Interesting Article in the WA Post about the suits

RE: Interesting Article in the WA Post about the suits

Former Member — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 05:19:26 GMT

Wore my six year old TYR fabric to my ankles body suit at a 3-mile openwater swim today. I've been going in briefs all summer long but wanted to give it try today to see if it made a difference. I Don't believe I received a lot of speed benefit however I did notice I did not get any leg cramping which I had been getting especially in the last mile. I was able to keep a strong kick going which helped me maintain my stoke count. I'm thinking having my legs encased in nylon might have helped. So I hope Masters at the very least votes to keep fabric body suits as there are several benefits, no shaving and possibly less leg cramps.

RE: Interesting Article in the WA Post about the suits

jim thornton — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 10:28:19 GMT

I don't think anything that helps you figure out pace, etc. is legal in competition.

RE: Interesting Article in the WA Post about the suits

pwolf66 — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 10:13:11 GMT

All times shall be "official", but swimmers competing in a 70s style Speedo brief will be considered morally superior and have access to a separate hospitality tent located on a high road somewhere. But will be required to drink thier beer from a tea cup while pinky finger is raised.

RE: Interesting Article in the WA Post about the suits

Former Member — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 09:30:14 GMT

All times shall be "official", but swimmers competing in a 70s style Speedo brief will be considered morally superior and have access to a separate hospitality tent located on a high road somewhere.

RE: Interesting Article in the WA Post about the suits

Former Member — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 06:56:07 GMT

My own counter-proposal is identical to yours in all respects, except for one minor one: times done using non-FINA suits are not official. Hey, its just masters, right? It shouldn't matter: the exhibition swims are still just as much to be celebrated over beer after the meet is done. FINA has said that the ban does not apply to Masters, therefore the rubber suits cannot be labeled "non-FINA". I thought that conceding moral superiority would be enough. Do we still get our participation ribbons?

RE: Interesting Article in the WA Post about the suits

Former Member — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 06:32:05 GMT

Here is the solution to the tech suit controversy for Masters. Allow the suits to be worn in competition. Those that oppose them, wishing to preserve the purity of the sport, may wear a Speedo brief and, win or lose, leave happy and secure in the knowledge that they swam unaided, their times are legitimate, and they are morally superior to those swimmers who wore tech suits. The rest of us can continue to wear our expensive rubber suits, swim beyond our capabilities, and celebrate our (relatively) fast--but morally reprehensible!--times over a cold beer after the meet. A win-win situation. Will those who wear briefs (or non-tech jammers) be permitted to attend the beer drinking festivities?

RE: Interesting Article in the WA Post about the suits

Former Member — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 06:04:09 GMT

RE: Interesting Article in the WA Post about the suits

Chris Stevenson — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 03:27:14 GMT

FINA has said that the ban does not apply to Masters, therefore the rubber suits cannot be labeled "non-FINA". I thought that conceding moral superiority would be enough. Do we still get our participation ribbons? "Non-FINA suits" = those not approved for use by real swimmers. My newly-assumed moral superiority now entitles me to adopt a haughty, superior tone; it does kind of feel nice! :) And are you actually counting on that FINA statement to protect you? What was that, something like 4 months ago? In normal human time I think that is about 5 years.

RE: Interesting Article in the WA Post about the suits

Chris Stevenson — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 02:47:51 GMT

Here is the solution to the tech suit controversy for Masters. Allow the suits to be worn in competition. Those that oppose them, wishing to preserve the purity of the sport, may wear a Speedo brief and, win or lose, leave happy and secure in the knowledge that they swam unaided, their times are legitimate, and they are morally superior to those swimmers who wore tech suits. The rest of us can continue to wear our expensive rubber suits, swim beyond our capabilities, and celebrate our (relatively) fast--but morally reprehensible!--times over a cold beer after the meet. A win-win situation. My own counter-proposal is identical to yours in all respects, except for one minor one: times done using non-FINA suits are not official. Hey, its just masters, right? It shouldn't matter: the exhibition swims are still just as much to be celebrated over beer after the meet is done.

RE: Interesting Article in the WA Post about the suits

__steve__ — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 11:41:01 GMT

The next bash phrase will be GOGGLES ! Yeah, tech-googles with a LED display showing a heart rate guage (with redline warning), stroke per 50M guage, a 25, 50M timer, and a guage which does all the calcultating for you letting you know when to slow down, speed up, or maintain. Everything will be visible 3D and would appear as if it was 3' in front of you

RE: Interesting Article in the WA Post about the suits

__steve__ — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 11:14:12 GMT

One of my teammates from a few years back had goggles somewhat like this. They had a stopwatch kind of gizmo in them, and somehow by the way they were designed, your eyes somehow projected the display out and you could read it while you swam, allowing you to know exactly how fast/slow you were going. He said he got these goggles at least 10-20 years ago, and that they were illegal to use in meets, but he used them in practice all the time. Has anyone else ever heard of these gizmos? My friend let me try them once, and it was kind of interesting to see the time as you swim along...beats trying to sneak a glance at the pace clock and do math in your head. They've got to be available somewhere. Sorry for straying of topic, but are one-way communication devices allowed, such as an earpiece?

