Competitive swimwear
Encyclopedia
Competitive swimwear generally refers to the Swimsuit
, apparel, equipment and accessories used in the aquatic sports of swimming
, diving
, synchronized swimming
, triathlon
and water polo
.
Male Swimsuits
A drag suit is a pair of baggy squarecut or speedo-style trunks that competitive swimmers may wear over their inner suit during training to provide extra resistance (or drag) from the water. Drag suits are meant to be worn over a long period of time to wear in the material and possibly tear the fabric. The more worn-in, torn or ripped the drag suit, the more resistance it provided the swimmer. Swimmers often knot up tears in a drag suit to prolong its life and increase resistance. Since drag suits make swimming more difficult, swimmers do not often wear drag suits in competition, unless they wish to continue training undisrupted through the duration of a meet. Drag suits originated as old, torn speedo-style suits that swimmers would wear over their normal speedos. Since the late 1980s and early 1990s, universities and swimming-intensive high schools/boarding schools began to order custom drag suits for their teams. Men's suits were usually boxer brief style suits, each with team names and/or logos on the rear. In the late nineties, the boxer brief style suit was manufactured in a mesh-style trunk by the major swimsuit manufacturers, including Arena
, Speedo
, AgonSwim
, Nike
and TYR
.
Accessories
Training Gear
Swimsuit
A swimsuit, bathing suit, or swimming costume is an item of clothing designed to be worn by men, women or children while they are engaging in a water-based activity or water sports, such as swimming, water polo, diving, surfing, water skiing, or during activities in the sun, such as sun bathing.A...
, apparel, equipment and accessories used in the aquatic sports of swimming
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
, diving
Diving
Diving is the sport of jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard, sometimes while performing acrobatics. Diving is an internationally-recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games. In addition, unstructured and non-competitive diving is a recreational pastime.Diving is one...
, synchronized swimming
Synchronized swimming
Synchronized swImming is a hybrid form of swimming, dance and gymnastics, consisting of swimmers performing a synchronized routine of elaborate moves in the water, accompanied by music....
, triathlon
Triathlon
A triathlon is a multi-sport event involving the completion of three continuous and sequential endurance events. While many variations of the sport exist, triathlon, in its most popular form, involves swimming, cycling, and running in immediate succession over various distances...
and water polo
Water polo
Water polo is a team water sport. The playing team consists of six field players and one goalkeeper. The winner of the game is the team that scores more goals. Game play involves swimming, treading water , players passing the ball while being defended by opponents, and scoring by throwing into a...
.
Brands
Female Swimsuits- RacerbackRacerbackA racerback is a type of women's swimsuit design common today among competitive swimwear and incorporated into some types of women's clothing. The top-back of the swimsuit is not covered to provide flexibility and movement of the arms during swimming....
- KneeskinKneeskinA kneeskin is a type of competitive swimwear worn by both male and female athletes. Kneeskins are normally made of technologically advanced lycra-based fabrics designed to hug the body tightly and provide increased speed and decreased drag resistance in the water.The kneeskin is similar in design...
- BodyskinBodyskinA bodyskin is a style of competitive swimwear worn by both female and male athletes. Bodyskins are normally made of technologically advanced lycra-based fabrics designed to hug the body tightly and provide increased speed and decreased drag resistance in the water.The bodyskin resembles the design...
- LZR RacerLZR RacerThe LZR Racer Suit is a line of high-end swimsuits manufactured by Speedo using a high-technology swimwear fabric composed of woven elastane-nylon and polyurethane. The line was launched on 13 February 2008...
Male Swimsuits
- Competition briefs or Speedos
- Jammers
- Square leg suitsSquare leg suitsThe square cut or square leg style suit is a form-fitting male swimsuit used as a slightly more conservative style than swim briefs for water polo and diving, or for recreational wear. Like swim briefs, they are made of a nylon and spandex blend. They typically sit low on the waist and high on the...
- LegskinLegskinA Legskin is a type of competitive swimwear worn by male swimmers. Most legskins are made of technologically advanced lycra-based fabrics designed to hug the body tightly and provide increased speed and decreased drag resistance in the water. The legskin covers from the swimmer's mid-waist to his...
- KneeskinKneeskinA kneeskin is a type of competitive swimwear worn by both male and female athletes. Kneeskins are normally made of technologically advanced lycra-based fabrics designed to hug the body tightly and provide increased speed and decreased drag resistance in the water.The kneeskin is similar in design...
- BodyskinBodyskinA bodyskin is a style of competitive swimwear worn by both female and male athletes. Bodyskins are normally made of technologically advanced lycra-based fabrics designed to hug the body tightly and provide increased speed and decreased drag resistance in the water.The bodyskin resembles the design...
- LZR RacerLZR RacerThe LZR Racer Suit is a line of high-end swimsuits manufactured by Speedo using a high-technology swimwear fabric composed of woven elastane-nylon and polyurethane. The line was launched on 13 February 2008...
