Ban the tech suits?

Well, yes, I've been known to wear a set of legs every now and again... but given the price and technology of a fastskin/fs pro vs lzr & b70, can you really call the fastskins (and pro) a "tech suit" anymore? Legs are a far cry from the full body suits too. I've proved as recently as this summer that you can swim fast and drop time unshaved and in a speedo - see my results from the IGLA meet: 5 swims, 5 PBs. Could I have done better by putting my legs on? Maybe. But nothing can substitute determination and sheer hard work. I was pleased with my times from that meet and aside from the 400, didn't come close to my times last weekend while wearing the Pro - and just as rested. For the record, I do not like the Pro - I prefer the FSII (black with red stripes). I dont think the fabric provides the same compression as the FSII, nor am I convinced it is any more friction-friendly than a FSII. I don't like the fit (I get an air bubble every event except backstroke) either. But I have worn for some fast swims. I think if it as my "rest" suit - and have used it at meets where I've rested a bit, but not shaved or tapered, and for events high on my priority list. Oh, I was just giving you grief. Of course you can swim fast without the gear. I swam at zones last year in briefs and also did a couple PBs, one of which was a national record (which has since been demolished by Mr. Ross). I've never used the Pro. At one point in the summer the U of R coach liked it as much as the LZR though he may have changed his tune by now. For me, the FSII is no better than shaved skin. As far as the discussion about wearing tech suits in unrested meets, I can see two reasons: -- getting used to the suits. I'm simply not going to wear them in practice but I can see getting some race experience in them. Especially if you have a new suit, probably better to give it a trial run before using it "for real." -- swimming fast when unrested. I think the suit can give your times a little oomph when you are tired from training. I'll probably do this at VA Sr Champs in the spring b/c if I don't, I doubt I'll even make it back at night. I'll probably do it at zones too since I'll probably swim some events there that I won't swim at nationals.

It's still (wo)man going through the water. Suits don't swim your race for you. And they don't do the training that goes into the racing. Yeah, but remember the good old days when if you won a race you knew it was because you were the fastest swimmer rather than you spent the most on a suit?

I was talking to my coach tonight about the B70 and the LZR and he said he thinks these suits will actually help the average swimmer more than the elites (and I'm talking average like most of us here, as opposed to someone like Phelps). He thinks these suits force you to keep the core tight, and that's something most of us don't normally do.

It just looks bad because in the past we could totally outfit ourselves for $40. Agreed. This was a point I was trying to make in the USA Swimming banning Tech suits for the kids, with my hockey vs. swimming post

Again, Geek, I think the difference is these are items that last. I don't know with certainty, but I suspect a good saddle doesn't need to be replaced after just a few uses. Yes, snow skis wear out, too, but not like these tech suits and skis aren't that much more expensive than LZRs. Of course, the way things have gone lately, you hardly have time to wear out your suit before the next iteration comes along.

So what was with the legskins at zones? I've got pictures, remember! You are going down that slippery slope. You know, if you actually SHAVED, you might drop some serious time... Well, yes, I've been known to wear a set of legs every now and again... but given the price and technology of a fastskin/fs pro vs lzr & b70, can you really call the fastskins (and pro) a "tech suit" anymore? Legs are a far cry from the full body suits too. I've proved as recently as this summer that you can swim fast and drop time unshaved and in a speedo - see my results from the IGLA meet: 5 swims, 5 PBs. Could I have done better by putting my legs on? Maybe. But nothing can substitute determination and sheer hard work. I was pleased with my times from that meet and aside from the 400, didn't come close to my times last weekend while wearing the Pro - and just as rested. For the record, I do not like the Pro - I prefer the FSII (black with red stripes). I dont think the fabric provides the same compression as the FSII, nor am I convinced it is any more friction-friendly than a FSII. I don't like the fit (I get an air bubble every event except backstroke) either. But I have worn for some fast swims. I think if it as my "rest" suit - and have used it at meets where I've rested a bit, but not shaved or tapered, and for events high on my priority list.

I'd say they are very expensive for something with such a limited life. Sure people will spend $500 on a driver or $5,000 on a bike, but those things should last a lot longer than a $550 LZR suit. Do you know any golfers or bikers? Most would jump for joy at the prospect of spending $500 only. I don't think $500 is a figure that's even known to them. How about boating, water or snow skiing? $500 is peanuts. It just looks bad because in the past we could totally outfit ourselves for $40. My brother owns horses. I told him people were up in arms about a $500 swimsuit. He agreed that was expensive and then proceeded to tell me about the cost of a new saddle, great day in the morning! I felt better after that about the cost of swimming.

I think we need some perspective. They really aren't that expensive I'd say they are very expensive for something with such a limited life. Sure people will spend $500 on a driver or $5,000 on a bike, but those things should last a lot longer than a $550 LZR suit. I've never been in a race where I even suspected that a better suit accounted for someone's having beaten me. In Long Beach, for instance, I took second in my age group in the 400 and 800 frees, but I really don't think the winner's B70 to my TYR Aquapel explains why she beat me by 12 seconds in the 400 and 30 in the 800 Yes, but what if that same swimmer had beaten you by only a second?

I think some of you are overdramatizing both how prevalent the latest, most expensive tech suits are and how much they affect performance. I was also at the SPMA meet, and although I saw a lot of B70s and Xterras and a few LZRs, I also saw a lot of FS1s, FSIIs, Aquablades, and TYR Aquapels. Also, on some of the fastest of the younger women, I saw tiny tank suits rather than full-body suits. I've never been in a race where I even suspected that a better suit accounted for someone's having beaten me. In Long Beach, for instance, I took second in my age group in the 400 and 800 frees, but I really don't think the winner's B70 to my TYR Aquapel explains why she beat me by 12 seconds in the 400 and 30 in the 800. And judging from the results, although I would have swum slower in a practice suit, I would still have beaten the third-place finishers in our age group (and the third-place finisher in my age group in the 800 was definitely wearing a B70).

This idea makes technical sense because if FINA allows the use of any "personal equipment" (anything that can be applied to the swimmer's body) to purportedly reduce drag, they should also allow anything that increases propulsion efficiency. This really makes no sense. Since skiing and cycling have already been brought up, that would be like saying FIS should allow skiers to wear jet packs and whatever the cycling federation is should allow motorized bikes. There's a difference between reducing weight of equipment, reducing rolling and aerodynamic friction, etc. and increasing propulsion.