female recordbreaker FS pro fit?

My daughter is a college swimmer (also a masters swimmer when she is not in school), just purchasing a technical suit for her final year conference championships. We are very confused about sizing. She is about 5'3", between 115-120 pounds, small build, but muscular due to weightlifting with a broad back. Her measurements are something like 35/36 (due to back width, not bust) - 28 - 34/35. She typically wears a 28 in a training or polyester suit. She has worn a smaller size in suits for championship meets -- possibly a 24 in an Aquablade. Although the mentality among swimmers is to get the smallest suit possible, I think that's because they assume the manufacturers aren't thinking about this. She would probably agree that the 24 Aquablade is way too small now given the amount of weightlifting she has done. After trying on various models and sizes in technical suits: FS II Recordbreaker (24, 26), FS II Recordbreaker Kneeskin (25), and FS Pro Recordbreaker (26), she decided she liked the FS Pro Recordbreaker model best (this is the classic suit, no knees/legs at all). However the 26 was incredibly tight. You expect the suit to be difficult to put on, fto be very tight, and for straps to be tight and cut in some -- but this suit also cut deeply into her back and sides, so that there were very prominent bulges above where the suit cut in. This seems counter to the benefit of the suit, which is to compress the body and make you more hydrodynamic. She was told by some other swimmers and her coach that it sounded like it was too small if the bulges were that big. So we sent it back and she got a 28. The 28 cuts in less, but still cuts in with some bulging. And although she has virtually no rear-end there is very little coverage on the butt. The size charts are not terribly helpful -- if you can even figure out which chart goes with which suit. On the Speedo site at www.speedousa.com/.../sizeChart.jsp, according to the rep I spoke with, it's the chart at the bottom labeled for girls racing ("FS, FS Pro") that's the relevant chart not the one at the top for "LZR Racer & FS Pro". The sizing for the chart "LZR Racer & FS Pro is not for the regular FS Pro recordbreaker. According to the chart for "FS, FS Pro", if she wears a 28 in an endurance suit, she should be wearing a 24 or 25 in the FS Pro. However the measurements for a 24/25 FS Pro are not the measurements of a woman. (29 - 24 1/2 - 28). The measurements for an FS Pro size 27/28 or 28/29 do seem more in line with her actual measurements. But there is no way she could ever wear a size 34 endurance suit, which the chart indicates. So the question is -- how small is this suit supposed to be? Should there be any bulges, and if so, how much bulging is acceptable? Should it fully cover the butt? I don't believe it's correct that you should order this suit as many as 4 sizes smaller than a regular suit. I've heard that you should order them true to size. I've also been told that they shouldn't be terribly uncomfortable and to order by bust measurement. If mplease, the original poster, is taller and weighs more than my daughter and is considering a 25, than a 28 can't be right be for daughter... can it?

rix, I'm a guy and here are some thoughts. The recordbreaker FS pro fit material isn't as stretchy as the FS 1 or 2, but it is lighter, more hydrophobic, and I think faster Every suit is the tightest it's ever going to be when it's brand new. Suits stretch out with repeated wears. Women benefit from suit compression in their chest, butt, hips & thighs. Tighter is better. Suits slim their profile. If a suit is too small, a swimmer won't be able to put it on, they will reach a sticking point. If a suit is almost too small, the swimmer runs the risk of damaging the fabric while putting it on. If a suit is too tight there's a greater chance of rips just walking around between swims. It's a good idea to have a back up suit at your big meets. I ordered an FS pro that was 2 sizes down from the largest size and couldn't get it past my hips so I sent it back & went up a size. In between races, female swimmers can put on a t-shirt & undo the top of their racing suits to increase comfort. If you're getting real close to a meet it's a good idea to order a couple sizes then send back the one that doesn't fit as well. (understand the company's exchange policy) Ande

