Speedos

Why not develop swim wear in-between the extremes. The shorts that male lifeguards wear is not too baggy. Women wear has store suites in-between the swimming suits for competition and I wear the a store suit during workout when I have my monthly cycle.

SPEEDO THE UNDERWEAR SUIT! That's what my 9 yr old son calls it! And I can't get him to wear anything else! He has always hung around the pool, esp. since my daughter has been swimming USA the past 3 yrs. Recently, he wanted to give competitive swimming a try- so last year when we were looking at suit styles- he fell in love with the Speedo " the underwear suit". At first his teammates (esp. the young females) teased him, but he just shrugged it off and told them that's what the really fast older boys wear! Of course, they were singing a different tune when he passed them in the pool! He even suprised me with the versatility of the Speedo....one day, while putting away the laundry, I entered his room to find a scene totally reminiscent of "Risky Business"- My son in his shades and a Speedo dancing and singing in front of his mirror!! :D

Gosh, this threat warmed up a bit.... Having lost my entire right back side after being squashed under a 28 ton dump truck in 1977, I was a bit uncomfortable wearing my Speedo to workout the first time. But, after that first workout I never gave it one seconds thought again. I LOVE United States Masters Swimmers....because they could care LESS! I only wear a Speedo during workouts and meets (USMS type stuff). I wear Beach Boys type Jams at the beach and lake. I do that because it is what makes ME comfortable. As to having guys look at me in a Speedo...or... the ladies.....whatever....whatever floats your boat...And if seeing a 53 year old Masters Swimmer with half a back side winds their watch....Well, maybe they need glasses more then I need to wear Jams...SMILE.... Life is way to short as it is....let's worry about the stuff that really matters...like who's on first...

Aquageek, Let's add a couple of details to you picture. In addition to the thong and tank top, imagine an orange floppy "Gilligan" hat (the kind they sell at theme parks to make those of us too stupid to rember a hat, or hang on to it during the rides, look ridiculous), white lifeguard style sun screen on the nose, mirror shades, and sandals with black calf length socks! Yoy! And double Yoy! Don't think about it too long, or you will go blind! Matt

Re: is it OK for women to wear Speedos at the beach too ... My first experience wearing a racing suit was when I was swimming on a summer league team as a kid. I will show my age here by confessing these were the nylon, scoop-back suits with the panel in front. My mother was aghast that they did not have built-in bras, and insisted on buying me one like she would buy for herself, with the foam-rubber bra. It made me look like Jayne Mansfield. Plus, they soaked up water to the point you could actually feel the increased drag. I was more embarrassed to wear the suit with the bra than one without (it just wasn't appropriate for the setting), so I went in the bathroom with my mom's sewing scissors, cut the bra out, and deposited it in the trash in the bathroom. The next evening we had the preacher over for dinner, and as everyone was sitting around with coffee and dessert, here came the family dog trotting out with the bra from my swimsuit in his mouth! Those Speedos are going to embarrass you one way or the other!

I wear speedos to the beach, family pools, and when I'm working out. I guess I prefer the "European style" even when I'm swimming casually, although I'm an American. And speedos are more comfortable and functional, especially when you're swimming in the ocean. I bet a lot of American men would find this to be true if they weren't so intimidated by the so-called "rules" of fashion.

It seems strange to me that so many people feel it is not good for a guy to wear a speedo in public (beach, public pool, etc) while I've seen women parade around in something that more resembles dental floss. And someone mentioned it depends on if they guy is in shape? Who are we to judge who is good enough to wear one or not?? As for me, I wear whatever the occasion calls for. When invited to another home, I will generally wear something fairly conservative (shorts), with a speedo-type suit underneath. This came in especially handy when in Europe. Also, in Japan, the pool I used did not allow anything but speedo-style suits (and also required caps BTW). Back in 1995, I lifeguarded at a water park in Allentown, PA, the kind where the lifeguards really do go in the water to pull people out (I had about 25 saves in 2 months). Anyway, most of the guys cut out the liner of the shorts and wore speedos underneath. They tended to dry faster and hold up better, and it was easy if we wanted to swim laps in the wave pool over breaks. Just my input on this subject. Will the final article be available online, or can it be posted on the USMS site somehow? Tim Murphy Sun Devil Masters

Meg,I remember those types of swim suits for women or girls in our case back then that your mother made you wear. Actually, one of my extra suits I got when I was even fatter and started back into swimming is similar but it works great for workouts. And did anyone read the article about Rita Egan in Swim Magazine who is 220 pounds and buys her swim suits from Walmart. She can't fit into the regular swim suits that we wear and I who weight in the 190's is at the upper limits of not wearing swim suits from Walmart. And there are men whose weight and size prevent them from wearing speedos.

At one time, I refused to even consider wearing a competitive suit. They seeemed, ah, a bit more revealing than I liked. Then, they were expensive--I could get three pairs of trunks on clearance at Target at the end of summer for the price of one Speedo. I drifted away from swimming for a couple of years. I came back this spring. I read something that said that even lap swimmers benefit from a competitive suit. I figured I might as well try one. It felt a bit odd putting it on the first time--to say the least. Since that time, I've come to love my Tyr. I don't know if it makes me faster--for me, rotten ability probably has more of an impact than the style of swim suit. But, it's certainly a lot more comfortable. In addition, I don't think it's much more revealing than the previous suit I'd had. But, then, I was careful to avoid buying the tightest size I could fit into. It also has a fairly modest cut. It'll be interesting to see if I ever wear trunks again. I'm afraid I'm not one who's particulary worried about the ins and outs of swim suits. As long as it works for how I swim, and allows me to avoid an indecent exposure rap, I'm happy.

Hello everyone, new to the forums here. I just started my return to swimming as well. I haven't swam since I was in junior high. Anyway, it has been a while since I've swam. I've put a on a little weight since the time. I'm about 6'0 185 lbs, but I'm not grossly overweight or anything. The other day I bought a couple of speedo 1" solar suits. They are kind of skimpy around the sides but they help when I do laps. I don't care what other people think about me, they can think whatever they want to. All I'm there to do is to swim for fitness and possibly compete someday. If other people want to waste time and gawk at me, let them. I think speedo's should be more accepted by America's standards. It's not like we are prancing around naked or anything. Plus they are more comfortable and practical for water use.