Competition Swimwear: A beginner's guide to the right one

Swimming is a fantastic sport and competitive swimming can really get your heart rate up in a good way. Especially because you usually win in 100ths of a second, and that is precisely why it places great demands on the competition swimwear you use. If you are a beginner but would like to try your hand at competitive swimming, there are some very basic considerations you should make.

Fortunately, swimming is not the most expensive sport in terms of equipment, but a good competition suit is not something most people just buy. They can vary in price from NOK 900 all the way up to NOK 3200, which is why it is a bit of an overkill to invest in the best as a beginner.

But what should you look for? And how many differences are they really between the cheapest and the most expensive. You can now learn much more about that when we review everything that is worth knowing for you as a beginner about competition swimwear.

Control the technique

Before you go out and invest heavily in various equipment - and especially a competition suit - it is important that you have a good grasp of the most basic swimming techniques. Although a lot equipment are designed to improve your technique, they still require basic skills to get the most out of them.

This also applies to competition swimwear, as they are designed for one purpose only - competition. Therefore, it is also not recommended that you use them for training, but we will probably come back to that part. If you are in doubt or would like to test whether you now also have a complete grasp of the most basic things, you can find 19 good advice and tips right away here. If you can nod and recognize most of them and feel like a fish in water, then it's time to find the right competition suit.

What is the difference between the different competition suits and swimming trunks?

The easiest answer to that question is the materials... but of course it's not that easy. Because it also largely depends on the composition of the different materials and special designs that are incorporated into the competition swimwear.

The first thing you'll notice when you put on competition swimwear is that it's tight - very tight! And for good reason, because it provides the best hydrodynamics. This means less water resistance, higher speed and less muscle fatigue. However, this is not the only advantage, as the tight-fitting fabric can also provide good compression of the muscles, which means that the lactic acid that accumulates in the muscles is transported away more easily and quickly. In this way, you avoid acidification. The compression also gives a narrower profile in the water, which also improves hydrodynamics.

In continuation of this material composition, it should also be mentioned that most competition swimwear is water-repellent and thus does not absorb water. This means it does not become heavy, and it provides a better glide through the water, as well as higher hydrodynamics.

Another big difference between competition swimwear and regular swimwear is the material composition. The latter often consists of polyester and nylon, which makes them extremely durable and chlorine-resistant - not exactly properties that are important for competition swimwear. Therefore, they are usually made of polyamide and elastane/spandex, which gives a high elasticity. This composition is why competition swimwear can give so much, which is necessary to achieve the best results.

This is where the different competition suits and swimming trunks differ from each other. Because the cheapest competition suits and swimming trunks are made in a composition with a high content of polyamide and a lower content of elastane. Therefore, they are also much more durable, but not particularly elastic. The most expensive ones contain more elastane, which makes them extremely flexible, but not particularly durable.

In addition, there are also many other different features that the individual competition suits and swimming trunks can have, but those parts are not important for beginners. It is mostly something experienced competitive swimmers go up, and deal with e.g. competition swimwear that is more suitable and specially designed for some styles and swim lengths than others.

But again, those parts are not important for a beginner. To put it briefly; in the first place, you have to go by material composition, and at the very beginning it is good to choose one with more polyamide and less elastane. They are both more comfortable to swim in, they don't cost a fortune and they last longer, until you get the hang of how to properly put on a competition suit or swimming trunks.

So which competitive swimwear is best for beginners?

For the true beginner

Almost regardless of who you ask or where you read about competition swimwear, there is a general consensus, at Arena ST 2.0, which both exist as swimming trunks and bathing suits , is the best range of competitive swimwear for beginners. The special thing about this series is that they are made with a high content of polyamide and not so much elastane. This means that it is not very tight, and is therefore more comfortable to swim in.

Although it is not the fastest series on the market, it is one of the most comfortable, which is important for beginners. Here, it is more about getting a good and comfortable start than breaking records.

