18 Sep 2019

  1. WEAR YOUR COMPETITION SUIT FOR RACING ONLY - A race suit can only spend a certain amount of time in the pool water, being exposed to chlorine. So, warming up or training in your suit will lower its life span.
  2. DO NOT WEAR IT LONGER THAN YOU NEED TO - It might be tempting to stand around in your super cool swimsuit after racing, but the longer you wear it out of the water, the more the suit will stretch and lose its compression strength. If you have multiple swims it is better to leave the suit on instead of changing in and out of it, however once your racing is done get changed.
  3. PROTECT THE SUIT MATERIAL - It may seem obvious but be mindful of the suit encountering anything that could damage it. For example, if you need to sit on the pool tiles, make sure you put shorts on. Be careful swimming over lane ropes, they can be sharp and snag / tear the suit fabric. When wearing between races, wear shorts and t shirts over the top.
  4. BE CAREFUL PUTTING THE RACE SUIT ON AND TAKING OFF - They are super tight fitting and you should use the proper techniques to slowly get into it. Make sure you are completely dry when putting it on, roll leg seams over, gently move the fabric a little by little up your legs. If you lose patience and pull hard you can damage the suit or cause it to stretch. When taking the suit off take your time, the gentler you are the longer it will last. It can take 10-20 minutes to get it on / off.
  5. AFTER RACING WASH OFF THE CHLORINE WITH WATER - Rinse the tech suit with tap water and a mild soap, do not use a washing machine or tumble drier, do not scrub with anything. Simply use your hands with plenty of tap water to gently rinse off the chlorine.
  6. AIR DRY ON A FLAT SURFACE - Once you have rinsed your race suit, let it dry naturally on a flat surface. Hanging it up can cause it to stretch so letting it lay flat is preferred and letting it dry in it's natural position. Do not use tumble driers, hair driers, radiators and keep out of direct sunlight. Remember if the suit has bonded seams, it is a glue holding the fabric together, heat will damage / weaken the bond.
  7. HAVE A MESH BAG OR DRY POCKET READY - There may be times when there is not enough time to air dry your race suit, if you are in a rush make sure you rinse the suit and place neatly into a mesh bag or in a wet pocket on your backpack. Keep it away from other wet items that may have chlorine on them. The mesh will allow natural air to circulate over the suit and dry it off.

Remember that each time you wear the suit you will most likely stretch it and lose some of the suit’s compression, ultimately damaging its effectiveness. Pick and choose only the most important swim meets to wear your race suit. It is good practice to carry two race suits with you to events.


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