Thanks @Mike_Gemelli, Swim outlet don't ship outside the USA. You have to get a proxy shipper which adds significant cost for low cost items. It's a pity because they have stuff not available over here for a reasonable price.
I can attest to the fact that women's jammers, aka "kneeskins", (lycra/poly blend-not "tech" suits) are noticably faster than the traditional style women's suits. I got one from agonswim.com for $43 (grab bag) to try out last year at a swim meet. I had no idea I could swim that fast...like 2 seconds per 100 yds faster in a 1650. Compression definitely provides an advantage, squeezing my natural buoyancy into a smaller profile, therefore, reducing drag.
It's always a bad hair day when you work at a pool.
I would have to mimic Mike_Gemelli's sentiment. I made a similar transition over the years from baggy board shorts to jammers to briefs, and now that is the only kind of suit I wear. I would say that is a fairly standard trend I have observed in competitive swimming.
Part of the reason I stick to only briefs is due to bad experiences with other suits. I have done races in jammers before where the suit cut off my circulation at the knee and I came out of the swim with purple feet. I also have a lovely little scar on my rib cage from excessive chaffing of a neck to knee suit.
However in the end for me though it is all about how I feel in the water. I like to wear as little as possible (while adhering to standard rules/laws of public decency) because I feel I am more aware of my body position in the water. As I cover up any additional portions of my legs, torso, or arms I begin to feel disconnected with the water and my stroke feels strange.
Now while I will openly admit that I am a total beginner and have never faced swims with extreme cold, or jellyfish, or many of the hardships that many of you have faced in swims, I believe that swimming should be just about you and the water with as little technology in the way as possible. It is an idea I held onto when swimming competitively in HS and college, and one that I hope to hold onto as I continue to take on longer and harder swims.
In my experience, jammers have been a great help to me. Historically, my hip flexors give out and hurt like hell. I noticed that the support and compression given by the jammers helped out a lot with the pain and aches from that muscle group, so I made the full-time switch around 2000.
It's also easier to pee while swimming in a jammer.
Today, after about 3.8k my Tyr Durafast jammers started stretching - the legs need to be hiked back up above the knee. Aside from that I like them, but this is the same problem I had with Tyr Lycra jammers and it's annoying when it happens in a race.
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loneswimmer.com
It's always a bad hair day when you work at a pool.
@sharkbaitza
Part of the reason I stick to only briefs is due to bad experiences with other suits. I have done races in jammers before where the suit cut off my circulation at the knee and I came out of the swim with purple feet. I also have a lovely little scar on my rib cage from excessive chaffing of a neck to knee suit.
However in the end for me though it is all about how I feel in the water. I like to wear as little as possible (while adhering to standard rules/laws of public decency) because I feel I am more aware of my body position in the water. As I cover up any additional portions of my legs, torso, or arms I begin to feel disconnected with the water and my stroke feels strange.
Now while I will openly admit that I am a total beginner and have never faced swims with extreme cold, or jellyfish, or many of the hardships that many of you have faced in swims, I believe that swimming should be just about you and the water with as little technology in the way as possible. It is an idea I held onto when swimming competitively in HS and college, and one that I hope to hold onto as I continue to take on longer and harder swims.
Depends on the water temp. and climate for racing, and whether I'm indoors or outdoors for training.
I'm more concerned with the textile now days: Durafast vs. Lycra etc.
Don't like square legs.
It's also easier to pee while swimming in a jammer.
We're all just carbon, water, starlight, oxygen and dreams
Sorry, I forgot how special you are.
Those are good points re: Jammers.
The only time I switch to "racer" style is when it's around 90+ degrees.
....if one could just get past all the typos.
...anything worth doing is worth overdoing.
We're all just carbon, water, starlight, oxygen and dreams