When purchasing a technical swim suit there are several considerations. First and foremost should be whether or not the suit is legal for competition. On October 1 2009 FINA made a ruling amendment excluding certain tech suits. This may seem like a long enough time ago for the swim suit industry to adjust, but when bargain shopping for tech suits, you are bound to run into a suit or two that have been marked down because they are no longer FINA approved.
Here are the rules for identifying a FINA approved tech suit;
- Swimsuits for men must not extend above the navel or below the knee.
- Swimsuits for women must not extend past the neck, past the shoulders or below the knee.
- No zippers or other fastening devices except for a waist tie may appear on a male brief or jammer.
- Swimsuits must be made of textile material and may not be made of rubberized material such as polyurethane or neoprene.
- Swimsuits worn for any 12 and Under age group defined competition shall not cover the neck, extend past the shoulder, nor past the knee. Individual swimming organizations and LSCs maintain their own set of bylaws under which they operate. Please contact your respective organization for their official list of technical swimsuit rules.
Also most retailers will advertise if their suits are FINA approved.
