Tech Suit Advice for Masters Women

The only thing I can tell you is that you are going to have to suffer and squeeze the thing over your hips and thighs. It gets better the 2nd day you wear it, and it is easier to put on when totally dry & in your hotel room than at the pool after warm up! I made the mistake of buying closer to my regular suit size, and the top while comfortable, was way way too lose. I wore it for 100 yds, and am now trying to get rid of it! Good luck! (By the way, I have a very discounted suit, size 34!:D)

Haha! I'm totally fine with suffering through - I get that, I've been doing that with tech suits for decades - but there is a difference between REALLY REALLY tight and physically impossible. The sizing charts for every brand have my hip measurements in at least 3 if not 4 sizes larger than my chest measurements would (yes, I am measuring correctly, and no, my body is unfortunately not at all proportional). I tried a speedo about a year ago, tried it on at a speedo swim shop at a big meet and went with the size the expert there suggested, but it filled with so much water in the top on my first race I had to ditch it for the rest of the meet and resort to my old fs2. Most of these suits don't seem to have enough give to physically get it on without tearing - wondering if anyone else has the same issue, or has found any that are more forgiving for us older folks that don't have perfectly shaped bodies?

Obviously I can't comment on women's suits too well, but Blue Seventy makes a tech suit that is designed to be easier to put on than other tech suits. You might want to look into it: www.blueseventy.com/.../nerofit-kneeskin The price isn't bad, either.

Try wearing latex gloves when putting on your suit. Makes it much easier to grip as you are pulling over your hips.

Girls, when it comes to choosing your swimsuits - REJOICE! When I come back in my next life, I'm going to request that I come back as a woman. Since the banning of bodysuits, we have had to watch with envy because the women have hardly been affected. Historically, women have campaigned for equal rights with men when it comes to having the vote. In the workplace, women want to be treated as equals when doing the same job as men, and now demand equal pay. Yet when it comes to masters swimming, men cannot wear the same costumes as the women. It's about time this inequality was addressed. Lol - like those things are equivalent? It wouldn't bother me at all if men's suits offered more coverage. Would be interesting to see if being a woman swimmer (with less natural muscle mass, testosterone, speed) would truly be worth the trade off... :)

Girls, when it comes to choosing your swimsuits - REJOICE! When I come back in my next life, I'm going to request that I come back as a woman. Since the banning of bodysuits, we have had to watch with envy because the women have hardly been affected. Historically, women have campaigned for equal rights with men when it comes to having the vote. In the workplace, women want to be treated as equals when doing the same job as men, and now demand equal pay. Yet when it comes to masters swimming, men cannot wear the same costumes as the women. It's about time this inequality was addressed.

I'm sorting through a similar dilemma. I sent an email to B-70 with my measurements (I included height, weight, chest, waist, hip & thigh) and hoping I'll get a decent response with what size they recommend. It seems as though their size charts overlap quite a bit, so I'm really unsure which size to try.

Blueseventy got back to me pretty quickly (within hours) and while she willingly provided the info for the NeroTX, she suggested that the NeroFit was made specifically for Masters swimmers - especially those with proportions that are more than 1 size off on different measurements on their chart. I don't feel confident in the size she recommended for me, though...a 36. Yes, this fits my height and weight (6' 175lb) but it's the same size as my practice suit. I'll wear a 36-38 for practice and a lycra 34 for racing. Honestly the Lycra 34s aren't as snug as I would like all the time but I get get a 32 to stretch over my shoulders at all. But she had that info to make her recommendation, so I would hope a 36 is correct. I'm tempted to order the 34.

This is the tech suit I wear. I LOVE it. It's my first "real" tech suit. It still took about 20 minutes to put on the first time, but after I got it on it was comfortable to wear; meaning I can breathe comfortably and it doesn't kill my shoulders. I wore it for LC Nats last summer, and for a couple of meets since. I dropped an average of 3 seconds in every event. It's holding up great! I sized down 2 sizes from my practice suit, and it fits great! Does the size you purchased match the size recommendation from their chart?

Obviously I can't comment on women's suits too well, but Blue Seventy makes a tech suit that is designed to be easier to put on than other tech suits. You might want to look into it: www.blueseventy.com/.../nerofit-kneeskin The price isn't bad, either. This is the tech suit I wear. I LOVE it. It's my first "real" tech suit. It still took about 20 minutes to put on the first time, but after I got it on it was comfortable to wear; meaning I can breathe comfortably and it doesn't kill my shoulders. I wore it for LC Nats last summer, and for a couple of meets since. I dropped an average of 3 seconds in every event. It's holding up great! I sized down 2 sizes from my practice suit, and it fits great!