SpeedoForum.org

I notice a lot of guys here either are or used to be "swimmers," i.e. someone who swims competitively or for exercise. As someone who is trying to attain speed or form for an athletic or aerobic purpose, it makes sense to wear a suit that will reduce drag and give you maximum range of motion. For such people, a speedo is a sensible swimwear choice.

I love the water and I feel very comfortable in and around it, generally. That said, I am not a "swimmer" and never was. The moment I learned to paddle I basically ignored any academics and went my own way. So I have no form. I can't breathe for shit. I can affect a noisy, splashy front crawl and at the ocean or public pool this never bothered me. However, if I show up at a lap pool I'm suddenly very self-conscious about this. It feels like it's just me and the lifeguards, who are obviously accomplished swimmers and have to be for their job, just sitting there watching me suck. Oh, and the old people who are slow but steady, and have great form, uniformly breathing every four strokes, which land silently back into the pool. I can't do a flip turn. I can barely turn my head and breathe without taking in water. So I feel like a poser coming out in a speedo to do my crappy 20 laps and then hit the showers. Swimming seems like a good cardio choice for me since I have weak knees - but I feel like I need to "earn" my speedo with something like base-level swimming competence. At the same time, though, wearing board shorts would feel just as silly.

So tell me. Is everyone at the pool scoffing at me? Would my speedo be respected if I were a good swimmer? Or does it literally not matter? I don't know if adult swimming classes are offered near me but I'm inclined to think they wouldn't really fit my schedule.

What say you, speedo board?

I know how you feel as I felt the same way when I started swimming as a sport at 26 years old. I swam with short shorts and thought I had to do 1000mts before "earning" my speedos.

But tbh, my shorts were more expensive than the Speedo Endurance I bought on Amazon for 13€. Once I realised this, I didn't care, purchased my speedos and went gladly to the pool and train.

As long as you don't buy the 250€ suit, you should be fine.

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I am not a great swimmer. My breathing is awful, tried swimming lessons for adults. I know I need to swim more as it is just practice. Like you I think wearing Speedos is a right of passage. Ending daft I know. But if you want to wear a speedo for swimming go for it.


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Hey yamamay, it does not matter! Just enjoy yourself. If enjoyment is getting some cardio in grab a kick board and do some kick sets in between some warm ups with a pull buoy. If you want to work on technique and can’t find a class convenient with your schedule see about some private lessons to focus at least on the crawl. There is plenty on the internet too! And you don’t have to be a fast swimmer to be a good one. Choose a slow lane or go at low peak hrs. And don’t worry about flip turns. Most importantly just enjoy! And speedos are normal pool attire for the advanced as much as they are for the beginners, young and old. Enjoy the pool!

Hey mate

My first swim lesson as a kid I choked on water big time and ever since I have never put my head under the water again at a pool or beach. Even at home I feel so insecure having my face under cold water.

I have a back problem and requires swimming, but I opted to walk in water instead for my gentle exercise

Some days I don’t even get into the water and just relax in the sauna and steam
I recently bought flippers to help me stay afloat with my head of the water and that has helped.

I don’t need to be an Olympian swimmer, I think the fact that we are willing to spend time out of our busy schedule to do any exercise is a win.

We wear it for ourselves not for others (maybe a little just to show off our briefs )


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Some lessons would help you immensely. From there it's all about practice and some coaching. That's what I do every evening, as I swim my laps I'm helping others get their strokes and kick right. Swimming properly is extremely technical, there's a lot of things you have to know how to do and you can only get it right by having someone watch you and give pointers. Be warned that swimming badly can hurt you, shoulders especially.
Dave has a thread going about the Masters. If you have a Masters team nearby, by all means give it a try. If you really suck they will either help you or recommend a lesson. Just depends on how badly they need members and whether the coach wants work a little harder.
You've chosen a really tough sport. Your success depends on how hard you want to work at it. There is no better exercise and you can do it even when you get old. I wish you luck!

I don’t think you have to earn the right to wear a speedo lap swimming. I think everyone should wear them. When I see a lap swimmer not in a speedo I think they aren’t really serious about swimming.

BJE wrote:I don’t think you have to earn the right to wear a speedo lap swimming. I think everyone should wear them. When I see a lap swimmer not in a speedo I think they aren’t really serious about swimming.

