I had to buy a new swim suit last night after concluding the two I had been swapping between daily swims were both dead and gone beyond hope. How did I decide? If you are a regular swimmer, you know that the typical lycra suit lasts a given amount of time and then it just dies. Seriously, swim suits die. Mercifully, the death is usually quite fast if you know what to look for.
Here's how I know when my suits have died.
1. They don't hug tight to your body when dry. If they are barely loose, they are already dying. If they sag, they are dead.
2. They billow up when you are swimming. These are dead too. Stay in the pool and feel your performance fail you. Get out and watch what gravity does to your tightly toned buttocks.
3. They develop a molting look, generally in the seat area. This is where the fabric has lost its elasticity. If you look closely, you may actually see the broken elastic in the weave of the knitting. This eventually breaks down to the point where the suit is nearly see-through (especially dangerous with any non-black suits).
So, when your suit is dead, do yourself and everyone else a favor and get a new one ASAP.
I do a good bit of lap swimming (see goals - lower left) so I have lots of time to think about it. I routinely see athletic folks who can't swim, or swim poorly + often wonder why I find it so easy - I'm not particularly athletic. This blog is about what I'm learning about swimming dynamics + some fun stuff too.
For your safety, all posts + comments are musings + tips that have worked for me - opinion only. For the record, I strongly suggest following Red Cross swim-safety protocols.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
When to Get a New Swim Suit
Labels:
dead swim suits,
new swim suits,
swim suits
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This happened to me early this year. I was wearing my wonderful swimsuit and one day I noticed it was billowing up in the water. It happened just that fast - I'm sure there were other warning signs, but that was it. I had gotten an incredible amount of use out of it, but when it died it went out in a blaze of glory all at once.
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