Poolside chat - new year, new racing!

[Glittertwins]

Hope this works, am rubbish at this!

Missed this last night as at swimming, brilliant news. Well done to him💫

Well done to him that’s just brilliant 🤩

Well done to your DS @itsgettingweird

His on (somehow cos he must be knackered 😂) in 50m heats this morning. Made the A final again this evening!

He's desperate to make Olympics trials in April. Really hope he's doing enough 🙏🤞

On his pb!!!! Not sure what my iPad was trying to say 🤦‍♀️😂

What a journey you/miniweird have had.

Good luck with the 50m tonight.

Good luck to all the County swimmers competing today as well.

We're all done now, signed off with a 16 second PB on the 1500m so that will do nicely.

Wow - that's fantastic 🥳🥳

Just watched that 400m @itsgettingweird - well done again to him

Thanks. He swam so hard and he's glad he did!

Another pb in 50m final last night just missing out on sub 27! (27.01!!!!!).

It's there he just needs to find the finish again now he's got quicker as he's gliding into the wall as he doesn't have another stroke iyswim?

But he's always working on these small things so I don't doubt he'll do it!

Probably not so easy as kicking hard into the wall for him either.

No it's not!!!! Plus he has to breathe more than is optimal to keep the oxygen flowing to his muscles. He's working on if he can drop a breath though which should increase time.

But it's a good sign as he didn't taper for the meet and he's up from where he was at British

We were surprised that we got some PBs considering no tapering as well.

Wow, all your swimmers are doing amazingly well!
We're very much new to it, so first ever Counties for us this year as well as DD's first time racing LC. Her 2023 goal was just qualifying and getting a hoodie. She got 10 and 5 second PBs on her 2 events, so was over the moon - totally unexpected given her previous PBs had been set in December and the race format was completely new 😊

What we really noticed, however, was she was pretty much the only one in a non-compression kneesuit. We have avoided them so far, sticking to the basic Speedo Fastskin and a few Maru training kneesuits (all bought second hand!) as it seemed overkill for her age/stage. She has qualified for next year's Counties with the times she swam and will have far more open meets this year (she wasn't old enough to compete at them for most of last year), so I'm thinking perhaps it is time to take the plunge? If you don't think it's nuts - and tell me if it is because I'd rather not be parted with £80-odd if not necessary - can I get some advice on kneesuit sizing please, as you were so helpful with my questions on swim week food?
I was looking at the Arena Powerskin ST and have taken her measurements. Unfortunately, nothing is ever straightforward with her... Her hips are at the lower end of a size 22, chest and waist are solidly 24, and her body loop is bang in the centre for a 26 🙄 I'm assuming it's best to go for the 26, because being less tight around the body is better than too tight on the loop? Her legs resemble twiglets, so worried a 26 may be too flappy on that part given they're a little loose on her Maru training suits?
Or is there a better brand for an oddly-proportioned DC? I thought 'The Triangle' was the most common swimmer's shape?! I'd focussed on the Arena as it looked to be a good mix of cost and performance for an entry-level suit with good reviews, but maybe I need to look elsewhere?

Well done your dd. What an amazing achievement.

I'm afraid I have a boy so know nothing about racing suits for girls - I struggle with sorting just a knee one out.

But with regards the type we stick with arena 2.0's until he qualified for British and then went up to the more expensive ones.

I brought him a pair of arena carbon air which do seem more flexible than Speedo (in regards to fix and stretch) but they are what he wears now as he was given them by British swimming! We've struggle with sizing despite him now being an experienced swimmer for the same reason as you - skinny legs! (Ds has a muscle wasting condition).

I believe though that being tight on kegs is most important but for boys so I assume same for girls.

@SkankingWombat

The Arena ST is not as compressive as the carbon series so I think you can ensure it fits TIGHT.

The carbon series - Air & Glide are less compressive than Core. Air & Glide are better for longer distances, IM or girls that just want a bit more flexbility; I see the core very often used for shorter sprint distances or girls who want that very compressive feel.

Are you looking at size 26 girls or adults?

What age and size is your DD?

For reference - mine is about 5' 10" , between a size U.K.6 & 8 and squeezes into Speedo Pure Valor (22) but up a size in the Intent. She used to wear Arena Carbon Airs in size 24 (all women's sizes)

I'm not in favour of skins for U12s - I think they're an unnecessary expense and a barrier to the sport.

