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Some swimsuits are designed specifically for swimming competitions where they may be constructed of a special low resistance fabric that reduces skin drag. Most competitive swimmers wear special swimsuits including partial bodyskin, racerback styles, jammers and racing briefs to assist their glide through the water thus gaining a speed advantage.
For diving in water temperatures above 25 °C (77 °F), special bodysuits called "dive skins" are worn. These suits are made from spandex and provide little thermal protection, but they protect the skin from jellyfish stings, sunburn, and abrasion. This kind of suit is also known as a 'Stinger Suit'. Some divers wear a dive skin under a wetsuit, which allows easier donning and (for those who experience skin problems from neoprene) provides additional comfort.
Unlike regular swimsuits, which are designed mainly for aesthetic appearances, swimsuits intended to be worn during competitions are manufactured to assist the athlete in swimming competitions. They reduce friction and drag in the water, increasing the swimmer's forward motion efficiency. The tight fits allow for easy movement and are said to reduce muscle vibration, thus reducing drag. This also reduces the possibility that a high-forward dive will remove a diver's swimwear. Starting around 2000, to improve the effectiveness of the swimsuits, engineers have taken to designing them to replicate the skin of sea-based animals, sharks in particular.
In July 2009, FINA voted to ban non-textile (non-woven) swimsuits in competitive events from 2010. The new policy was implemented to combat the issues associated with performance-enhancing swimsuits, hindering the ability to accurately measure the performance of swimmers. Subsequently, the new ruling states that male swimsuits may maximally cover the area from the navel to the knee and female counterparts from the shoulder to the knee. FINA bans hi-tech suits from 2010 BBC, 31 July 2009
Some swimmers use a specialized training suit called drag suits to artificially increase drag during practice. Drag suits are swimwear with an outer layer of looser fabric – often mesh or nylon – to increase resistance against the water and build up the swimmer's endurance. They come in a variety of styles, but most resemble a looser fitting square-cut or swim brief.
With the development of new materials that tightly fit the body and offered lower resistance to water than human skin, this trend was reversed to a complete body coverage from heels to neck and wrists. In 1999, Australian competitive swimmer Ian Thorpe signed with Adidas for an undisclosed six-figure sum, to race in their new bodysuit, although the national team was sponsored and wore outfits designed by Speedo.Hunter, pp. 162–166. Thorpe's success in the 2000 Summer Olympics wearing the Adidas full-length black polyurethane bodysuit, in contrast to other swimmers wearing textile swimwear (males wore legskins, jammers, or briefs, while females wore racerback maillots), led to other swimming manufacturers such as Speedo and Mizuno to create their own rival bodysuits. Thorpe subsequently worked with Adidas which in 2003 released the Adidas Jetconcept bodysuit, whose design "came from the V-shaped grooves currently used on the wings and fuselage of civil aircraft".
The LZR Racer lines were launched on 13 February 2008, with the LZR Elite being marketed as "the world's fastest swimsuit." Engineering the world's fastest swimsuit . Physorg.com. 28 February 2008. It was the focus of Speedo's campaign for the 2008 Summer Olympics, spearheaded by Michael Phelps of the United States. They created a holographic (visually generated) video of Phelps wearing the suit which was displayed in London, Sydney, New York, and Tokyo on the day of the suit's release. Speedo's LZR Racer had become so effective by the eve of the 2008 Summer Olympics that many swimmers, despite them or their swimming federations having exclusive contracts with other apparel makers, have chosen the LZR Racer over competing bodysuits. At that year's Olympics in Beijing, 94% of all swimming races were won in that suit, Time's Best Innovations of 2008. Time.com (29 October 2008). Retrieved on 19 May 2014. While 98% of all medals were won by swimmers wearing that suit, and 23 out of the 25 world records broken were achieved by swimmers competing in the LZR suit. Phelps Secures his Place in the History Books after Landing his Eighth Gold Medal! Speedo. 17 August 2008 , 93 world records had been broken by swimmers wearing a LZR Racer, and 33 of the first 36 Olympic medals have been won wearing it.Goodgame, Clayton. (13 August 2008) High-Tech Swimsuits: Winning Medals Too. Time. Retrieved on 19 May 2014.
