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?
A similar example: You're a teacher with a kid who can't read at all. At the end of the year, they're promoted to the next grade.
Just playing devil's advocate, and some may be surprised that I'd raise this argument. Not to take sides here, but if the kid wears glasses/contacts and then is able to read, does that then give him an unfair advantage? What about the kids who's parents can't afford insurance and/or the cost for glasses?
Some might argue that the tech suits are simply making a level playing field for those who otherwise couldn't say read close or far items. Certainly some swimmers are at a disadvantage because of their body type/shape (some within their control, some not), and the tech suits can correct that, similar to how glasses correct vision.
I don't know about most masters, but these ever evolving suits have allowed me to swim times in my 50s that I am not sure I ever made in my teens and 20s.
The suit makers won’t go along with this, but the most obvious and simplist solution is just to go back to the Mark Spitz days in the 1970s when plain old $20 briefs were the standard uniform and the only variables were the individual athlete’s body characteristics.
Jim, the phenomenon you allude to here is EXACTLY why I think these suits are harmful. A person can't swim a certain time on their own, so they go out and buy a suit and suddenly they're a stud. I think that is just plain wrong.
A similar example: You're a teacher with a kid who can't read at all. At the end of the year, they're promoted to the next grade.
It is really fun to lower a basketball hoop a foot so I can dunk more than a tennis ball. But you don't see the NCAA lowering their hoop so I can play for Maryland.
Don't get me wrong - it is nice to go fast in the pool. I'd love to go under 5:00 in a 500. But if someone is physically unable to perform an activity within the specified rules, we shouldn't bend those rules just so I can go 4:50. That is just plain wrong.
Do any guys still show up at a meet (any USMS meet) with just a plain old brief?
Yes, plenty, and lots of women in ordinary tank suits. Even in the faster heats, and especially at mid-season meets.
Do any guys still show up at a meet (any USMS meet) with just a plain old brief?
I'm thinking of doing a meet in 2009, but I haven't done a meet since USMS Nationals was here in AZ (a few years, maybe 2003 or 2004). I don't own any swimsuits other than briefs and drag suits (or board shorts). Will I look out of place?
While I understand that a tech suit will get me faster, I just can't rationalize spending the money on one....I'd rather use that for my travel budget.
Yes,there are plenty of "old school" swimmers at every meet I've been to.Some of them even set WRs.
Do any guys still show up at a meet (any USMS meet) with just a plain old brief?
I'm thinking of doing a meet in 2009, but I haven't done a meet since USMS Nationals was here in AZ (a few years, maybe 2003 or 2004). I don't own any swimsuits other than briefs and drag suits (or board shorts). Will I look out of place?
While I understand that a tech suit will get me faster, I just can't rationalize spending the money on one....I'd rather use that for my travel budget.
Jim T. described precisely what I meant by "mid-season meet."
Yes, Jim T and Chris S seemed to describe it pretty well. Basically it sounds like I'd keep doing my normal routine, except maybe take a few days off from weights/running before the meet (if not totally off, scale back a bit). I just want some fairly solid times (more solid than workouts) so I know where I stand.
I'm nowhere near any records/top 10, etc, and to me spending even $50 on a swimsuit seems like a waste of money, unless maybe I'm going to be doing some serious beach stuff in Hawaii or some other exotic location. As long as I don't look out of place, I'll do the meet in whatever suit I'm rotating through at the time, or maybe splurge for a new one (I usually spend $15-20 max on a suit). From what I read on here, it sounds like so many people wear these tech suits that it almost puts me off from doing a meet to begin with. I have money I could spend, but I'd rather save it for a nice vacation.
Do any guys still show up at a meet (any USMS meet) with just a plain old brief?
I'm thinking of doing a meet in 2009, but I haven't done a meet since USMS Nationals was here in AZ (a few years, maybe 2003 or 2004). I don't own any swimsuits other than briefs and drag suits (or board shorts). Will I look out of place?
While I understand that a tech suit will get me faster, I just can't rationalize spending the money on one....I'd rather use that for my travel budget.
Yes, maybe half of the males still swim in briefs at Pacific meets, including championships. In fact, I swam a 500 in one (just to get used to the walls) at a meet in Monterey last year then changed into a tech suit for a 1000 that took place about an hour later.
