If the full body rubber suits do end up getting banned, why should USMS follow their lead on this issue? (i.e. assuming the suits would continue to be manufactured).
Isn't Masters mostly for each individual to pursue what they want and the level they want out of the sport?
If the full body suit is preferred by many USMS participants, why not satisfy the base by keeping it available?
What's really the point of forcing old USMS swimmers out of their girdles if FINA bans them?
John Smith
Parents
Former Member
I'm riding a $500 bike....that I bought 15 years ago.
The $500 suit lasted ONE meet.
Capitalism at its best: The best thing to do is vote with your dollars and don't buy one until they figure out a way to make them last longer.
Here's a modest proposal for the group: If we are going to split with FINA on this, then make anything legal as a suit as long as it does not offer active mechanical leverage advantages (e.g. webbed gloves, flippers, etc.) Passive mechanical advantages (e.g. buoyancy, streamlining, drag reduction, etc) are fine. This means that you can wear a wetsuit or similar, a tech suit, an "old school" suit, jammers or swim naked. Why not? It seems that this can of worms would be opened anyway if we split with FINA. By that I mean, if we allow what are called "tech suits", what constitutes a "tech suit" and are there limits on their features? If FINA is out of the mix, no one will be testing the various suits that may be produced (USMS is in no position to do this). That means that it's all a gray area, so just open it up and get rid of the rat's nest of technicalities that we seem to be setting up for ourselves. As a bonus, a wetsuit is cheaper than the $500 tech suits, is fast and lasts a long time.
I'm wearing my Tyr Durafast polyester jammers to open water races regardless of the above, since they meet MY personal needs of what I want out of swimming, but you are welcome to ride the latest tech wave if that's what you want.
-LBJ
I'm riding a $500 bike....that I bought 15 years ago.
The $500 suit lasted ONE meet.
Capitalism at its best: The best thing to do is vote with your dollars and don't buy one until they figure out a way to make them last longer.
Here's a modest proposal for the group: If we are going to split with FINA on this, then make anything legal as a suit as long as it does not offer active mechanical leverage advantages (e.g. webbed gloves, flippers, etc.) Passive mechanical advantages (e.g. buoyancy, streamlining, drag reduction, etc) are fine. This means that you can wear a wetsuit or similar, a tech suit, an "old school" suit, jammers or swim naked. Why not? It seems that this can of worms would be opened anyway if we split with FINA. By that I mean, if we allow what are called "tech suits", what constitutes a "tech suit" and are there limits on their features? If FINA is out of the mix, no one will be testing the various suits that may be produced (USMS is in no position to do this). That means that it's all a gray area, so just open it up and get rid of the rat's nest of technicalities that we seem to be setting up for ourselves. As a bonus, a wetsuit is cheaper than the $500 tech suits, is fast and lasts a long time.
I'm wearing my Tyr Durafast polyester jammers to open water races regardless of the above, since they meet MY personal needs of what I want out of swimming, but you are welcome to ride the latest tech wave if that's what you want.
-LBJ
