In 2006, I turned 40 years of age. Leading up to this milestone I found myself searching for an appropriate life-affirming challenge. In October of 2005, I decided I would swim nonstop around Lake Washington in August of 2006. In April of 2006, after too many miles of swimming at the local indoor pool, I decided to begin my open water training. With hundreds of hours of swimming planned for the next four months, I knew the wetsuit I chose would be critical. After considerable research, I determined that the blueseventy Helix wetsuit was the best product on the market and perfect for my needs.
The Reactive Stretch Technology (RST) neoprene surrounding my shoulders and lats combined with the preformed elbows allowed unrestricted arm motion through my entire stroke. This was crucial considering I made 10 plus swims greater than 15 miles long in a three month period while training for my goal. I just applied a little non-petroleum lubricant around the neck and under the arms and I was good for hours of continuous swimming.I'm proud to say, on August 26th, 2006 I completed 55.5 miles of continuous swimming around Lake Washington after 37 hours straight! As I exited the lake, to cheering friends and family, someone yelled, "Hey Tyler, how about a victory lap?!" Thanks to my Helix wetsuit, I felt good enough to shout back, "Careful, don't tempt me!"
Contributed by Tyler Patterson
Photo by Erik Nachtrieb
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