Other than a brief stint 2 years ago, I last swam competitively in 1993, so our idea of a “tech suit” was the old speedo papersuit, or just plain Lycra, and shaving.
I know that some of you guys have recent experience with FINA-approved tech suits. I’m thinking of getting one for Montreal Worlds this summer, but of course there isn’t anyone locally who sells these things, so it’ll have to be mail order. Just looking for recommendations of affordable, jammer-style suits that will fit a guy with cyclist quads. Also, if you can give some feedback on durability that would be nice too. From the reviews, some of these suits appear to wear out after a handful of swims. I’d like to get a few meets out of whatever I get.
Also, anyone have good recommendations for mail order swim gear in Canada? SwimOutlet.com is US based and cannot ship Arena, Speedo, and some other products to Canada. They can ship TYR though.
I don’t think any swim suits fit cyclist/triathlete quads. I simply consider it a matter of pride. Just like you will always be left with some sort of compromise wearing jeans. You know what I’m talking about… If you can even find a 30 or 31" size jeans (you know that ones that some 15-16 year olds boys wear), there’s only maybe 1 style of Levis that don’t bind around the thighs. Some cuts are almost comical to try on. You do get a moment of pride when you realize that you can almost fit into the 29’s… you know, the smallest size they normally even stock with a 32" inseam.
For me I just live with a suit that’s a little loose around the hips, or swim with a pair of leg sausages and pretend that the extra compression is beneficial.
I am a current Master/competitive swimmer with larger than typical quads and I don’t have any problem getting into the tech suits. I squat/deadlift a lot so my thighs are a bit larger than most swimmers. For jeans reference if I wear “relaxed” fit jeans my quads barely fit, so I typically wear “loose” fit.
I have worn both the Speedo LZR suits, and the Arena Carbon Pro. Personally I like the Carbon Pro better, but they both fit very well. I will say that the very first you put them on, the are extremely HARD to get on. Like, so hard that there should be a point in the process where you question whether or not you purchased the proper size. The first time I put on a new Carbon Pro it literally takes 10-15 minutes. And I have been putting these types of suits on for years. So plan to take your time and go slow. Also, make sure both you and the suit are bone dry.
As for fit, I would be very surprised if any of the suits didn’t fit you unless you have bodybuilder type quads. It sounds like a lot of your choice is going to come down to availability. And you don’t necessarily have to get a suit from the bigger names. Mizuno, BlueSeventy, Engine and other smaller named companies make quality suits. They can be a little harder to find, but could work. Also, try Amazon if SwimOutlet or Swim2000 won’t ship.
thanks for the feedback. I had just heard that some of these suits fit really tight around the thighs.
While the carbon pro or lzr would be nice, they are way out of my budget. I’m gonna have a hard time convincing my wife to let me get a $150 suit. $300, not a chance.
Although, I might start with the $300 suit as a negotiating tactic
I raced in a Speedo LZR elite last year at conference champs and absolutely loved that suit. The fit is quite good (although my quads aren’t very large at all) and it is a “bit” stretchier than the other suits I’ve tried. The Arena is a quite good suit, but I felt like it had the least amount of stretch in the quad area so it may not be the best fit for you. Blueseventy makes some very nice suits as well (I would have used the high end NERO but couldn’t get the right size). IME if you’re looking for bang for your buck I think you really can’t beat the Speedo FSII. It may be older tech but it’s still plenty fast and reasonably priced.
As for putting it on just think of it like a wetsuit. Make sure you are completely dry and inch it up very slowly making sure to not use your fingernails to grab it.
Finally with regards to durability, the best way to ensure durability is to take very good care of the suit.
-If you can put it on after your warm up, if not don’t wear a drag suit over it
-When you put it on do not use your fingernails
-Always pat dry (don’t rub or wring the suit out)
-Rinse it in cold water once you take it off
-NEVER EVER PUT IT IN A SUIT DRYER. EVER
-Hang it dry once you get home
thanks for the feedback. I had just heard that some of these suits fit really tight around the thighs.
While the carbon pro or lzr would be nice, they are way out of my budget. I’m gonna have a hard time convincing my wife to let me get a $150 suit. $300, not a chance.
Although, I might start with the $300 suit as a negotiating tactic
By a Speedo FS2 - costs ~$125 and is almost as good as the new stuff. What size are you? I have like 3-4 of them. Okay 8. If you look around you can probably get them under $100. Durability of tech suits is poor. Just deal with it.
We offer a Fina approved “tech suit”, called our Energize training suit.
This is the same Compression fabric with a hydrophobic coating, that we use in our speed suit.
The suit doesn’t have an internal skeleton built in. It is a suit that provides a great high tech fabric, that is durable, and tight, but not so tight it takes 20 minutes to put it on. This suit is a little bit more forgiving when it comes to putting it on, and fit is a little bit easier for non Olympic swimmers.
We have seen great results in this suit with the Master’s crowd, and I think you’d be happy with the performance of this suit. High tech enough to give you a great benefit in the water, but the price point is easier to handle at $99.
Check it out if you are interested, I’d be happy to help you find one!