Several countries don't allow them in meets for U12s / U13s - the US being one.

I certainly wouldn't get anything more expensive than Arena Powerskin ST. They are entry level and perfectly good enough for a 12 year old. You will need girls sizing, adults sizing is different despite them using the same numbering size. My DD's suit is a 28 girls and I think at 12 - 13 she had a size 24 or 26. Really recommend that you try them on at a meet with a shop if you can't get to somewhere local where you can try them on.

My son has always worn Arena 2.0s the New Arena 2.0 Next's come in the same colour/pattern as the more expensive Arena suits so the kids feel they fit in which is always important to them.

Well done to your daughter on doing so well. I’m another one with boys so no experience with girls and getting the fit right, but probably worth trying on if you can - if you are not near a shop then there is often one at open meets where you could try on and get their advice. Assuming your daughter is at the younger end from what you have said, I would go with either the Powerskin ST or one of the junior Speedo competition range rather than any of the more expensive and compressive ones. My eldest has Carbon Air, youngest is 12 and has the speedo junior LZR which cost me about £20 as they were a colour from a couple of years before and reduced - it is worth having a look around as you can sometimes get bargains, particularly in the smaller junior sizes. Having it said all that, it isn’t essential - one of the older girls at our counties was winning most things in a normal costume not a race suit.

@itsgettingweird huge well done to your son too, amazing performance and really hope he can get to the trials.

We’ve finished counties now. Eldest has generally been happy, he has had a couple of good PBs and finals, and got the regional time he was targeting. Youngest has had an amazing counties. I apparently didn’t need to have worried about the day he had 400IM plus 3 other events and 2 finals (which I asked about here when we were doing the entries) as he got two golds and two silvers that day. He also won two other events and got a number of other medals. This is despite him moaning how much smaller he is than the other boys! Something about counties seems to bring out the best in him. I just hope he can carry it forward to regionals this year, as last year they didn’t go very well for him.

I don't disagree, which is why she's had the £40 Speedo suits up until now. I had been determined not to get sucked in until she was reaching a higher level and growing more slowly!
At all the level 4 galas she's competed at over the last 4 years (splash galas and club champs), the younger girls have only ever worn regular cozzies or the basic £40 Speedo kneesuits, so it hasn't been an issue. She had her first open meet in December and then Counties just gone, and there were only a couple of the younger girls without a tech suit at these events across all of the clubs. Within her club she was the only one. It was particularly annoying as I had talked to parents with slightly older girls in the club last year, who had said it really wasn't necessary until regional level and not to bother. Their kids were also at Counties, have not reached Regionals, and were fully decked out... She had been content with the Speedo when younger as they had the look of the fancy ones and was happy as long as it had a Fina label on the back (she's autistic and very rule driven, so wanted an 'approved' suit), but now she's learnt the difference and feels she's at a disadvantage and missing out. It's a delicate balance between keeping things affordable and letting her fit in. She does have a younger sister who is also showing some promise, so hopefully whatever we buy will survive to be passed on and get plenty more use. It would definitely only be entry level tech suits for the foreseeable future. Budget is £80, so it can't be anything super fancy!

The sizing is girls'. She's 9.5yo, a little above average height, clearly very long in the body given the suit measurements I took, and very very skinny.
There was a pop up shop at Counties, who were excellent at fitting her for goggles (at a bargain £16! 👍🏻😊), but the suit conversation has happened since. The shop's regular premises are 1.5hrs away, but maybe it is worth the trek to be properly fitted given it doesn't feel straightforward - half term 'fun' day trip? 😂

I'm my opinion, under 10 years old is too young to have this kind of suit from new, regardless of who else has them. I've seen an 11 yr old in a full compression Speedo suit. Didn't do her much good that meet as her entry times weren't stellar nor were her results.
Does your club have a second hand group? This would be the best place to start ideally.

Amazing both your boys 🥳

I agree. My son didn't have any type of tech suit (arena 2.0's) until he was 14.

Then it was because they were in the sale and swimmjng for a smaller club swam a lot of league galas.

He was 18 when he got his first tech suit for his 18th (it's what he wanted 🤷‍♀️) and was his first British summer nationals.

I love it when I do the hytek at our novice meet and see kids in normal costumes and actually feel for the parents caught up on thinking they need tech suits and kids swimming level 4 galas in expensive suits.

I think counties heading regionals is ideal time for first basic one.