She was told by some other swimmers and her coach that it sounded like it was too small if the bulges were that big. So we sent it back and she got a 28. The 28 cuts in less, but still cuts in with some bulging. And although she has virtually no rear-end there is very little coverage on the butt. So the question is -- how small is this suit supposed to be? Should there be any bulges, and if so, how much bulging is acceptable? Should it fully cover the butt? I don't believe it's correct that you should order this suit as many as 4 sizes smaller than a regular suit. I've heard that you should order them true to size. I've also been told that they shouldn't be terribly uncomfortable and to order by bust measurement. If mplease, the original poster, is taller and weighs more than my daughter and is considering a 25, than a 28 can't be right be for daughter... can it? I'm slightly taller than your daughter with about the same measurements. I wear a 26 in a new Pro. (I've worn a 25 used LZR.) It is hard to get on, but it's the right size. Does she really want to wear a tank though? Tech tank suits are difficult to get into and seem to create the most bulging. Even a skinny girl gets bulges in those tanks. Personally, I would urge her to get a knee skin. Less bulging in the hip, butt, thigh area. Take Ande's advice and tell her to take the top down between swims so it doesn't dig into her shoulders and put on a t-shirt. Race with it dry, not wet.

She could get into all the suits she tried -- it's just that the 26 (and even the 28 to a lesser extent) cut in so much that her back literally bulges out on the sides. Assuming she is benefiting from compression in the chest and hips (although hip coverage of a tank is limited), are the bulges on the back offsetting that benefit? From what The Fortress (great name) is saying, it sounds like the bulges are normal -- even if they seem prominent. Is that correct? She knows the suits will be difficult to put on and isn't worried about how uncomfortable it is outside the water. She knows to race in it try, and take the straps down, or take it off between swims. Again, her mentality is that the suit should be as small and tight as possible, and she wasn't really thinking that anything that bulges out of the suit might produce the opposite effect of the compression. She tried the FS II kneeskin on and just felt uncomfortable in it. She's never swum in one before, and said it felt weird particularly where it ends above the knee. Even thought that was a smaller size (25), she felt there might be too much material in the body area which could capture water create drag. Also, she is a distance swimmer and we read that wearing a suit with legs for more than 500 yards could be extremely uncomfortable. She does swim some shorter stuff, but she will be swimming the mile at her conference championships. The kneeskin went back to swimoutlet. The Fortress, with the 26, if you don't mind my masking, how much of your butt is covered? Even though it bulges and doesn't cover her butt, I'm worried now that the 28 is too big... which is humorous since there is nothing about it that seems big in a normal sense. I'm thinking I should reorder the 26? If it's difficult to assess if it's too tight -- unless you can't get it on. Here's the opposite question: How do you know if it's too big? Thanks for all the help. Bulging in a tech tank suit (or other suit) is normal. I've never worn a tank tech suit; I love the bodysuits. (I just purchased a kneeskin, Speedo Elite LZR Pro, size 25 for myself and my kid.) As a general rule, more coverage is better. There won't be drag in a new Pro. It's too big if it takes only a few minutes to get on and water pours in when you wear it.

She could get into all the suits she tried -- it's just that the 26 (and even the 28 to a lesser extent) cut in so much that her back literally bulges out on the sides. Assuming she is benefiting from compression in the chest and hips (although hip coverage of a tank is limited), are the bulges on the back offsetting that benefit? From what The Fortress (great name) is saying, it sounds like the bulges are normal -- even if they seem prominent. Is that correct? She knows the suits will be difficult to put on and isn't worried about how uncomfortable it is outside the water. She knows to race in it try, and take the straps down, or take it off between swims. Again, her mentality is that the suit should be as small and tight as possible, and she wasn't really thinking that anything that bulges out of the suit might produce the opposite effect of the compression. She tried the FS II kneeskin on and just felt uncomfortable in it. She's never swum in one before, and said it felt weird particularly where it ends above the knee. Even thought that was a smaller size (25), she felt there might be too much material in the body area which could capture water create drag. Also, she is a distance swimmer and we read that wearing a suit with legs for more than 500 yards could be extremely uncomfortable. She does swim some shorter stuff, but she will be swimming the mile at her conference championships. The kneeskin went back to swimoutlet. The Fortress, with the 26, if you don't mind my masking, how much of your butt is covered? Even though it bulges and doesn't cover her butt, I'm worried now that the 28 is too big... which is humorous since there is nothing about it that seems big in a normal sense. I'm thinking I should reorder the 26? If it's difficult to assess if it's too tight -- unless you can't get it on. Here's the opposite question: How do you know if it's too big? Thanks for all the help.