RE: Interesting Article in the WA Post about the suits

jim thornton — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 10:11:11 GMT

Yeah, tech-googles with a LED display showing a heart rate guage (with redline warning), stroke per 50M guage, a 25, 50M timer, and a guage which does all the calcultating for you letting you know when to slow down, speed up, or maintain. Everything will be visible 3D and would appear as if it was 3' in front of you One of my teammates from a few years back had goggles somewhat like this. They had a stopwatch kind of gizmo in them, and somehow by the way they were designed, your eyes somehow projected the display out and you could read it while you swam, allowing you to know exactly how fast/slow you were going. He said he got these goggles at least 10-20 years ago, and that they were illegal to use in meets, but he used them in practice all the time. Has anyone else ever heard of these gizmos? My friend let me try them once, and it was kind of interesting to see the time as you swim along...beats trying to sneak a glance at the pace clock and do math in your head.

RE: Interesting Article in the WA Post about the suits

Midas — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 05:58:43 GMT

RE: Interesting Article in the WA Post about the suits

Former Member — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 08:00:55 GMT

Most of us will accept any decision as long as it is AVAILABLE and CLEAR to everybody. Master swimming is different from the elite, we have specific rules why not one more? Both choices have advantages… Just put all associations together and do a survey…

RE: Interesting Article in the WA Post about the suits

Former Member — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 15:29:58 GMT

When all decent arguments on this subject are exhausted we see the old class warfare card played. And, here it is again. The only argument more loco mcstupider is when a biker tells me that swimming should limit technology. I was just trying to apply some common sense to the issue, but just call me "Loco Mc Stupid" if you thought I was idiotic enough to think economics was a part of swimming or sports.

RE: Interesting Article in the WA Post about the suits

Former Member — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 12:55:16 GMT

I'm against wetsuits because triathletes have ruined the OW events by obsessing about the water temp and whether they will wear the wetsuits. They haven't ruined them for me. I don't own a wetsuit and compete in a fair number of OW events. I welcome the wetsuiters as it increases attendance and thus awareness of this sport. Where's the harm in that? Also, triathletes obsess about everything, not just water temps. It's in their DNA. :)

RE: Interesting Article in the WA Post about the suits

Former Member — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 10:57:25 GMT

Try it as "werd" instead of "word", then check in the mirror again. Shizbiddle, nothing seems to change. Thanks for the help though, it was rad.

RE: Interesting Article in the WA Post about the suits

Former Member — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 10:27:56 GMT

I think the suit furor would have died down regardless, as the technology standardized. Only if Speedo were dominating the market with the fastest suit.

RE: Interesting Article in the WA Post about the suits

Former Member — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 10:07:47 GMT

Try it as "werd" instead of "word", then check in the mirror again. :)

RE: Interesting Article in the WA Post about the suits

Former Member — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 09:39:45 GMT

Paragraph Thanks, made me laugh. I couldn't resist the "word". Made me think I would feel young, like a hep-cat dude. Woe is me, my image in the mirror didn't change.

RE: Interesting Article in the WA Post about the suits

Former Member — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 08:24:51 GMT

Paragraph.

RE: Interesting Article in the WA Post about the suits

Former Member — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 08:05:55 GMT

Werd.

RE: Interesting Article in the WA Post about the suits

orca1946 — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 07:54:39 GMT

The next bash phrase will be GOGGLES !

RE: Interesting Article in the WA Post about the suits

aquageek — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 07:51:30 GMT

Just a question,anyone out there who was against wetsuits for OW but OK with tech suits for pool?If so what is your rational? I'm against wetsuits because triathletes have ruined the OW events by obsessing about the water temp and whether they will wear the wetsuits. Universally, wetsuit or not, they are all beaten by us swimmers in our ratty lake suits. The type of person that wears a wetsuit in an OW event is typically not the same calibre of swimmer that wears a tech suit at a pool meet. This year and last I did start to notice some tech suits at OW events.

RE: Interesting Article in the WA Post about the suits

knelson — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 06:56:41 GMT

But I'll play devil's advocate on this one: I think the suit furor would have died down regardless, as the technology standardized. Agreed. Fabric innovations couldn't continue forever. Eventually all the suit makers would have similar suits and everyone would have the same advantage because of them.