and here lies one of the key problems…
much of junior/youth training should be skill based with the secondary objective being retention in sport…if pretty much any youngster develops the skills and remains in the sport for ten years, they will develop the fitness…
I played football to county league levels and even 25 years ago, I wore the first few iterations of Predator and they made a huge difference to ball control, curl, and were lighter also, but im not sure thats the point. £30 training shorts or £200 Speedo Tech suit (which can be found for less at times especially last years model) is not the issue if you are paying a couple hundred a month just to compete, its the cost of infrastructure and lack of availability to clubs. And really if your kid isn’t close in Speedo endurance jammers to championship medals, the tech suit won’t change that. It is the icing on the cake after you become competitive at the top end. Most elites dont wear even them except in top-level events.
Swimming is a skill sport, suits dont magically make your technique better, if your legs drag, the suit doesnt change that. Lets not forget, a suit is only good if its the correct size, majority of kids are too big so they can “grow into them” tight fitting training shorts would be faster.
I know that this has been discussed some time ago, so apologies for re-posting. However I am looking to get what I would call buoyancy shorts. Some initial research is leading me towards ZONE3 Neoprene Buoyancy Shorts ‘Premium’ Aerodome Elite 5/3mm as they have a good review and I also need a lot of buoyancy for my heavy legs/ poor swim technique.
Any recommendations?
Also sizing? I know these need to be tight. I’m a 32inch waist so is that medium?
why not focus on fixing that?
Im going to expand a bit, but to compare as kids are ever developing but el nino went from a ~£70 Arena low end suit to his mizunos (which are still rated best all round) which cost £170. Gained him about a second on his 100bk/br times, probably 1.5 - 2 seconds on his 2IM but the 70 suit wasnt a great fit, more training shorts fit and he’d just done a 60k training camp week which cost more than 7 speedo suits!. That sort of time can be gained or lost on dive and turns at that age as they are more inconsistent also
So any kid, once 12 or 13, get a really tight, proper fitting as per manufacturer guide (ie Speedo 32 training is 22/24 tech suit) low end suit just for racing, it will make you feel good putting on a “race suit” and will make less difference than you gain by not breathing into and out of the turn.
Yep that is a totally valid point. When I say poor technique I mean in terms of kicking (probably the rest could be improved but this needs the most attention) as I have become entirely dependant on a pool buoy. The shorts would be an interim measure to getting back into kicking.
Im not a fan of “cheat shorts” except if it is really affecting your enjoyment and ability to swim. As JC said, I’d be looking at the cheaper option to spend more of my pool time focusing on body position and potentially the kick.
Yep, whilst maintaining some swim conditioning…in theory, it works, but the art is to know when to use and how often…unlike other swim aids, they are hard to put on in the pool…if you have no immediate need of outcomes then this below:
Has anyone any experience of swimming in a drag vest to improve efficiency?
I tried earlier with full wig, makeup and a sequined tassled body suit, but think maybe I’m doing it wrong. Felt ridiculous & nearly drowned.
Ok that’s not true. But have sometimes been swimming in a loose SPF50 sun top, which feels like harder work. Any benefit in doing this? (beyond sun protection obv)
I think there must be some benefit wearing a draggy sun top. If you wanted to counteract this dragginess you coud wear a swim ring.
In the 80’s swimmers would wear t-shirts, tie sponges to their waist etc. now we have expensive toys like parachutes but the classic is the shower scrub loofah thingy. t shirt would work, downside is it could throw off your balance a little. Typically more of a sprinters thing, but then so is strolling round poolside flexing whilst the distance guys work their arses off 
I used to wear drag shorts pretty much every session without fail.
Now I can barely find a pair to buy.
I’ve got some old drag shorts, but cant remember the last time I wore them, pre covid definitely. I’m just not swimming enough to make them worthwhile, lower hanging fruit if/when I get in the water
being the hairiest man in triathlon…i just let me leg and chest hair grow back over winter…
Club Champs night tonight 100br and 200bk, in about an hour! Its an old 33 1/3m pool and incredibly slow with old style blocks also. Kids usually 3secs /100 off SCM times although it counts as SCM time. L4 gala so times count for county qual but not regionals.
100br his pb is 1:16.53 from yesterday, if you remember my last post he said didnt feel great for 2nd 50. Swam “unsuited” as what’s the point in that pool, went 1:16.50 
200bk he took easy for a 2:35.91, pb is about 2:32, although he swam 2.29ish on his dq’d swim in July.
Looking good 
I didint watch as coaching tri
WU 19:00
1000 SKIPS Swim Kick IM drill Pull Swim
Build 19:18
16 x 25 off 30 7/10
Main 19:27
400 steady, 4 x 25 sprint on 1min
2 x 200 steady, 4 x 25 sprint on 1min
4 x 100 steady, 4 x 25 sprint on 1min
all steady off 30ri, hold same 100pace throughout
Contrast 20:02
20 x 50 off 1min 10s, odds hard (35sec) evens easy recovery choice
CD 20:27
Easy choice
blimey…i’m still a bit quicker that that…
not much though
Id not even finish, be DQ’d from Breast
nope…it would have been on the turns…or the swim suit…or whether i’d shaved my legs…but i need environment agency permission for that…and you can see the deforestation from space…
at our level I could wear baggies with little noticeable difference
