Masters Swimming

BATHING SUITS

Choosing a bathing suit

The bathing suit you choose for workouts must be comfortable and durable. The effects of chlorinated water will deteriorate most fabrics. Fortunately, through the years manufacturers have developed new lines of suits which are more comfortable and more durable than their predecessors.

The colours and styles available are innumerable so there is certainly one that will fit your body type, your sense of modesty and most certainly your sense of flair. With so little equipment worn in swimming the expression of personality is articulated through bathing caps and swim suits.

Most suits are fabricated of spandex and polyester. The more polyester in the fabric, the greater the resistance to the effects of sun and chlorine. While a suit with more spandex may be more stylish and comfortable, it’s durability will not be the same.

Most suits can be worn for both workouts and competition. Competition suits exist that are a tighter fit, a more lightweight fabric and are much less durable than the above mentioned suits. Needless to say they are more expensive. Men’s competition suit are almost exclusively jammers, see below, while some women’s competition suits extend to the knee not all do. They are in no way mandatory for competitions.

When choosing a suit, consider your body type, how much money you want to spend, what you are planning on using it for and how much coverage you want.

Women’s suits come with thin or wide straps which may be adjustable, cut-out or less revealing back styles, high-cut or lower-cut legs. Some are lined for more modesty. There is certainly a bathing suit out there that will be a great fit for working out in.

Men’s suits offer the same choices for fabrics and colours. They are available in three cuts. The more traditional suit is the brief which provides a high range of freedom and is inexpensive. The square-leg cut provides more coverage with a good degree of mobility. The jammer is a more modest suit which extends from the waist to the knee, comfortable and great for workouts.