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?
I'm curious if the ski industry had these same debates many years ago when racers were wearing more aerodynamic gear?
How about cyclists...should we get upset when TT racers in the tour have lighter bikes and more aerodynamic helmets?
The suits provide compression, reduce resistance and....I refuse to accept otherwise...a small amount of flotation. All of which we see in many other gravity based sports without all the hoopla.
The bigger issue really comes down to the have's vs. have not's...and this to me is a problem when we start talking about age group swimming, college swimming, etc.
For old, fat masters who have had (until recently) jobs and can usuaully pay and aren't competing to represent the US in next years world championships its just not really that big of deal in my opinion.
Former Member
Flawed poll, I don't like the options.
I voted no: you can't put the genie back in the bottle. If they'd wanted to ban innovative swimsuits, they needed to nip it in the bud, not wait until they've been used for years, with scores of records set.
And if you're going to limit suits, why not limit how fast they can make the pools, too? There was a lot of talk about how fast a pool they had in Beijing.
If I'm racing a gridge though, I expect the other guy to be wearing the same level of tech as me. If that means they leave the body balloon in the bag then so be it.
I would rather have part of a new titanium hard-tail mountain bike than a tech suit, so I'll continue to go slow in my brief. Especially in gridges with le Stud!
...the Aussie model of having 400's of back, *** and fly and an 800IM...why not an old school suit event?
I am all over an 800 IM and am going to do one at some meet next fall.
Of course, Paul, if you're game, I think we need to get you to join me, Utsch and Dickson to take on any team (of 40-somethings) in a 4 x 800 relay! There's a 3K-ish race I could get into.
Former Member
I don't like the choices in the poll so I won't answer.
I don't think we can go back. The questions in the original post such as was it the right size will go away as these suits become more common.
I wonder if the growing attention, especially at the age group level, on these suits will drive manufacturers to lower the prices and make them more available? If the suits were $100 instead of $500 many of the fairness arguments would go away.
I also believe it would be smart of FINA (etc.) to attempt to moderate the rate of advancement of suit technology. I still want this sport to be about stroke, power, and fitness - not which swimsuit you wear.
I like the idea of retro-racing. Wouldn't have any appeal for age groupers but would be fun for bragging rights with us older folk.
Former Member
I personally like the idea of competition between people...not who has the checkbook to afford the latest highspeed technological breakthrough....IMHO
Former Member
Ban'em and Burn'em!
Former Member
Ditto for me.
I just think they are a needless complication and serve no real purpose, possibly other than to convince ourselves we are faster than were really are.
But I'm too much of a competitor to potentially put myself at a disadvantage and I suspect this is a common feeling.
I think you are right.
Former Member
I think you are wrong.
I don't truly care, provided people don't say it's "man" vs the water or "how fast the "human body" can go" because it's really not. It is "man and quasi-buoyancy aid" or "human body encased in repellent suit."
Just like the ludicrous cycling and speedskating helmets.
Former Member
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.
Hey The Fortress
You're missing my point. Fastest will still be the fastest. So ceteris paribus it is just a waste of $ and efort to delude people into thinking they are faster than they are sans suits.
Now wearing one to hide your hairy back, spare tyre or embarrassing tattoo that's another matter. I know why I wore mine last weekend...b/c I was tired and need every bit of help...it was a crutch.
It's man and technology...not man. Sorry I didn't get the PC lecture at school so for me "Man" includes both sexes when used to refer to the human race. This is what PC does, it infers negative connotations into everyday words that are not really there.
I's totally irrelevant to someone at eh foot of the masters food chain like me anyhow. If I'm racing a gridge though, I expect the other guy to be wearing the same level of tech as me. If that means they leave the body balloon in the bag then so be it.
