Poolside chat - new year, new racing!

[Glittertwins]

Hope this works, am rubbish at this!

I lie. He was 17 and 18 a few weeks later so he had the present early as he asked!

I buy lots second hand but am wary about the race suits TBH. It is rare things are sold on within the club other than club clothing, but many of us buy from Vinted or the FB selling group. Equipment has generally been fine, although her recent size-up set of fins arrived with one pair split. I was refunded and told to keep them, bought another identical pair from another seller, only for one of those to also have a (different) split that had been carefully missed from the description and photos... At least across the 2 pairs we have 2 usable fins I suppose?! 🤷🏼‍♀️😩 The training costumes all come from Vinted and can be hit and miss quality-wise, but at £6-8 inc postage it is worth the risk of the odd dud. I don't buy anything from there of higher value generally. Race suits are much more than I would want to risk on second hand, especially as they are more delicate. I would be pretty grumpy to spend £40-50 only to discover the photos failed to honestly depict the condition or that the seller conveniently 'hadn't noticed' a hole somewhere.
I also don't mind buying new given it will be one of the few things that isn't second hand and will hopefully pass on to DD2 too.

I wouldn't describe DD as stella either - we have one of those in the club who is a year older and incredibly impressive - although she's doing ok and ranking 6th-8th in the county across the different distances for her #1 stroke in her birth year. She is very comfortably inside the qualifying times for next year's Counties (assuming they stay similar to those published for this year's) for those events, with plenty of time to further improve them. It isn't too shabby either given she's only getting 3hrs/wk training at present, knowing some of the others her age at different clubs nearby have been putting in far more for quite some time.
I doubt the suit will make huge differences in and of itself at her level (although I wonder if it may inadvertently aid some of her hypermobility issues), but the feeling of fitting in and the psychological aspect of not believing herself disadvantaged would have a large positive impact.

They don’t really need one and I imagine the gala most were just in arena 2.0s, which aren’t really full tech suits anyway, if she’s small then you should be able to get a bargain. It’s all both of mine have ever had. I’d recommend for any swimsuit measuring and buying online, it’s what I do for both my girls. And I’m yet to do it wrong.

My younger daughter (12) still often decides she doesnt fancy wearing her race suit on a particular day because it isn’t comfortable. I wouldn’t feel pressured, she didn’t have one until she was big enough to wear 12-13.

@itsgettingweird thank you, very proud of them both!

@SkankingWombat i agree with the others I wouldn’t go above the junior level one at that age, but I can see second hand is a risk. There are some reduced older pattern ones here (the current Arena patterned ones are nice but half the swimmers have them - I saw a heat with 4 or 5 girls in the same suit at the weekend!) https://www.swimstop.co.uk/MobileDetail.php?Prod_ID=58406

Or another colour here in 22 and 24
https://www.swimstop.co.uk/MobileDetail.php?Prod_ID=58407

I would also say even in my younger son’s age group (13s) most of the boys were in that kind of level of jammer rather than the full tech suit, the proper tech ones seem to get more common in the 14s

Thank you for the link - that's a really lovely looking suit at a parent-happy price.
The pale minty green Arena was the most popular in the younger year groups here. DD won't give a fig whether it's a current pattern, but will definitely prefer to not have an overly-popular print or colour.

Don't worry all, there is no way anything more advanced will be coming her way for a very long time...!

I know there's been a drive in Scotland and I hope Swim England follow suit to stop allowing under 14's to race tech suits.

They are getting far to embroiled in the psychological aspect of it far too young and if they plateau families are feeling pressurised into buying an even more expensive one when the focus should be on technique and aerobic ability.

I think as well it's part of the affordability for all aspect although I wouldn't call swimming a cheap sport 😂😂 especially once they do start making regionals and nationals and hotel travel is involved and that's winter and summer regionals and nationals and if you're really good British champs in April too. (Or a para swimmer and need to get from south coast England to Aberdeen which was our latest one 😂😂🤷‍♀️).

Don't get me wrong. They get use from the technical tech suits once they get to a higher level. Ds has 3 pairs all worth about £300 each and a pair I brought worth £200 but I got for £120 which he wears for counties and L2 meets! Luckily the 3 expensive pairs were given to him - 🤞 they last this season too!!!

It's certainly not particularly cheap, I think we spent close on £2k for summer and winter nationals. We're thankful that the boy continued as his stuff is cheaper !

No problem, buying an older pattern can work out well by being cheaper and not being the same as everyone else! It’s this one that half the girls seemed to have at ours (and to a slightly lesser degree the boys too) - I do like it, but it’s also nice to have some variety! https://www.allensswimwear.co.uk/arena-girls-powerskin-st-next-limited-edition-kneesuit-aurora-caimano-aok006350303

Hope you can sort one she likes and that is too pricey!

