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?
The poll is going overwhelmingly in favor of the suits.I hope that FINA adopts the USA-S proposals though(except for the stopping at the knee rule as that makes no sense.)When the LZRs came out most swimmers couldn't get them.I don't think the average swimmer can get a Tracer Rise yet.I'd say grandfather in the existing suits,but come up with some real buoyancy tests for future suits.Ever since the FS-I suits have been made that hold air and are therefore buoyant,even though they don't test as buoyant to FINA.FINA also needs to get it's rules consistent so that there is no doubt what is legal and what is not.
Note to dolphin 2,while I have felt your paddle/fin ideas were weird,I'm afraid that if Kitajima showed up at the Olympics with a jet pack they'd look the other way and then "clarify"the rules to allow jet packs.
The poll is going overwhelmingly in favor of the suits.I hope that FINA adopts the USA-S proposals though(except for the stopping at the knee rule as that makes no sense.)When the LZRs came out most swimmers couldn't get them.I don't think the average swimmer can get a Tracer Rise yet.I'd say grandfather in the existing suits,but come up with some real buoyancy tests for future suits.Ever since the FS-I suits have been made that hold air and are therefore buoyant,even though they don't test as buoyant to FINA.FINA also needs to get it's rules consistent so that there is no doubt what is legal and what is not.
Note to dolphin 2,while I have felt your paddle/fin ideas were weird,I'm afraid that if Kitajima showed up at the Olympics with a jet pack they'd look the other way and then "clarify"the rules to allow jet packs.
