastroke.

If you'd like to give it a go please do consider it. The GNS and the spin off swims in other locations are a brilliant way to start. Plenty of non serious swimmers.

Have a look at it on Facebook or the Great North Swim website, you can see pics to give you an idea.

Also to the best of my knowledge no-ones ever been burned through neoprene.

Go for it OP!

Nobody else will be paying attention

Fantastic! Thanks so much, everyone. I am so excited now, I can't wait!

Lots of wild swimmers are larger ladies thehop. They seem to be a very welcoming bunch. Lots of Facebook pages for wild swimming - go for it!

Yay! I did it! And the weather was amazing and the sea was still bloody freezing. But I did it 😊

Oh my god just do it, I wouldn't look twice. No reason why you should be worried, just enjoy it.

I was a similar size to you when I once put a wetsuit on inside out by accident and ventured into the sea. Now that got a few looks!

Sorry, cross post! Glad you loved it!

What a lovely thread! You've got me thinking that I need a wet suit if I want to swim in Cornwall this summer though - I'd better get shopping!

it's the right clothes for the activity. Get in and enjoy.

TBH no adult woman looks good in soggy knickers and soggy bra, despite the hard sell on bikinis. People doing stuff look so much better.