When Are Stinger Suits Used?
Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California. While stinger suits are used by only a very small handful of open water swimmers around the world during swims where the danger of box jellyfish and other venomous marine life exist, the issue has attracted the attention and interest of the marathon swimming world (see here).
Because so few swimmers use stinger suits in their sport, information about the use of stinger suits also tends to be limited. Fundamentally, stinger suits are used in warm-water parts of the world where venomous creatures are probable to sting swimmers and are used largely at night – from before sunset to just after sunrise.
Because the porous swimwear gets waterlogged, becomes so heavy, and is not conducive to swimming fast or becoming buoyant, they are not used throughout the entire swim.
Photo by Norma Connolly shows Penny Palfrey completing her unprecedented Bridging The Cayman Islands swim.
Copyright © 2014 by World Open Water Swimming Association
Southern California native, born 1962, is the creator of the WOWSA Awards, Oceans Seven, Openwaterpedia, Citrus Corps, World Open Water Swimming Association, Daily News of Open Water Swimming, Global Open Water Swimming Conference. He is Chief Executive Officer of KAATSU Global and KAATSU Research Institute. Inductee in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Swimmer, Class of 2001) and Ice Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Contributor - Media, Class of 2019), recipient of the International Swimming Hall of Fame's Poseidon Award (2016), International Swimming Hall of Fame's Irving Davids-Captain Roger Wheeler Memorial Award (2010), USA Swimming's Glen S. Hummer Award (2007, 2010) and Harvard University's John B. Imrie Award (1984). Served on the FINA Technical Open Water Swimming Committee and as Technical Delegate with the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games, and 9-time USA Swimming coaching staff.
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