When to Get a New Swim Suit

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.

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?

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. :)

Saggy Suits - are you ready for a new swim suit?

Most people who hang out pool-side use the warming of the seasons as their cue to consider buying a new swim suit. Unfortunately, those of us who swim daily can't use the movement of the planets to gauge our decision making. The sad fact is, a lot of year-round swimmers don't really know when they should consider buying a new suit and they can embarrass themselves without knowing. My wife once told me that some women in her water-exercise group told her to get me a new suit. Needless to say, I was extremely embarrassed when she told me why (my suit problem rhymed with rude). Since then, I've paid particular attention to the age of my suit. I now use a hard and fast fabric deterioration rule. It's clear to me, a lot of folks - do not know the rule. Saggy-suits are a sure sign. These are the suits that when dry look fine, but look like old loose skin after the wearer exits wet. Sometimes these people just don't realize it since the sag is often off their back-side. One way to determine if your suit is aging is to hold it up to the light. A drag suit I currently have is showing signs of wear. Holding it up to the light, I see distinct places near the seams where the opacity of the fabric is much less (remember I said, my own suit problem rhymed with rude). A lot more light shines through these places. There is also a buildup of what looks like dandruff around these less opaque areas where the fabric has literally deteriorated and left a residue. I won't be wearing that suit any longer. If you don't want to wait that long, just notice if your suit is no longer fitting tight (if water isn't flowing past unimpeded by flowing fabric you are ready for a change). New suits are comfortably snug. Warn suits increase drag in the water.

How to Extend the Lifespan of a Swim Suit

When I took up daily swimming, I became distressed at how quickly my suits were wearing out. After what I considered to be a short time - about three months of daily use - my suits were becoming saggy and no longer hugging my finely tuned physique (ha ha). To make matters worse, the fluid dynamics of the suit would fail at the same time making travel through the water more of an effort. Thus, I would have to plunk down cash for what I considered to be a pointless expense. The products should have been designed better (these were name brand suits you all know). In my effort to extend the length of wear, I have since tried to follow all instructions (e.g. rinse with cold clear water, don't twist, dry flat, etc. etc.). I'd even gone so far as to swap out suits to every other day. Even so, they still fell apart within three months. What was that about? Nothing seemed to help, until I started using a suit-spin dryer on a regular basis. Since I started using it, I've seen the lifespan of my suits extended to six months and still going. I must conclude that length of time a suit is wet is what primarily leads to the degeneration of the material. Drying the fabric minimizes that time that water can damage the fabric. So here's my gripe. It's pretty simple ... why would any swim suit designer design a suit to break down in water? Come on guys! Make a better product! In the mean time dear reader, follow my advice and use the spin dry machine. If you don't have access to one, lobby your swim club. They should be in every pool locker room.