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?
Holy crap! There's more whining in this thread than the Smith duo came up with over Title IX and its supposed involvement in the loss of Division I men's swim programs.:wine:
:frustrated:Seriously, this is no different than any other sport that adults play. I can guarantee you that you will play differently with a $199 set of Wal-Mart golf clubs and a $2000 set of Pings. Go out to any adult softball league and you will find people batting with $35 Eastons and other people hitting with $200 Demarinis. And you can bet there's a difference. However, skill usually prevails. I suck at golf and even if I shell out the cash for a set of Pings, some guy that practices can beat me with his $199 set of Wal-Mart clubs. Triathlons, bicycle races...most any adult sport is the same way.
I started swimming as an adult and only recently at that. I don't really ever expect to get as fast as some of the people on these forums. So, I compete against myself. And, mostly because I want to spend money on other things, I don't invest in a suit other than the brief I wear. But I certainly don't have a problem racing in a lane next to somebody in a B70 or an LZR. It doesn't matter what kind of suit she's wearing, Fort can flat out beat me. Or Ande, Paul...well, most everyone that I can name.
And you certainly can't put some, seemingly random, 2% improvement across the board. Get a grip. If it bothers you so much that people are going faster with tech suits, either shell out the cash so you can go faster, quit swimming, or even better, grow up and realize that you're not swimming professionally. You are, hopefully, staying healthy, having fun, and competing in a healthy way!:rantonoff:
Holy crap! There's more whining in this thread than the Smith duo came up with over Title IX and its supposed involvement in the loss of Division I men's swim programs.:wine:
:frustrated:Seriously, this is no different than any other sport that adults play. I can guarantee you that you will play differently with a $199 set of Wal-Mart golf clubs and a $2000 set of Pings. Go out to any adult softball league and you will find people batting with $35 Eastons and other people hitting with $200 Demarinis. And you can bet there's a difference. However, skill usually prevails. I suck at golf and even if I shell out the cash for a set of Pings, some guy that practices can beat me with his $199 set of Wal-Mart clubs. Triathlons, bicycle races...most any adult sport is the same way.
I started swimming as an adult and only recently at that. I don't really ever expect to get as fast as some of the people on these forums. So, I compete against myself. And, mostly because I want to spend money on other things, I don't invest in a suit other than the brief I wear. But I certainly don't have a problem racing in a lane next to somebody in a B70 or an LZR. It doesn't matter what kind of suit she's wearing, Fort can flat out beat me. Or Ande, Paul...well, most everyone that I can name.
And you certainly can't put some, seemingly random, 2% improvement across the board. Get a grip. If it bothers you so much that people are going faster with tech suits, either shell out the cash so you can go faster, quit swimming, or even better, grow up and realize that you're not swimming professionally. You are, hopefully, staying healthy, having fun, and competing in a healthy way!:rantonoff:
