Just What Do Those High Tech Swim Suits Do? Illusions

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. 

Possible New Material for Swim Suits?

I've hypothesized that one could make a swim suit even better than those used in the Olympics to break all those world records. Now someone has invented a product that is touted as "super hydrophobic". Using nano technology to create an invisible bubble, it creates super-floating, drag-reducing qualities.

Here's an article in Gizmodo, an online tech web site.

Wearing this, do you think maybe a mortal could beat Michael Phelps record? Remember me when you see this on the rack in your neighborhood sporting good stores. Are you listening Speedo?

Would this make swim suits even faster?

Some weeks ago, I posited that golf ball dimple technology might make for the next generation of swim suit design (think beyond those suits they wore in Beijing). I've now found an excellent video that shows in detail exactly what I mean. It's an excellent example of how the dimple reduces friction through the medium the ball must travel. I see parallels with swim suits and water dynamics. Fluid dynamic folks ... am I on track here?

Why Titleist Ought to Make Swim Suits

Have you ever wondered what it is that allows certain fish to swim so fast? It's been reported that sharks can swim as fast as 50 miles per hour. What's the secret? Well, ABCNews.com is reporting that the secret is in the way the sharks can create dimples in their skin to inhibit drag resistance - the same techniques used by golf ball manufacturers to create further ball flight. The dimples allow the fish to swim through the water with minimal friction.

Given this, I'm thinking we are about to see a new line of record-setting swim suits again.

Swim Suit Technology Setting World Records

Speedo has a new swim suit technology that is helping a few fortunate test subjects set world records at an unprecedented pace. The technology is so good in fact, there may be some question about fairness. At least three world records have been set and eight more according to this article in NewScience.com. The suit (and this other article quotes) reportedly creates a stabelizer on the body's core which promotes five percent less drag and five percent less O2 consumption at an unspecified (but apparently, key) speed. In case you haven't figured it out yet, that's HUGE!!!

I find all of this simply amazing. As for this technology's fairness, that's best left to the sports boards. I for one, want one now! Then again, I should probably get a suit with little flippers embedded in the skin first. :)