In 2009, FINA rules and regulations were altered, effective from 1 January 2010. Suits made with polyurethane were banned because they made athletes more buoyant. These rules also banned suits that go above the navel or below the knee for men and suits that extend past the shoulders or cover the neck for women FINA stated that it "wishes to recall the main and core principle is that swimming is a sport essentially based on the physical performance of the athlete". Fina extends swimsuit regulations. BBC. 19 March 2009
The bodyskin resembles the design of a dive skin, commonly used by snorkelers and Scuba diving divers for warm weather climates. The primary distinguishing feature is the material from which the bodyskin suit is made.
Some bodysuits provide full body coverage from the ankles to the neck and wrists, such as Ian Thorpe's Adidas Jetconcept bodysuit, which made its debut in 2003. Sleeveless designs such as the Speedo LZR Racer were popular in the 2008 Summer Olympics; Speedo also produces a body skin designed specifically for the backstroke. Other competing bodysuits include Acquablade, Fastskin, and Sharkskin, which are produced by Mizuno, Asics, Descente, Arena, and Nike.
Swimmers reported that body skins improved buoyancy. This is true as long as the suits remain dry. As such, they are recommended for distances under 200m.
The national coach of a small country stated that the suits need exact sizing and resulting high cost "increased the disparity between the haves and have nots." As with most technologically advanced fabric swimwear, body skins were only commonly used at highly competitive levels of the swimming sport and are known to sell for prices over US$400. Despite their cost, a single bodysuit can only be used for a handful of races, as getting in and out of the suit repeatedly would damage its form-fitting properties, memorably when Thorpe tore his Adidas bodysuit right before the 4×100 men's freestyle relay podium ceremony in the 2000 Summer Olympics.
Bodyskins were banned from FINA competitions from the start of 2010 after many national swimming federations demanded the action, and leading athletes such as Michael Phelps and Rebecca Adlington criticised the suits. They continue to be used for other purposes, including research.
Like underwear briefs, swim briefs feature a V-shape front and a solid back providing form-fitting coverage. They typically are worn below the lower waist. They are generally secured by thin banding at the upper thighs and either a drawstring around the waist or an elastic waistband. Swim briefs are most often made of a nylon and spandex (Lycra) composite, while some longer-lasting suits are made from polyester and still others from other materials. Most swim briefs have a beige or white front lining made of a similar fabric.
The kneeskin is similar in design to the full bodyskin, but the kneeskin does not have leggings covering or beyond the knee. The kneeskin resembles a "shortie" style wetsuit only made of drag-reducing fabric instead of neoprene and commonly features a zippered back. Most competitive swimwear brands such as the Speedo LZR Racer line, Tyr Sport, Inc. and Arena Powerskin line produce suits of this type. As with most technologically advanced fabric swimwear, kneeskin suits are only commonly used at highly competitive levels of the swimming sport and are known to sell for prices in excess of US$200. Retrieved 11 February 2012.
Since 2009, legskins have been banned for competition swimming by FINA since they gave an unfair advantage to swimmers who wore them; the ban includes bodysuits.
Suits of this type are named for the coverage that they provide to the upper thighs due to a square seam opening for the leg. Square leg suits range in appearance from those similar to swim briefs with a slightly straighter front and wider side panelling (eliminating the arc appearance on the leg), to those resembling boxer briefs by providing an inch or more of fabric coverage over the upper section of the leg.
The square leg suit of the 1970s made a fashion revival in Australia in 2002 with the introduction of colorful floral and retro geometric patterned suits by swimwear label Funky Trunks. The style is popular amongst competitive swimmers for pool training and for recreational swimmers in the pool and at the beach.
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