I am just back from the SPMA meet where all the top finisher were wearing the latest generation tech suits,mostly B-70s(or were named Jeff Commings.)I have here to for been in favor of the suits,but now I am not so sure.First,they eliminate the old bench marks.I went my fastest 100m BR in 5 yr in my LZR,but it was only .3 sec faster than I did untapered 5 wk earlier in my first swim in the LZR.So was my swim good or not,I'm not sure.Also,instead of focusing on technique or pace I found myself ruminating over aspects of the suits,how many more swims did the suit have,is it the right size,was the reason I didn't get better results from my B-70 because it was too big?etc.The B-70 has somewhat mitigated the "too expensive,not durable" problem,but for how long.
Lets say a company comes up with a suit that is much faster,say 4 sec/100.Further that it is very expensive(say $1000) lasts 4 swims and is very hard to make so that quantities are always limited and the fastest way to get one is to bid up to $3000 on ebay. Now lets say your nemesis has one,or that getting one is your best chance to get TT or AA or a ZR or WR,or that your child is close to making JO cuts,or finally beating his/her nemesis etc. Is it worth it and where does it stop?
I think we need some perspective. They really aren't that expensive, they are just expensive as compared to other swim gear. They pale in comparison to the gear required of most other sports that adults enjoy. A weekend hacker will not think twice about dropping $500 for a new driver or spending $25 every weekend for a sleeve of balls. It's just something else vying for our entertainment dollars and probably not worth 2% of the angst it is generating.
Absolutely. If I think about my "swim equipment" spend in a year, it generally amounts to
1 or 2 new drag suits for workout (maybe $75)
2 to 3 pairs of goggles (maybe $50)
1 new competition suit ($375 with the B70 purchase)
1 new competition cap ($25 speed cap)
I don't train with a cap, but, even if I did, I've got a drawer full of caps from open water swims that came with the entry fee.
TOTAL ~ $525 for a year
Admittedly, I don't use "toys" in workouts, but those are multi-year investments.
I think we need some perspective. They really aren't that expensive, they are just expensive as compared to other swim gear. They pale in comparison to the gear required of most other sports that adults enjoy. A weekend hacker will not think twice about dropping $500 for a new driver or spending $25 every weekend for a sleeve of balls. It's just something else vying for our entertainment dollars and probably not worth 2% of the angst it is generating.
Absolutely. If I think about my "swim equipment" spend in a year, it generally amounts to
1 or 2 new drag suits for workout (maybe $75)
2 to 3 pairs of goggles (maybe $50)
1 new competition suit ($375 with the B70 purchase)
1 new competition cap ($25 speed cap)
I don't train with a cap, but, even if I did, I've got a drawer full of caps from open water swims that came with the entry fee.
TOTAL ~ $525 for a year
Admittedly, I don't use "toys" in workouts, but those are multi-year investments.
