Late last month, I found myself swimming (indoors naturally) in a lane adjacent to a man who was wearing one of those new high-tech swim suits. The suit was a one-piece job with a rash-guard top (short-sleeves) and above-the-knee length lower half. The swimmer was nothing exceptional, but as he glided by me, seemingly effortlessly, I was shocked. Was I swimming in the same water as this guy? I studied him as we parallel swam for half a lap before he zoomed ahead. What was going on?! Well, I kept up this voyeurism until I got some ideas. Here's what I noticed. The suit held the swimmer a good two inches higher in the water than I. That alone eliminated some of the drag from the water.
Leaving that day, I wanted one of those suits. But thinking back on it now, I think not. Much like wearing fins - just for speed - a suit that makes me faster would do just that. It wouldn't make me a stronger swimmer. It would just makes me look like a stronger swimmer. In fact, it would probably make me feel like a crappy swimmer on those days when I wore a traditional suit.
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, January 05, 2010
Just What Do Those High Tech Swim Suits Do? Illusions
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