www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/.../19679.asp
The most substantial change, of course, is that suits would no longer be allowed to extend past the knee.
My personal opinion is this is sort of an arbitrary change. What really should be changed--if anything--is what types of materials are allowed and maybe testing protocol to approve a suit. I don't really think requiring suits to end at the knees would affect much.
Parents
Former Member
Let's just repeat for the audience your credentials to speak on this. You don't compete. You have never competed. You tried on a tech suit once but didn't swim in it (I think you said this). You have no knowledge of their abilities, unlike almost everyone else on this forum. If it was marketing then how do you explain the results?
Hey Aquageek
Yep - It's been a while since I've posted anything on the USMS board, but I’m back again.
Just like earthquakes in California: Just because there haven’t been any lately doesn’t mean they’re gone. And I'm not gone either!!!
As for your comment about my credentials regarding swimming, I don't need to actually swim on a competitive basis to know what the abilities of the so called "tech suits" really are.
Swimming is based on the principles of physics (mainly hydrodamics) and bio-mechanics which have been studied for decades and the results can be comprehended by anyone who has a knowledge of these sciences. With the exception of the "Girdling" effect (body compression), there is nothing about a tech suit that could increase the swimmer's ability.
As I've said before, the main problem faced in increasing swimming speed is getting more propulsion -not less drag. So instead of focusing on the properties of the suit, why aren't they focusing on the hands and the feet and accordingly just use paddles and flippers to gain more propulsion?
Prior to the 1990's, FINA rules were very restrictive about any devices or substances that could be construed as aiding the swimmers ability. So why did FINA do a flip-flop and become so permissive about the use of these suits? :confused:
This suit technology stuff reeks of a "Fifth Avenue" style marketing campaign on the part of the suit makers (who are also clothing manufacturers) and their strategy seems to be the use competitive swim wear as a form of fashion modleing.
Considering all the $$$ involved, FINA seems to be more than willing to go along with it.
Dolphin 2
Let's just repeat for the audience your credentials to speak on this. You don't compete. You have never competed. You tried on a tech suit once but didn't swim in it (I think you said this). You have no knowledge of their abilities, unlike almost everyone else on this forum. If it was marketing then how do you explain the results?
Hey Aquageek
Yep - It's been a while since I've posted anything on the USMS board, but I’m back again.
Just like earthquakes in California: Just because there haven’t been any lately doesn’t mean they’re gone. And I'm not gone either!!!
As for your comment about my credentials regarding swimming, I don't need to actually swim on a competitive basis to know what the abilities of the so called "tech suits" really are.
Swimming is based on the principles of physics (mainly hydrodamics) and bio-mechanics which have been studied for decades and the results can be comprehended by anyone who has a knowledge of these sciences. With the exception of the "Girdling" effect (body compression), there is nothing about a tech suit that could increase the swimmer's ability.
As I've said before, the main problem faced in increasing swimming speed is getting more propulsion -not less drag. So instead of focusing on the properties of the suit, why aren't they focusing on the hands and the feet and accordingly just use paddles and flippers to gain more propulsion?
Prior to the 1990's, FINA rules were very restrictive about any devices or substances that could be construed as aiding the swimmers ability. So why did FINA do a flip-flop and become so permissive about the use of these suits? :confused:
This suit technology stuff reeks of a "Fifth Avenue" style marketing campaign on the part of the suit makers (who are also clothing manufacturers) and their strategy seems to be the use competitive swim wear as a form of fashion modleing.
Considering all the $$$ involved, FINA seems to be more than willing to go along with it.
Dolphin 2