Lol I think that’s what he’s trying to say. Any level of swimming can be in a speedo.


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I started swimming to do triathlons. Took a couple of group adult swim lessons at the Y, which helped. I also watched a TON of swim technique videos. After I did my first triathlon and not only survived, but did pretty well in the swim, I rewarded myself with my first speedo and have never looked back. I don’t do tri’s anymore, but lap swim and open water swim regularly and always wear that speedo. But, as we know, a speedo is just a swim suit and the most appropriate place to wear a speedo swimsuit is at the pool or beach swimming!


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I am not a particularly good swimmer but put in some exercise for the time I am in the pool and enjoy the relaxing feeling of being in the water and loosening off muscles.

BJE wrote:Any level of swimming can be in a speedo.

Absolutely.

Always wore a speedo at the pool, from high school on. Through most of my 20s I was a rather poor swimmer, I could do 50 yds. at a time, with a big rest. I remember distinctly 2 milestones: swimming 10 50yd. segments in 20min., with a 1min. rest in between, and doing a mile non-stop, with the help of fins. Yes, I started at square one. But it can be done.

Oh yeah...most lifeguards are more than happy to give advice to a swimmer on a slow day at the pool. They're usually bored to death! Many a tip from a cute lifeguard improved and motivated me along the way.

I think you’re being more self conscious that what you deserve. People swimming aren’t really thinking about you at all, they’re thinking about themselves and what they’re doing. Swimmers are not checking out your speedos, because that’s what so many people wear in the pool and they see them every day. If there is any value judgement of you wearing speedos, it is that he is a swimmer here to swim, compare to someone in boardies who is someone that is here to play around in the pool. If anything, when I see someone in boardies or shorts swimming laps I wonder what they are doing and why they are bothering. Swimmers are not worried about how you swim, or how many laps you’ve swum or how long you spend on the wall between laps or even how long it takes for you to swim a lap. The whole mindset of a swimmer has been framed incorrectly here. You’ll probably find that the vast majority of athletes have a very positive mindset and have an encouraging and inclusive perspective. The frame of thinking, if there is any at all will be good on him, he’s getting into it, this will be as hard as it gets for him, are we going to crash in the lane, will he wait at the end until we pass, can I time this so I don’t tap his feet. For me at least the only time when swimming that I’m thinking about what people are wearing is when I’m identifying people under the water just as the person in the red budgies, the green jammers or whatever.

Don’t worry about what others are thinking about you... they’re not.

...:::sam:::... wrote:I think you’re being more self conscious that what you deserve. People swimming aren’t really thinking about you at all, they’re thinking about themselves and what they’re doing. Swimmers are not checking out your speedos, because that’s what so many people wear in the pool and they see them every day. If there is any value judgement of you wearing speedos, it is that he is a swimmer here to swim, compare to someone in boardies who is someone that is here to play around in the pool. If anything, when I see someone in boardies or shorts swimming laps I wonder what they are doing and why they are bothering. Swimmers are not worried about how you swim, or how many laps you’ve swum or how long you spend on the wall between laps or even how long it takes for you to swim a lap. The whole mindset of a swimmer has been framed incorrectly here. You’ll probably find that the vast majority of athletes have a very positive mindset and have an encouraging and inclusive perspective. The frame of thinking, if there is any at all will be good on him, he’s getting into it, this will be as hard as it gets for him, are we going to crash in the lane, will he wait at the end until we pass, can I time this so I don’t tap his feet. For me at least the only time when swimming that I’m thinking about what people are wearing is when I’m identifying people under the water just as the person in the red budgies, the green jammers or whatever.

Don’t worry about what others are thinking about you... they’re not.

Really well said.


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yamamay wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 01, 2019 11:16 am

What say you, speedo board?

No one cares what you wear.

They are glad to see you out there swimming and working on it.

We all know that it takes practice, so just put on those briefs and get out there and get swimming.

Sam —great response! So true!


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Yes great answer, Sam. I declined to answer that part of his question and preferred to just encourage him to swim. The ad nauseum thread after thread after thread about whether it's okay to wear a speedo to a swimming pool just get so old...

I know it's okay to wear a speedo in a pool. That's not really my question.

Neither am I. In fact I hate swimming. But I do love hanging out by the pool with a cocktail and getting a tan.