I only started swimming as an adult to compete in triathlon, so I was never on a swim team and I only have ever worn board shorts to train in at my pool. I have researched and found out that jammer/speedo could save me about 10 seconds per 100. I would love to drop 15 seconds off of my 100 repeat down to 1:45 which would make me feal pretty good, although slow to the times I see here on ST. I am wondering though should just keep wearing board shorts instead of jammers to keep my drag higher? Or is a more streamlined suit better for overall mechanics in training?
I used to wear board shorts when I started with my Masters group. The coach politely at first and then not so politely told me to wear a swim suit. I gave in to the peer pressure and did so. He kept emphasizing that I was wearing too much drag.
But I agree, I loved swimming in them!
Swimmers will routinely wear drag suits in training…
http://www.swimoutlet.com/Drag_Suits_s/1758.htm
For whatever reason, it’s triathletes that often feel the need to wear their race garb to swim practice.
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Board shorts are uncomfortable as hell for long periods of swimming, but yes, drag suits are commonplace. You get the drag effect but it’s not awkward to swim in.
That’s true, but those drag suits are very different from board shorts.
I’m just making crap up here, but it seems like the drag created by board shorts goes farther down the leg and since they’re loose is more likely to pull the legs out of alignment? When I swam competitively years ago, at the end of the season we wore women’s pantyhose in practice to add drag. I doubt that made us faster in races, but it was funny.
Swimmers will routinely wear drag suits in training…
http://www.swimoutlet.com/Drag_Suits_s/1758.htm
For whatever reason, it’s triathletes that often feel the need to wear their race garb to swim practice.
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I’ll surf in my jammers sometimes. I feel like a rocket when I paddle out compared to boardshorts.
At the pace you’re going, you have enough technique and body position problems without compounding them with board shorts. The problem is not that you need more power, it’s that you need to learn how to move efficiently and effectively through the water, not Lear by achieving a good body position. You ain’t gonna do that in board shorts.
That’s true, but those drag suits are very different from board shorts.
I’m just making crap up here, but it seems like the drag created by board shorts goes farther down the leg and since they’re loose is more likely to pull the legs out of alignment? When I swam competitively years ago, at the end of the season we wore women’s pantyhose in practice to add drag. I doubt that made us faster in races, but it was funny.
Swimmers will routinely wear drag suits in training…
http://www.swimoutlet.com/Drag_Suits_s/1758.htm
For whatever reason, it’s triathletes that often feel the need to wear their race garb to swim practice.
They still do the pantyhose thing, just saw a bunch of swimmers wearing them (footless tights) during warm up of a swim meet about a month or 2 ago.
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We used to sometimes wear trackpants during swim practice. Was hard!
IMO, switch to jammers. Swimming is highly body-position dependent, so don’t train wearing something that changes your lower body position/kick. It’s like run training with a backpack on.
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IMO, switch to jammers. Swimming is highly body-position dependent, so don’t train wearing something that changes your lower body position/kick. It’s like run training with a backpack on.
+1. Board shorts are too much drag. Put body out of position and creates bad technique/bad habits in your stroke. Best drag shorts are small mesh ones cut trim, in the same shape as short jammers. Beyond ruining body position, they also make the drag too heavy; when training, you want to practice developing the quickness needed to “catch” the water and accelerate through the stroke, propelling the body past the catch point. This is hard to develop if there’s too much drag.
It’s more analogous to why people don’t run with weight vests, or leg weights – even a little bit will mess up your form.
In contrast, training wheels only slow you down a little bit – a smaller percentage versus board shorts to speedo/jammer – and they don’t change one’s form on the bike (worth mentioning).
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In contrast, training wheels only slow you down a little bit – a smaller percentage versus board shorts to speedo/jammer – and they don’t change one’s form on the bike (worth mentioning).
Plus, the point of training wheels isn’t to slow you down. It’s to save the wear and tear on your race wheels.
The last thing most triathletes need to do is make swimming more difficult.
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They create enough drag to negatively alter your body position. Suck it up and smuggle the budgie.
That is to preserve the special feel of shaving down.
I dated a fellow who was on the West Point swim team – he wore queen-size panty hose to train in. Talk about a “drag” suit.
In contrast, training wheels only slow you down a little bit – a smaller percentage versus board shorts to speedo/jammer – and they don’t change one’s form on the bike (worth mentioning).
Plus, the point of training wheels isn’t to slow you down. It’s to save the wear and tear on your race wheels.
The last thing most triathletes need to do is make swimming more difficult.
OMG! quote of the day!!!
To add my 2 cents. The stroke is affected by how fast you are going. While it is useful to feel “extra” resistance via paddles, tethered swimming, drag shorts, etc. The reality is that we develop muscles differently at different speeds. The “feel” to the whole body by going efficiently through the water does make a difference in developing the primary muscles that are pulling (upper body), if that happens slowly with resistance you build strength. If it happens with minimal resistance you build speed (assuming you work equally “hard” at both). I speak for myself only - but I want/need SPEED when I race (relatively speaking, of course).
The training wheel/race wheel comparison is not generally valid because my bike features gears so I can still apply the same power and cadence regardless of going a few kms/hr slower or faster.
I’m still working on “gears” for the swim and run 
Enjoy the journey
Wearing board shorts for swimming practice is something I see done, occasionally, in the Tri group I swim with. Usually by people who are learning to swim.
You cannot swim slowly in board shorts and then understand how the water works when you are racing in a wetsuit.
You won’t breathe, pull or kick properly, because the action of the water will be entirely different. Your mechanics will be wrong.
Just as they would be riding on flat tires and running without shoelaces.
I swam competitively until college and could not swim in anything but a Speedo back then.
I have no problem now doing my training swims in board shorts, over a Speedo endurance brief, I actually love the drag they create and have no issues with it hurting my kick or body position.
While I don’t live in a highly populated area and the college pool I swim at doesn’t even have a team I’m still the second quickest person I have come across there and that is in my board shorts… sticking with them.
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Totally agree with tropher. Swam age group, HS, College and now rarely. I ride my SS mtb up a 5 mile climb and down to the YMCA. Shower and hit the pool in the same board shorts I rode in and will probably hit the store on the way home in. I live where it is warm and pretty much live in board shorts year around. I am sure they are not as fast as a Speedo but then what the hell difference does it make if I hold my 100s at 1:20 instead of 1:10? As far as changing your stroke ,position and not feeling what is fast or not, I don’t think it does me. But each their own.
Board shorts don’t let the pee diffuse out as efficiently as lycra
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