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 purchase of speed is a tired argument. In virtually any sport that we can play as adults (and there are many), you can buy better equipment that WILL improve your game or performance.
What does this prove? Maybe the fact that swimming was one of the exceptions to this rule was one of things some of us liked about the sport.
I certainly don't think the tech suits are somehow "ruining" the sport. I just don't think they are adding anything other than additional expense for swimmers. In a time when, for example, college athletic departments are looking for ways to trim budgets, tacking on thousands of extra dollars to buy suits isn't helping.
The purchase of speed is a tired argument. In virtually any sport that we can play as adults (and there are many), you can buy better equipment that WILL improve your game or performance.
What does this prove? Maybe the fact that swimming was one of the exceptions to this rule was one of things some of us liked about the sport.
I certainly don't think the tech suits are somehow "ruining" the sport. I just don't think they are adding anything other than additional expense for swimmers. In a time when, for example, college athletic departments are looking for ways to trim budgets, tacking on thousands of extra dollars to buy suits isn't helping.
