This post is going to contradict the advice of a triathlon coach. It’s a minor contradiction, so considering the number of people who read this blog and the severity of the contradiction, major drama is not about to ensue.
The particular coach in question wrote and published his own book on racing 70.3. The book is full of good and useful content. Unfortunately, it’s also full of typographical errors and poor grammar. The errors aside, there is one suggestion that irks me and it has to do with transitions.
The author lists, chronologically, the actions that make transitions fast. My point of contention is with his description of moving from swim exit to the bike where the list implicitly suggests that the athlete should remove cap and goggles before getting out of the wetsuit.
I’m sure this seems like a silly point, but experience and one of my coaches have taught me that you want to leave cap and goggles on your head until the wet suit is off of the upper body. Removing a full sleeve wetsuit is difficult enough without your hand balled up in a fist while holding something.
When exiting the water, I advise athletes to flip the goggles up. If the goggles have been put on securely (straps UNDER swim cap), they will rest on the forehead. This allows two free hands to remove the suit.
However, it you really want to be fast, take off the wetsuit before you get out of the water.