Swimming Costumes
There are two types of costumes that you need
1. Training/ Warm Up
These should be “Endurance Type”, which are ‘chlorine resistant’ and are very hard wearing and durable. Most swimmers tend to wear Gerrards, Speedline/Paw, Uglies, available for around £15.00 girls, £10.00 boys.
To measure, girls should use their chest/bra size and boys their waist size.
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Men's Sizing Guidelines
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24"
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26"
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28"
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30"
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32"
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34"
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36"
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38"
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40"
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Small
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Medium
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Large
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XL
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Ladies Sizing Guidelines
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26"
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28"
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30"
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32"
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34"
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36"
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38"
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40"
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42"
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6
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8
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10
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12
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14
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16
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18
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Make sure that they are comfortable - always try before you buy! If your costume does rub, put Vaseline onto your ‘rub points’ before you get into the pool - this will help. If this is still a problem for you, try to have two or three different suits to wear so that they do not always rub in the same place.
These costumes can last for up to 5 years.
2. Competition/ Racing/ Sprint
BE AWARE OF THE NEW RULES ON COMPETITION COSTUMES!!
 The swimmer must wear only one swimsuit at a time (i.e. not one on top of another).
Mens swimsuit shall not extend above the naval or below the knee.
Women swimsuit shall not cover the neck or extend past the shoulders, nor shall extend below the knee.
No zippers or other fastening system are allowed.
These need to be very close fitting to minimise drag. Look for a costume that is 2 inches smaller than your measurements.
If it is a good fit;
- it should not dig into the shoulder - only pull a little bit so that it stays tight
- you should not be able pinch the costume off your stomach
But remember - they should be close fitting but NOT restrict your breathing!
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Male Competition Suit Sizes - Guidelines
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Man
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24"
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26"
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28"
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30"
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32"
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34"
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Chest (cm)
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88-92
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92-96
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96-100
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100-104
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104-108
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108-112
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Waist (cm)
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66-70
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71-75
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76-80
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81-84
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85-88
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89-92
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Hips (cm)
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80-84
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85-89
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90-94
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95-99
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100-104
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105-109
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Female Competition Suit Sizes - Guidelines
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Female
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24"
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26"
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28"
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30"
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32"
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34"
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Under Bust (cm)
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64-67
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68-72
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73-77
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78-82
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83-87
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88-92
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Bust (cm)
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78-81
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82-85
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86-89
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90-93
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94-98
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98-103
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Waist (cm)
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60-62
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63-66
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67-70
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71-74
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75-78
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79-82
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Hips (cm)
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82-85
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86-88
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89-92
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93-96
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97-100
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101-104
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These type of costumes can cost anything from £30.00 up to £300 for a Speedo Lzr, but will last for only 20 - 35 hours of contact time with chlorine - so DO NOT warm up in them on gala days as this will reduce the effectiveness of the suit.
Wear shorts or trousers over them at competitions if you will be waiting around between events as sitting on the poolside will cause the fabric to roughen up - loosing the benefit of the special fabrics.
Care of Costumes
- Both types of costume just need to be rinsed in warm water and hung from the base to dry. All suits will last longer if they are rinsed thoroughly in cold water immediately after use.
- Once a month they should be rinsed in lightly soapy water.
- Do not leave swimsuits rolled up in a wet chlorinated towel or in a damp kit bag.
- Do not allow the suit to come in contact with detergents or shampoo – and do not wear whilst washing your hair.
- Do not machine wash, spin or tumble dry.
- Do not iron and leave to dry naturally away from direct sunlight. Do not expose them on radiators or hang them out to dry or they will fade.
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