- Drag Suit
A drag suit is a pair of baggy squarecut or speedo-style trunks that competitive swimmers may wear over their inner suit during training to provide extra resistance (or drag) from the water. Drag suits are meant to be worn over a long period of time to wear in the material and possibly tear the fabric. The more worn-in, torn or ripped the drag suit, the more resistance it provided the swimmer. Swimmers often knot up tears in a drag suit to prolong its life and increase resistance. Since drag suits make swimming more difficult, swimmers do not often wear drag suits in competition, unless they wish to continue training undisrupted through the duration of a meet. Drag suits originated as old, torn speedo-style suits that swimmers would wear over their normal speedos. Since the late 1980s and early 1990s, universities and swimming-intensive high schools/boarding schools began to order custom drag suits for their teams. Men's suits were usually boxer brief style suits, each with team names and/or logos on the rear. In the late nineties, the boxer brief style suit was manufactured in a mesh-style trunk by the major swimsuit manufacturers, including Arena
Arena (swimwear)
Arena is a brand of competitive swimwear created in 1973 at Adidas France, by its president Horst Dassler. Sold by Adidas in 1990, the brand now represents two unrelated product lines....
, Speedo
Speedo
Speedo International Ltd. is a manufacturer and distributor of swimwear and swim-related accessories. Founded in Australia in 1914, the industry leading company is now a subsidiary of Pentland Group Plc. Today, the Speedo brand can be found on products ranging from swimsuits and goggles to wrist...
, AgonSwim
AgonSwim
AgonSwim is a competitive swimwear manufacturer that was started by and is currently run by former competitive swimmers. AgonSwim produces swim suits for amateur aquatic sports using dye technology otherwise limited to use in professional sports like soccer, rugby union, cycling, and basketball...
, Nike
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
and TYR
Tyr Sports, Inc.
TYR Sport, Inc. is an American manufacturer of recreational and competitive swimwear, swim caps and goggles. It was co-founded in 1985 by Olympic medalist and former USA Swimming Co-Captain Steve Furniss. TYR is based in Huntington Beach, California. Contrary to popular belief, its name is not an...
.
Accessories
- GogglesGogglesGoggles or safety glasses are forms of protective eyewear that usually enclose or protect the area surrounding the eye in order to prevent particulates, water or chemicals from striking the eyes. They are used in chemistry laboratories and in woodworking. They are often used in snow sports as well,...
- Swim capSwim capA swim cap, swimming cap or bathing cap, is a silicone, latex or lycra cap worn on the head by recreational and competitive swimmers....
- SiliconeSiliconeSilicones are inert, synthetic compounds with a variety of forms and uses. Typically heat-resistant and rubber-like, they are used in sealants, adhesives, lubricants, medical applications , cookware, and insulation....
- LatexLatexLatex is the stable dispersion of polymer microparticles in an aqueous medium. Latexes may be natural or synthetic.Latex as found in nature is a milky fluid found in 10% of all flowering plants . It is a complex emulsion consisting of proteins, alkaloids, starches, sugars, oils, tannins, resins,...
Training Gear
- Training fins
- Pull buoyPull buoyA pull buoy or leg float is a figure-eight shaped piece of closed-cell foam used in swim workouts. Swimmers place the buoy between the legs in the crotch area to provide support to the body without kicking the legs; this allows the swimmer to focus on training only their arms.Pull Buoys are an...
- Hand paddleHand paddleA hand paddle, according to "Swim Speak", is a "coloured plastic device that is worn on the swimmer's hands during swim practices to enhance muscle build-up or speed." Paddles are often used with pull buoys to build up arm strength...
s - FistglovesFistglovesFistgloves are latex gloves that does not have individual sheaths for individual fingers, but rather a larger volume that is meant to take the hand in the shape of a fist...
- SnorkelSnorkelingSnorkeling is the practice of swimming on or through a body of water while equipped with a diving mask, a shaped tube called a snorkel, and usually swimfins. In cooler waters, a wetsuit may also be worn...
- Kickboard
- Aqua belt
- EarplugEarplugAn earplug is a device that is meant to be inserted in the ear canal to protect the wearer's ears from loud noises or the intrusion of water, foreign bodies, dust or excessive wind.-Protection from water:...
- NoseclipNoseclipA noseclip is a small bent piece of wire covered in rubber worn by some swimmers . It is designed to clasp the nostrils closed to prevent water from getting in or air from escaping during activities such as synchronized swimming...
See also
- SwimsuitSwimsuitA swimsuit, bathing suit, or swimming costume is an item of clothing designed to be worn by men, women or children while they are engaging in a water-based activity or water sports, such as swimming, water polo, diving, surfing, water skiing, or during activities in the sun, such as sun bathing.A...
- Swimming (sport)#Swimwear
- Swimwear and hygiene