Speedos

I just started swimming about a month ago and I just can't bring myself to wear one - I have to stick with the baggy ones. Seems most of the guys at my gym do as well. I still sort of chuckle in my head every time I see a speedo (old habits die hard), but you can rest assured that the guys wearing them chuckle even harder in their heads at me when they see me swim.

I agree with Mike - one of the funniest things I see are guys trying to fight the drag of baggy swim trunks. It makes my day!:) The only thing funnier are the guys who sag with their pants. Wait - even funnier are the guys that sag with their baggy swim trunks! Seriously, I think this is a more recent issue - I have no memory of being self conscious about wearing small trunks (speedos) or being teased about it. Its interesting being old enough to see a major swing in what is considered appropriate for modesty - from less conservative to more conservative. I would never have expected this when I was younger.

I can't tell you about us older guys that made the switch. I started wearing speedo's almost 50 years ago. But I can tell you that a number of young boys refuse to go out for the swim team because they would have to wear speedo's. The boys are used to seeing their sports heroes in long shorts. Basketball shorts are much longer than they were 10 years ago. As a result, so are leisure shorts and swim suits for men. It makes it really tough for a teenager to wear something that the main stream is not. The situation is just another inhibitor (lack of college programs) to boys getting into swimming.

I have no problem wearing speedo's at all, I am comfortable with my body, They improve your speed so you don't have so much drag, and If you have a good body, the girls like them too.

Well, I like Speedo's over what Johnny Weismuller's wore. But when you think of it the body swim suits and the half-body are somewhat similar to some of the swim suits of the early 20th century but more effective. What women wore at the turn of the 20th century would really caused people to laugh. They had to be cover foot to toe and wear a shower cap. Anyway,Phil, Speedo became popular in the sexy 1960's and their were mini-skirts for women in those days.

Well, about the lack of swimming programs for men in college preventing them into getting into swimming. What about swimmers like Laura Val and Donna de Varona who didn't get to swim in college because most of the programs in the 1960's and early1970's were geared toward guys. Yet, women still did swim. I think the guys situation in college today is still better than the women's situation was in 1971 when Laura Val left swimming senior level swimming.

Wow- there are some great replies regarding speedo etiquette… it’s a shame that no one here in Florida is aware of them! I mean, the sights on the beach during tourist season… oi vey- I should go blind by what I see! Just out of curiosity, since it is such a faux pas to wear speedos at the beach, is it equally gauche for women to wear training/racing suits to swim on the beach? Having said that, most of the guys at the pool where I train wear speedos; in fact, anyone wearing the baggy swim shorts are thought of as being a bit odd…

I would never wear a Speedo to a beach and question those that do. I usually work out on my own at a health club where Speedos are definitely not the norm. There are only a handful of serious lap swimmers who wear them. Even though I'm in good shape and one of the better swimmers, I can't quite seem to get over the embarrassment of others checking me out in my Speedo. As a result, I end up doing a happy medium. The swimsuit I wear is a beach short that goes about 1/2 way to the knee. However, I found out that it is important to get ones without pockets. On more than one occasion I had to slyly go back to the locker room after blowing out the side of the suit from top to bottom after doing backstroke starts. The water resistance form the pockets must cause them to rip. Regarding women wearing training/racing suits to swim on the beach? As long as they are in half way decent shape, I have no problem with it. It's amazing what you will see on some of the beaches on some of the out of shape folks- especially in Hawaii.

Add me to the group that distinguishes between workout and leisure. I would never wear my Speedos for leisure swimming, to the lake, beach or water park. I would never wear baggy trunks when I'm trying to work out. When I'm working out, I'm there for a specific purpose and don't really care what anybody else thinks of how I look in a suit. To me, these are comfort issues. Baggy trunks are more comfortable to goof around in. Trim suits are more comfortable for swimming. Different activities, different wardrobe.

Just an interesting observation (to me at least) regarding the beach comments. When I swam in high school (early 70's) and now in my recent return to Masters, I would never even think of wearing speedos to the beach . . . never did. But when we head to the beach for open water swim training, my teammates and I never give it a second thought. I have no idea what those around us may think, but where I would be completely self conscious and embarrased if I wore a speedo for surfing, body boarding, or just plain hanging out, I don't have any such qualms when racing or training at the beach. For what it's worth. carl