In addition, the series is at the absolute low end of the price spectrum, which means that it is a good place to start without having to invest large sums. It would be a bit of a shame to have bought the most expensive and best thing on the market, only to come to the conclusion that competitive swimming wasn't for you after all. Finally, it should be mentioned that due to the high content of polyamide, this series is probably the most durable competition swimwear, which is a great advantage for the beginner.

The experienced beginner

If you are a competitive swimmer who is just above beginner level, you start to have a good enough technique that you will benefit from a more specialized competition suit and trunks. Here the content of elastane will be slightly higher and they will have more carbon panels. These will provide better compression and support for specific muscle groups that will make you faster in the water.

In that category, the Arena Carbon Air 2 will be a very good choice, and it is available both as competition suit and -swimming trunks. It does add up to a slightly higher price, but if you are an aspiring competitive swimmer, it is worth all the money. In addition, it is adapted to all styles, so you may not get a competition suit or suit that is specialized, but on the other hand, you are sure that it will not hinder you, regardless of what you swim.

If you just need to have a clue about when it is appropriate to invest in a Carbon Air 2, then the general rule of thumb is that it is for those who train between 3-5 times a week. In addition, you get the most out of it if you have a reasonable level of competition - with the necessary techniques - as otherwise its advantages will not benefit you.

The complete beginner

When you start to reach a level where you no longer want to be labeled a beginner, then it's time to upgrade. Here you will typically train more than 5 times a week and have complete control of most swimming techniques - to the point where your level only improves with small adjustments. Here will Arena Carbon Flex competition suits and -jammers, as well as Arena Carbon Core FX, which are both available as competition suits and-jammers, what you should go for.

Here, the small details and the material composition have been fine-tuned, so that you get the most optimal compression, support and speed in the water. In particular, the materials are designed to lift the legs more above the surface of the water, which makes you much more streamlined. You are up in the high price ranges, but you will also be able to feel it in the water and see it in your time. Since competitive swimming is very much characterized by water resistance, small details and fine-tuning will provide better hydrodynamics. And since water resistance is much greater - than e.g. drag while running - even the smallest improvements will make a big difference.

Use a training suit for training

Although it can be tempting to use your competition swimwear for training as well, it is not something that can be recommended - for several reasons:

1. Competition swimwear is so specialized in its materials that it wears out every time you put it on. This also means that they become looser in structure and thus slower in the water.

2. It is not at all necessary to train in competition swimwear, as this is about training strength and technique and not about breaking personal records.

3. It is not unusual for it to take up to 20 minutes to put on your competition swimwear, as it has to fit as tightly as possible, which also means that they come in smaller sizes.

4. Although water resistant, competitive swimwear will still get wet and therefore heavier. Since a training session often lasts for hours, it does not make sense to use competition swimwear as it will lose its effect.

Especially the last one is worth considering, also when you are at a competition. The professional swimmers often have more than one competition suit or jammers with them, which they change between heats. In addition, some competition swimwear is also designed for specific styles, but you don't have to think about that part until you reach the highest level.

In addition, you also have to consider that competition swimwear has lost many of its properties after being used 12 times. This is precisely because it becomes looser in the materials, and thus over time will not sit as close to the body. It provides more water resistance and you therefore become slower in the water. But this is rarely a problem for beginners, as this is often not where the small margins make a difference.

Therefore, it is also a good idea to use training swimsuits and -jammers for training, so that you do not wear out your expensive competition swimwear. Here you can advantageously choose some swimwear that is still very streamlined in the water, which could be a tight-fitting bathing suit with high leg cut and crossback or a pair of good ones close-fitting jammers.

As a man, you can also go back to the good old 70s and the Mark Spitz era and choose a pair of good close-fitting triangular swimming trunks. For training, it is all about having good comfort, as you are often in the water for a long time, and too tight swimwear can ruin a good training session. In addition, it's just a matter of training out there and dreaming big.