New Tech Suit Material?

RE: New Tech Suit Material?

knelson — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 12:00:46 GMT

I suppose the easiest thing to do would to be reverse FINA's ruling on the tech suits. He said seal the can of worms, not pry it open with the Jaws of Life.

RE: New Tech Suit Material?

Elaine Krugman — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 01:36:58 GMT

She said seal the can of worms, not pry it open with the Jaws of Life. :lmao: :applaud:

RE: New Tech Suit Material?

Former Member — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 15:26:46 GMT

Yeee Gadds – Not another idea for a tech suit. Taking a line from the movie "Jaws": Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water in a conventional brief........ "Tech Suits 2" (Accompanying Sound Track) YouTube - JAWS 2 Soundtrack Score Suite (John Williams)) Here's a really challenging idea: Can someone figure out a way to seal the lid on this can of worms? :worms: D2

RE: New Tech Suit Material?

Former Member — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 15:04:45 GMT

Here's a really challenging idea: Can someone figure out a way to seal the lid on this can of worms? :worms: I suppose the easiest thing to do would to be reverse FINA's ruling on the tech suits. That or they just say the suits can only be made out of x, y, and or z, and that's it. I feel like this could get ridiculous as companies compete again to make the fastest legal suit. "Textile" to me is a vague word since it doesn't imply only organic materials like cotton or wool. Lycra and Polyester aren't organic but they are legal. Hypothetically, if some thread (in this case Carbon fiber) is engineered that could be woven into a textile and worked as well as a lzr, would FINA allow it? I share FINA's concern that the new suits are changing the sport and undermine the success of swimmers in the past, but what sport's equipment hasn't been changed/improved/reengineered to improve the success of the athletes? I don't think the Native Americans had titanium lacrosse sticks, or the (now) Sweds parabolic skis, or Scottish carbon fiber golf clubs...

RE: New Tech Suit Material?

Former Member — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 14:12:01 GMT

Does FINA have any known rules to select suits other than 'textile'? For example, how do we know that a suit must be permeable? How permeable? Many legal suits bead water for it to slides off.

RE: New Tech Suit Material?

orca1946 — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 12:46:13 GMT

Next FINA will want us to swim without goggles!

RE: New Tech Suit Material?

debaru — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 12:20:56 GMT

Well - would a "hydrophobic" material really be "permeable" ? I mean - the fabric itself wouldn't be what was holding the water. Well, the way I look at it, if I used a thread that itself was not permeable, say rubber for example, but wove it together so that in actuality there were tiny "holes" through which water could pass, I would say that the fabric could be called permeable. Now I'm sure FINA wouldn't allow a tech suit made of woven rubber, since rubber falls outside the textile category. But, as someone else mentioned, there are lots of man-made fibers that are woven into swimsuits, so why not carbon fiber. :D

RE: New Tech Suit Material?

bzaks1424 — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 11:31:09 GMT

Yeee Gadds – Not another idea for a tech suit. well - I'm not suggesting in anyway shape or form that these suits should be used in any manner of competitive swimming. I do however think the tech behind the suits is way cool (they were my physics project in Senior year of College - the poorly written paper title: "The Asymptotic Speed of Swimming as "T" Approaches 0" :D)

RE: New Tech Suit Material?

knelson — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 11:22:56 GMT

Well - the only way it should be disapproved is if it creates buoyancy right? I don't think so. When FINA did test for buoyancy lots of the rubberized suits passed, yet those suits are still banned today (Jaked, Blue Seventy, etc.).

RE: New Tech Suit Material?

bzaks1424 — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 11:17:01 GMT

This is exactly right. FINA doesn't have a rule specifically banning non-textile suits or non-permeable suits. Their new stance is that any new suit design needs to be approved, so it's sort of up to them what will be allowed. I'd say the chances a carbon fiber suit would be approved are close to nil. Well - the only way it should be disapproved is if it creates buoyancy right? Just because a material is "hydrophobic" wouldn't necessarily mean its buoyant. So my guess is if they could make it into a thread (i.e. something you could then use to make a fabric/textile) then they could probably make it into a (possibly itchy) suit (Makes me think of fiber glass) Please note - I'm not actually all gung ho for this, I really just wanted to create some nerdy discussion on a video I found that I thought was really cool.

RE: New Tech Suit Material?

knelson — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 10:39:48 GMT

I didn't find anything on the FINA website that dictated what was considered a textile This is exactly right. FINA doesn't have a rule specifically banning non-textile suits or non-permeable suits. Their new stance is that any new suit design needs to be approved, so it's sort of up to them what will be allowed. I'd say the chances a carbon fiber suit would be approved are close to nil.

RE: New Tech Suit Material?

Karen Duggan — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 04:12:06 GMT

Question: I know of someone making "custom suits" for people. Are those suits legal? Or do they have to have a FINA stamp? (This person has questionable ethics as well. That's why I ask.)

RE: New Tech Suit Material?

bzaks1424 — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 07:59:06 GMT

I didn't find anything on the FINA website that dictated what was considered a textile, but here's what the swimwear rule says: GR 5.4 Before any swimwear of new design, construction or material is used in competition, the manufacturer of such swimwear must submit the swimwear to FINA and obtain approval of FINA. I think the main thing is that the "fabric" has to be permeable, right? Well - would a "hydrophobic" material really be "permeable" ? I mean - the fabric itself wouldn't be what was holding the water.

RE: New Tech Suit Material?

debaru — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 05:18:37 GMT

Hrmm... I wonder how well it would work as a suit... it wouldn't absorb ANY water and you'd literally slip right through the water... I didn't find anything on the FINA website that dictated what was considered a textile, but here's what the swimwear rule says: GR 5.4 Before any swimwear of new design, construction or material is used in competition, the manufacturer of such swimwear must submit the swimwear to FINA and obtain approval of FINA. I think the main thing is that the "fabric" has to be permeable, right?

RE: New Tech Suit Material?

Former Member — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 15:19:41 GMT

google around a bit about carbon fiber textile and synthetic textile....hard not to say carbon fiber is a textile (eg, en.wikipedia.org/.../Textile) polyester/dacron, nylon, spandex/lycra etc (man made chemicals) are textiles also, note the advertising of today's legal suits...lots of chemistry at work the plane you see to the left....I built from various textiles....eg, fiberglass and carbon fiber. The carbon fiber textile came in a soft weaved fabric.

RE: New Tech Suit Material?

bzaks1424 — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 09:17:25 GMT

I think carbon fiber would be considered non-textile. Are you thinking of swimming inside one of these tubes? :afraid: Well if its a fiber - couldn't they make it in to something you can wear? Or am I failing to understand the concept of "textile" ?

RE: New Tech Suit Material?

Bobinator — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 09:14:32 GMT

I think carbon fiber would be considered non-textile. Are you thinking of swimming inside one of these tubes? :afraid:

RE: New Tech Suit Material?

bzaks1424 — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 08:26:03 GMT