Competition bathing suits - Recommendations

Compared to regular bathing suits, competition bathing suits differ in everything from the material to the design itself. This makes them highly specialised in swimming. It also means that they focus less on comfort and more on performance - providing the optimal conditions to swim as fast as possible. 

Most competition bathing suits are made of polyamide and elastane, which makes them completely water-repellent and elastic, so their fit moulds to the contours of the body. The tighter the fit, the more hydrodynamic they are. Therefore, competition suits must also fit snugly and, depending on the model, take 5-20 min. to put on.

These features and designs help to ensure that a competition bathing suit fits very tightly to the body. This is important when it's the small 100s that decide the race.

For the same reason, a competition bathing suit is also smaller than, for example, training bathing suits. A good rule of thumb is to choose 2-4 UK sizes smaller when buying a competition bathing suit compared to a training bathing suit. However, we always recommend deciding your size based on the size guide of the individual competition bathing suit. 

Being tight-fitting and water-repellent are not their only significant features. They also provide good compression, which increases blood flow. This means less acid in the muscles and less fatigue. In addition, they also have no visible seams and stitching, which in turn reduces water resistance.

To be specific, a competition bathing suit will typically provide 16.6% less water resistance, which is a pretty significant improvement over other bathing suits. This allows you to glide through the water much better, so you actually swim longer per stroke.

Finally, it should be mentioned that you should of course select your competition bathing suit based on what level you are at in terms of price. If you're a complete beginner, it might be a good idea to pick an “Entry” bathing suit, which is the cheapest way to get started. If you're just above this level, a high-end bathing suit can be a good solution, as they are often the most optimal beginner bathing suits.

This is an important consideration as competition bathing suits are not cheap, but if you're not yet at the level of the best suits, you won't be able to make the best use of their features.