I agree on there becoming a degree of pressure to get expensive suits too young which a ban for under 13s would reduce, though to an extent the cost of training fees and competition entries is more of an issue in terms of the affordability (and the endless hoodies!). As mine are quite good at not endlessly pestering for new race gear, they do at least get good use out of theirs, though I do also know in theory the benefit of them is long gone when they have been worn for lots of races!

Also check brands like Funkita & Amanzi which have recently started to introduce entry level race suits

www.proswimwear.co.uk/amanzi-acceler8-rize-kneeskin-black.html

www.mailsports.co.uk/p/pink-shadow-apex-viper-free-back-performance-suit

www.swimsport.co.uk/products/funkita-womens-apex-viper-black-attack-kneeskin

I disagree with bans. If someone spends £300 on a race suit for a tiny kid then it’s their lookout. Can’t legislate against idiocy.

The ‘bans’ include then the arena 2.0 and speedo endurance which have daft badges but are really useful for girls when they start periods. That is far more important to me as a mum of girls.

FWIW my nearly 15 year old has an arena 2.0. She’s never complained!

I’m pretty sure from what I have seen that the bans don’t include the ones like the 2.0 and Speedo Junior ones - the differential is whether they have sewn or taped seams. Though as an official I don’t think I want to be trying to assess if they are wearing an illegal suit! And as you say, it doesn’t actually advantage the swimmer, just costs the parent. Especially as from what I see younger ones often have suits that are a bit big

The one at our neighbouring club does. They are not allowed to wear anything at all with a fina badge until they are 13. But maybe the Scottish policy shows more common sense.

I also don't agree with them being banned because it's up to parents but it is a phenomenal waste of money on any prepubescent child to have anything with compression. A good retailer will advise against that too. Did I get muddled up on the arena models? The first ones we had were the 2.0s.

And here they tried to do the stitched vs taped seams as well. It's more obvious on some race suits than others but Id not like to be that referee !

I've had to be marshall in call room and check the Fina labels ....

Found this on the Scottish guidance, it does seem a bit of a minefield! Maybe in hindsight I don’t agree with a ban, but maybe clubs providing some guidance when swimmers start competing (though I am sure some parents wouldn’t listen!) https://ocs-sport.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/scotswim-full/2022/10/Technical-swimsuit-poster-October-2022.pdf

The Scottish ban on tech suits for under 14s came in a year or two ago, but after my DC stopped swimming in Scotland. The advice to officials in any of the techy rules is just to report anything you’re not sure is legal to the referees and let them decide.

My eldest didn’t even want a proper set of racing jammers until he was nearly 16, despite having swum at nationals for several years at that point. He reckoned it made little difference in the scheme of things - much more important things to worry about on technique / breathing / race strategy etc.

This is the USA swimming one which actually lists permitted and not permitted models by brand.

The general thing seems to be no bonded seams and woven (compressive) material

www.usaswimming.org/news/2020/08/24/tech-suit-restriction-for-12-and-under-swimmers

I disagree with bans. If someone spends £300 on a race suit for a tiny kid then it’s their lookout. Can’t legislate against idiocy.

😂

Did I get muddled up on the arena models? The first ones we had were the 2.0s

The (Powerskin ST) 2.0 is the entry-level range I was asking about - knitted with stitched seams, but also some basic compression panels. I just missed the 2.0 part off the style name as there is also now a Powerskin ST Next, which seems to just be a newer version with a few tweaks to make it sound better and justify the extra £20? (a 3.0 essentially?) Almost all the younger girls had the 2.0 or Next.

A ban on anything past the cheap Speedo jobbies would be great - I am quite happy with her Speedo Endurance suit! DD is a strict rule follower so would be happy to oblige a ban and she'd be content with the fairness, as long as it was enforced. It is being the odd one out and feeling disadvantaged (regardless of the realities) that is the problem for her currently - I don't want to make life harder for her on that front than it already is, but equally want to limit spending as much as possible in finding the solution (leaving more to spend in the 2p arcade machines during swimweek... 😂🥴). Clearly the consensus on here is no one would bother at her age, but this is a minority opinion once poolside judging from what all the kids were wearing, sadly.
I would want to keep non-tech kneesuits as an acceptable style though, as it isn't just periods that are an issue, but the constant need to remove hair if wearing a standard cozzy. DD is too young to be having to think about and keep on top of that, yet is understandably very self conscious about it. I suspect it is why she has switched to insisting on standard kneesuits for training in the last year, having always preferred very strappy costumes before.

Scottish Swimming defines technical suits as being made of water repellant and compressive material, with leg grippers and taped seams.

https://ocs-sport.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/scotswim-full/2023/10/SwimwearPolicies-Issue03-Sep2023.pdf