1) ok so i decided to swim in meets this year, my question is about suits that are acceptable during meets.Since there are lots of people with extensive experience here then maybe you could help me choose one, types etc.
2) do you use racing suit ONLY during competition or sometimes when you do race pace during practice?
3) do you shave? - but of course! what a dumb question!
Thanks!:)
Robert
1) ok so i decided to swim in meets this year, my question is about suits that are acceptable during meets.Since there are lots of people with extensive experience here then maybe you could help me choose one, types etc.
That is up to you and your budget. Elsewhere Jim Thornton has provided a helpful list of the hierarchies of the suits.
IMO, the improvement of the "last" generation of suits (through the FSII) over shaved skin is negligible/marginal. The FSII bodysuit did not make me any faster than jammers, though YMMV. I have never used the FS-Pro and can't comment on it from experience; I've heard good things from others. The best bang for buck may be the B70 or the XTerra Velocity, which I've heard is similar to the B70 but seems to be a little cheaper. I haven't used it (yet).
2) do you use racing suit ONLY during competition or sometimes when you do race pace during practice?
I only use it in competition to save on wear and tear. Others (notably Ande) use them extensively in practice, the idea being that you feel quite different in the suit than without.
3) do you shave? - but of course! what a dumb question!
Not a dumb question. You certainly want to shave your exposed areas (eg, arms).
When I first starting using the FSII, I thought its #1 advantage was not in the pool but saving me the hassle (and lost energy/time) of shaving my body and legs.
But now I do it anyway, for two reasons. First of all, with the porous suits, your hairs can stick through the fabric.
Secondly, and more importantly IMO, sometimes the suits fail (fabric rips, zipper breaks, etc). I want to be shaved in case it is necessary to forego the suit and swim in briefs or a jammer.
Plus, I love the sensation of swimming shaved in warmups, it gets me psyched up for the race.
1) ok so i decided to swim in meets this year, my question is about suits that are acceptable during meets.Since there are lots of people with extensive experience here then maybe you could help me choose one, types etc.
That is up to you and your budget. Elsewhere Jim Thornton has provided a helpful list of the hierarchies of the suits.
IMO, the improvement of the "last" generation of suits (through the FSII) over shaved skin is negligible/marginal. The FSII bodysuit did not make me any faster than jammers, though YMMV. I have never used the FS-Pro and can't comment on it from experience; I've heard good things from others. The best bang for buck may be the B70 or the XTerra Velocity, which I've heard is similar to the B70 but seems to be a little cheaper. I haven't used it (yet).
2) do you use racing suit ONLY during competition or sometimes when you do race pace during practice?
I only use it in competition to save on wear and tear. Others (notably Ande) use them extensively in practice, the idea being that you feel quite different in the suit than without.
3) do you shave? - but of course! what a dumb question!
Not a dumb question. You certainly want to shave your exposed areas (eg, arms).
When I first starting using the FSII, I thought its #1 advantage was not in the pool but saving me the hassle (and lost energy/time) of shaving my body and legs.
But now I do it anyway, for two reasons. First of all, with the porous suits, your hairs can stick through the fabric.
Secondly, and more importantly IMO, sometimes the suits fail (fabric rips, zipper breaks, etc). I want to be shaved in case it is necessary to forego the suit and swim in briefs or a jammer.
Plus, I love the sensation of swimming shaved in warmups, it gets me psyched up for the race.
