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 high school question is an interesting one. When I swam as a senior I was less than a second away from breaking our high school record for the 100yd fly. Is $300-500 bucks for a swim suit worth a high school record, a 1st or 2nd place finish at state finals vs. 2nd or 3rd? Do college recruiters today take note of weather a swimmer is using a tech suit vs. briefs or jammers?
Let's say a swimmer can swim a 100yd free in :45.00 in a pair of jammers. What would the improvement be if they were to wear a tech suit? And also, is there any empirical data to support any time drops, or are there too many variables? Will a suit help a less conditioned swimmer drop more time than a more conditioned one?
Random cheerleader emoticon:cheerleader:
It still seems a matter of priorities. One parent may claim they can't afford the LZR for their 16 year old yet have that same 16 year old driving his own brand new SUV. Same parent probably has given a cell phone, Xbox, and wii to his/her nine year old.
What it comes down to is this. Speedo(and Blue70) developed suits "just" in time for trials and the Olympics. AT THE TIME the suits seemed to meet the standards,i.e. no buoyancy, and the suits were allowed. In hindsight that decision may have been too hasty, but neither the NCAA nor FINA have done any testing of their own(as far as I know).Until they test and prove or disprove that the suits are adding buoyancy they are legal. Any records set while the suit is/was legal should stand, this was the case when records were set during the doping years.Big money was spent on developing and promoting these suits and that jacked up the price. The huge difference here is that for Olympic and even college swimmers suits were either made available for free or at a reduced cost. Even with that, many college teams have had a hard time financing and finding suits for their swimmers. But HS teams do not have the type of sponsorship or budget, so if you want one you either buy it yourself(how many of you can afford that?) or maybe you are lucky and can get one trough your club. But that leaves the majority of HS swimmers without the suit. And I think that is where the unfairness comes in......
I don't have to be a swimmer to understand that using a swimming aid is not a real achievement.
By the way if it is your attitude that using an expensive tech suit is any accomplishment, you are not really a swimmer, you are simply a big spender.
I don't claim any type of accomplishment or spending status. However, I do know that in order to accomplish something you actually have to do it. This is contrary to your motto which is you just have to talk about something to claim to be accomplished. You seemed to have skipped over the whole "participation" aspect of the sport.
But, it's nice to see you finally admit to not being a swimmer, which makes me wonder why you bother with this forum. Are there other public forums you visit where you expose your ignorance so openly?
Since you are a proven liar on this forum, what USMS team do you "assist" with so we can validate this assertion? There are many on this forum in your area so I'll check with them. What does assist mean - that's a curious term to use with swimming. Do you clean the pool deck, organize lost and found, etc?
I'm glad you fitness swim practically every week. I think that gives you noodler status.
BTW - you don't go faster with paddles, King Noodler.
By the way, I'm going to go out this weekend and buy a pair of paddles. According to FINA rules they aren't a legal aid, but I definitely will be able to swim much faster.
Don't count on it. Many experienced swimmers, including some of the top USMS swimmers, actually go slower with paddles on.
Make sure your paddles have a #1 on them. They are for beginners so you don't blow out your shoulders.
People who do swim fast with paddles are REALLY strong, and usually don't have shoulder issues.
if it is your attitude that using an expensive tech suit is any accomplishment, you are not really a swimmer, you are simply a big spender.
Yeah, all the college swimmers, trialists, olympians and elite masters using tech suits can't swim at all ... they're so unaccomplished ...
Colossally stupid statement.
I'm thinking of bumping the Dara Torres thread just so it will give people another beaten thread to comment on. Or maybe the Title IX thread! Yeah. Where's Paul???
I'm thinking of bumping the Dara Torres thread just so it will give people another beaten thread to comment on. Or maybe the Title IX thread! Yeah. Where's Paul???
Funny you should mention this. I was watching the SEC's last night and thinking of the Smith twins and all of the "lost scholarships to foreign swimmers" thread (or whatever that one was called).
Seemed like all (far and away the majority of, at least) the interviews with "winners" were with non-US born swimmers.
The reason you don't understand this is because you aren't a swimmer.
Hey Aquageek
I don't have to be a swimmer to understand that using a swimming aid is not a real achievement.
By the way if it is your attitude that using an expensive tech suit is any accomplishment, you are not really a swimmer, you are simply a big spender. :2cents:
Dolphin 2
