All About the Suit

Here is a guide we hope you will find helpful regarding swim suits. 

Practice Suits

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The options for practice suits are extensive and varied. When looking for an appropriate suit for practice it is best to look for a suit made from 100% polyester. These suits have the best longevity for holding up to chlorine. Suits made from nylon and spandex, while less expensive, have a much shorter lifespan, meaning you will spend more in the long run. Suits for practice should be snug not loose as this provides security especially when diving. Girls wear a one piece suit for practice and boys a jammer, square leg or brief. Race suits and or tech suits should never be worn for practice. Race suits are made from materials that provide compression and resist water absorption, however their lifespan is very short. 

Race Suits

The options for race suits are also extensive. The market offers many options in entry level race suits. These suits offer some compression for the legs and resist absorption of water and also provide the advantage of keeping the suit in place while diving. In general, most swimmers at most meets do not require a race suit. As swimmers progress in the sport they may desire to take advantage of the benefits a race suit can offer.  It is usually not necessary for athletes competing at a regional level or below to have a race suit. Once a swimmer is competing at the provincial level or above they would most likely notice the advantages of using a more technical suit. 

Please note: A race suit or tech suit offers very little in the way of performance enhancement. What they offer is muscle compression which can help with fatigue during racing. They also offer less water absorption which can offer a slight advantage at the top levels of racing. 

Race suits should be a very snug, almost tight fit. Modern race suits have compression built into the fabric so it is not necessary for the suit to be dramatically too tight, however it needs to be quite snug.  A general rule of thumb is to size down at least one size from your practice suit, however getting sized by a professional is usually your best option. 

Swim Suit Care

The best way to care for all swim suits is to rinse in cold water after use and hang to dry. Washing your swim suit in laundry detergent not only shortens its lifespan but the laundry soap also has a very negative effect on the chemical balance in any chlorinated pool. Laundry soap is probably the number one contributing factor that makes it challenging for pools to keep the water clear and balanced.  The hanging to dry part is also very important, a Speedo rep once told me that the single worst thing one can do to their swim suits is to leave it in a ball to dry.