Choosing the Correct Competitive Swimwear

Last Updated on November 26, 2022 by admin

In this article, we will provide advice, hacks and tips as a guide to choosing the correct competitive swimwear, for both competition and training.

For many competitive swimmers, their swimwear is their most important and most expensive piece of kit

There are many types of swimsuits on the market,

Produced by the world’s leading swimwear manufacturers.
They make a wide variety of swimwear in different fits, shapes, styles, sizes and prices.
Catering for the swimmer’s differing needs, for example,
- Whether it’s for training or competition,
- The level of the swimmer’s experience
- The level of competition
- The type of event in which they are competing.
  - Pool, open water, triathlon
- The level of training
In our experience, it pays to take your time, do your research and make careful considerations when choosing competitive swimwear
There are two main types of competitive swimwear.
Those used during competition (race suits) and those used during training.

Choosing competitive swimwear

They are designed to be tight-fitting.
With many race suits being advertised as a second skin.
Although they tend to be expensive, they are usually designed for limited use,
- As the materials used tend to lose their compression qualities after repeated use.
Wearing a race suit can also help to increase a swimmer’s confidence.

Choosing training swimwear

Although some training swimwear has certain compression and water-repellent properties,

Training swimwear is primarily designed for increased comfort and durability

FINA-approved design suits

All competitive race suits must be approved by FINA, the world aquatics governing body.

Since the introduction of full-length bodysuits in the early 2000s where they contributed to many World records being smashed,
FINA outlawed these suits and introduced an approval scheme to ensure that FINA-approved race suits meet their regulations.
Therefore, swimmers should ensure that the swimwear they purchase for a competition is FINA-approved.

Sizes

Competitive swimwear is designed to be ‘second skin’ tight.

Meaning it should be much tighter than a normal training suit,
But not so tight as it feels uncomfortable and reduces the swimmer’s blood flow.
It’s therefore important that a swimmer has accurate body measurements before purchasing a race suit.
Please be aware that the sizes of race suits may differ from manufacturer to manufacturer.

The correct swimwear fit

Listed below are some of the key points to look out for when ensuring that a swimsuit (particularly a race suit) fits correctly.

Torso/trunk

The swimsuit should lie perfectly flat and smooth on the swimmer’s torso/trunk,

Without any gathering or folds.

Legs

The swimsuit should be tight but comfortable and supportive on the swimmer’s legs,

Without digging into the legs, restricting blood flow or unduly restricting leg movement.

Shoulder Straps

The shoulder straps should be tight but comfortable on the swimmer’s shoulders,

Without digging into the shoulders, restricting blood flow or unduly restricting shoulder movement.

Chest

The swimsuit should adequately cover and support the swimmer’s chest,

Without flattening it fully.

Fitting

Competitive swimsuits can be notoriously difficult to get on,

This can be especially the case when fitting a new suit for the first time, with both time and patients usually being required
We, therefore, recommend that swimmers do not leave the first trying on their new race suit at the race venue on the day of competition,
They should first try their new race suit on at home,
Then once they are happy, with the home fitting.
They should practice fitting their race suit at training,
Including practising swimming in it for a few lengths/laps.
This should give the swimmer enough practice in fitting and swimming in their new race suit,
To help reduce the risk of this being a source of potential race day stress.

Race suit features

With the world’s leading swimwear manufacturers all competing for a larger share of a competitive market,

It’s important to research and understand some of the features of a race suit. These include,

Water repellency

This refers to the water-repellent qualities of the swimwear material.

Water-repellent swimwear stays drier and therefore much more lightweight.
Helping to reduce a swimmer’s drag.

Compression

This refers to the level of the swimwear’s compression of the swimmer’s muscles.

Which can provide the swimmer with an increased streamlined body profile.

Bonded seams

Most race suits have bonded seams,

In which the seams are commonly heat bonded or heat welded together.
Making the suit smoother, causing less drag.

Different suits for different strokes

Some race suit manufacturers produce suits for specific competitive strokes.

They place the seams in certain positions, which they claim provides correct movement and support while performing certain competitive strokes.

Swimwear price guide

Listed below is a price guide for female and male, competition and training swimwear.

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Competition swimwear for females

The most popular swimsuits for competitive females are kneeskins.

Entry-level, price guide £50 – £120
Intermediate, price guide £75 – £250
Elite, price guide £330 – £500

Training swimwear for females

There is a wide range of training swimwear for females

As it can be difficult to correctly dry swimwear between sessions (see swimwear care below)
It’s common for female competitive swimmers to have several training suits/costumes
Price guide £20 – £250

Recommended training swimsuit for women

For training, many of our female swimmers use the Speedo Women’s Essential Endurance+ Medalist One Piece Swimsuit.

As they find them both comfortable and long-lasting
Medalist design – aids shoulder movement and flexibility, making this suit ideal for training
Fully lined
100% Chlorine resistance – for long-lasting performance
Quick-dry – dries faster after your swim workout

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Competition swimwear for males

The most popular swimsuits for competitive males are jammers.

Entry-level, price guide £35 – £110
Intermediate, price guide £45 – £195
Elite, price guide £210 – £295

Training swimwear for males

The most popular male swimsuits for training are jammers.

As it can be difficult to correctly dry swimwear between sessions (see swimwear care below)
It’s common for male competitive swimmers to have several training suits
Price guide £20 – £150

For training, many of our male swimmers use the Speedo Men’s Essential Endurance+ Swimming Jammer.

As they find them both comfortable and long-lasting
Shape Retention – fabric stretches for better, less restricted swimming
Secure Fit – internal drawcord allows you to adjust the fit
100% Polyester
Hand Wash Only

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Swimwear care

Caring for swimwear after a swim can extend its life.

We recommend that swimwear should be washed using a mild soap to remove the chlorine or salt, which often degrades swimwear.
It should be allowed to dry naturally.
Which for many competitive swimmers, requires having more than one suit.
We DO NOT recommend this when caring for swimwear, as these can cause as they can damage the fabric of the suit.
Washing liquids or powders
Washing machines and/or a tumble drier
Drying in sunlight or via a heat source.

Takeaways

There are many types of swimsuits on the market,

Produced by the world’s leading swimwear manufacturers.
Providing a variety of swimsuits in all different fits, shapes, styles, sizes and prices.
Catering for the swimmer’s differing needs, for example,
- Whether it is for training or competition,
- The level of the swimmer’s experience
- The level of competition
- The event in which they are competing.
  - Pool, open water, triathlon
- The level of training
In our experience, it pays to take your time, do your research and make careful considerations when choosing competitive swimwear
There are two main types of competitive swimwear.
Those used during competition and those used during training.

Swimming Equipment

We have provided a recommended swimming equipment page.

It contains swimming equipment that we and our swimmers use and recommend.
You can access this page by clicking on the following link: swimming equipment

Swimming Publications

We produce a growing range of publications on a wide range of swimming subjects.

These include competitive swimming drill publications for backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly and freestyle.
Which are now available in both Amazon Kindle and paperback formats.
For information regarding our portfolio please follow our link: Swimming Publications.

Swimming Resource Library

We have produced a swimming resource library.

This contains links to all of our blog posts.
These are subdivided by swimming category.

To access any article simply click on the attached page link: Swimming Resource Library.

The Competitive Swimming Exchange – Facebook Group

The Competitive Swimming Exchange is a Facebook group to help exchange ideas and information to collectively improve the sport we love.

It’s an international group for all swimmers, coaches, teachers, masters, triathletes and swimming parents.
It’s for all those who are interested in competitive swimming, either in the pool or in open water.

For more information about joining this group please use the following link: The Competitive Swimming Exchange

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