Newbie Equipment Question

Originally posted by agameofyou I know speedos are the swim suit of choice to reduce drag but since I'm just starting out I don't want to look like a fool and I just wear normal swim trunks. When would be a good time make the transition? When I'm confortable enough to were them (ie in good enough shape :))? When I reach a certain fitness level (can swim x distance in x time)? Any opinions/suggestions? I'd suggest doing it now. You don't need to have a body like a model before you start wearing a competitive swimsuit. It's true that fat people don't look good in competitive swimsuits, but they don't look good in boxer swimsuits, either. The problem is the fat--not the swimsuit. And the more you swim, the less of a problem that sort of thing will be. Your suggestion that perhaps you need to attain some particular swimming speed before you are entitled to wear a competitive swimsuit is also nonsense. Most kids who join swim teams get their suits right away. They don't wait until they have attained some level of performance, nor should you feel that you need to. You will probably feel a little self conscious the first time you wear one, regardless of when you do it. But that feeling will pass quickly, too.

Originally posted by agameofyou I know speedos are the swim suit of choice to reduce drag but since I'm just starting out I don't want to look like a fool and I just wear normal swim trunks. When would be a good time make the transition? When I'm confortable enough to were them (ie in good enough shape :))? When I reach a certain fitness level (can swim x distance in x time)? Any opinions/suggestions? I'd suggest doing it now. You don't need to have a body like a model before you start wearing a competitive swimsuit. It's true that fat people don't look good in competitive swimsuits, but they don't look good in boxer swimsuits, either. The problem is the fat--not the swimsuit. And the more you swim, the less of a problem that sort of thing will be. Your suggestion that perhaps you need to attain some particular swimming speed before you are entitled to wear a competitive swimsuit is also nonsense. Most kids who join swim teams get their suits right away. They don't wait until they have attained some level of performance, nor should you feel that you need to. You will probably feel a little self conscious the first time you wear one, regardless of when you do it. But that feeling will pass quickly, too.