5 Ways to Avoid Looking Like a Novice Swimmer

Many adults who decide to tackle triathlons at a later age begin swim training with very little swimming experience. No one wants to look silly when beginning to train for a sport that they have little experience in, therefore, incorporate the following tips and avoid looking like a novice swimmer.

1. Never Train in a Jammer: No legitimate male swimmer would ever train in a jammer. A brief or a drag suit are the only acceptable suits to wear while training. Females should wear a tight fitting one piece training suit.

2. Don't Wear Foam Goggles: Old school foam goggles scream beginner. Only Swedish goggles or the new composite goggles with polycarbonate are acceptable. If Swedish goggles hurt your eye socket any of the polycarbonate goggles should feel more comfortable (I prefer View goggles). Give them a few days, your eye sockets will adjust and you'll look like a pro.

3. Use Equipment (properly): Kickboards, pull buoys, paddles, fins, snorkels are all great training aids to use in order to improve strength, speed or an area of weakness. There are hundreds of videos on YouTube showing you how to properly use the equipment. If you decide to use equipment buy your own and keep them in a mesh swim bag.

4. Circle Swim: Many novice swimmers either swim right down the middle of the lane or split the lane while training. Always circle swim unless you have the lane to yourself. Circle swimming means you are always on the right side of the lane.

5. Don't Static Stretch: Static stretching is the act of elongating a muscle and holding it for a specified period of time. Static stretching should never be done prior to a workout; it has been proven to decrease performance. If you want to gain flexibility do some dynamic warm-up exercises prior to a workout and static stretching after your workout is over.

Of course, the Speedo swimsuit remains a classic. Young men, who swear that wearing one of these skimpy little bathing suits gets them undivided female attention, prefer Speedo styles. For those men who are not quite ready for the bare-all Speedo style and yet do not like the bulkiness of the board short or jammers, there is always the basic pair of short swimming trunks, which are not quite as revealing as Speedo but have a similar support system. Boxer swimming trunks are quite popular with the older or conservative set.

Judging by the diversity of prints available in swimwear, designers predict that it is going to be a 'print year' again next season. There is no particular print that is in vogue, though, as patterns are ranging from the Brazilian and Polynesian to the Retro, Floral and Pop Art look.

Swimwear For Men

Swimwear is an enormous industry and thousands of swimwear makers are offering the market a wide array of options. Nonetheless, the swimwear market seems to favor women more since there are only very few choices when it comes to men's swimwear.

Conventionally speaking, men are left with the popular brand Speedo for their swimwear, which leaves them with practically no choice at all. In the past, men were used to wearing briefs whenever they went to the sea and the swimming pool. The more daring men years chose to wear thongs and g-strings. G-strings are daring in a sense since they cover minimal part of the men's front and back while thongs are best described as "posing pouches."

Conservative men or not-so audacious men have preferred to wear what are called 'board shorts' since the 1980's. Wearing board shorts started in countries where surfing was popular. The surfers didn't want to have to take the time to change from street wear to swimwear nor did they want to have to keep track of any extra items of clothing that could be left behind or lost. Board shorts look like ordinary shorts as the leg length ranges from the mid-thigh to the knee cap. They typically have two front pockets and most have a back pocket, too. The difference between casual dress shorts and board shorts is the nylon mesh inside and the fabric used to make the shorts. Board shorts are typically nylon, like the inner mesh weave, and casual dress shorts are typically made from cotton or linen.

In the 1990's, an advancement in swimwear brought about the creation of Jammers by Speedo. This swimwear looks like spandex bicycle shorts and major brands that sell jammer swim shorts use a patented fabric from Speedo called 'endurance fabric'. This fabric is lighter than nylon and more water-resistant. Swimwear which are made to be water-resistant, have been worn customarily in contests. In competition, the water resistance quality of the swimwear is what separates athletes of equal strength and skill. When two swimmers of equal talent race, the swimmer that is more water-resistant will cross the winning line first because their suit created less drag against the water.

In 2000, there was the creation of another breakthrough swimwear that covers the whole body. This kind of swimwear, which is bodyskin in form, lessens drag when swimming but most swimmers still prefer to wear swimwear that is styled like shorts or briefs.

In the end, the choice of swimwear still lies on the man -- what his preference is when it comes to swimwear and his purpose for buying the swimwear. For men who want to go to the beach and get that perfect tan, briefs are the must-have swimwear. Those who want to show off their body go for g-strings and thongs. For the less daring men who love sports like surfing, board shorts are the way to go. Finally, for athletes, they have the choice between bodysuits, jammers, and can still rely on briefs.

Men's Bathing Suits

Buying the right size, style and material for bathing suits is important, especially if you are a professional swimmer. There is a wide range of men's bathing suits to choose from, so it takes a little time to figure out the right type of bathing suit. Here are a few guidelines that may be able to help you decide what type of bathing suit would match your style and needs.

Before measuring yourself, don't forget to remove all your outer clothing. Stand in front of the mirror and make sure the measuring tape is not twisted. The tape should be secure but not too tight. Since the size of most men's bathing suits is based on waist measurement, you need to get this right. In order to do this, bend to one side to find your natural waistline. Then while standing straight, measure your waistline just above the hipbone or about an inch below your natural waistline. This should verify the right waist size before buying a bathing suit.

Decide carefully what type of bathing suit would be appropriate for your needs. For example, if you're into some serious water sports like surfing, get some board shorts. If you can afford it, try to go for high-quality sanded polyester coated with water repellent. The board shorts should also have reinforced stitching along seams and stress points.

If you're a competitive swimmer, high-performance bathing suits, with blends of nylon or spandex, such as Speedos and tight-fitting briefs, maximize speed in the water and improve glide times. For training, buy your normal size, but for competitions, buy a bathing suit at least one size smaller than your training suit. Also make sure the suit is equipped with flat and locked stitches in order to prevent drag and skin chaffing in the groin.

Men's bathing suits, like women's, are also available in various styles, designs and types though options are generally uniform in comparison.

Speedo, actually a swimsuit brand name, may be the most popular bathing suit for men. The name is now used as a generic term for any briefs-style male swimsuit. Speedos can be identified by the V-shape feature in the front and form-fitting solid back, and are mostly made of Lycra or spandex composite. They are typically worn below the lower waist, and are secured by a drawstring and thin banding at the upper thighs.

Board shorts are basically half length pants but normally longer than briefs, shorts, or Speedos styles. They may also have a baggy appearance and typically extends to the knee area or a little above it. They are popular, but not exclusively, for water sports such as surfing and wakeboarding. Maybe that's why they are called board shorts. The skater punk fashion of the 1990s and 2000s has also immensely popularized these pants.

Jammers are normally worn by professional swimmers which enable them to gain speed advantages because of its Lycra or spandex composite. They extend from the mid-waist to the area above the knee and have more water resistance than other types of men's swimwear.

Briefs are normally meant for men's underwear but they can also be used for bathing suits too. The reason behind the popularity of briefs lies in their practicality, which offers an almost parallel degree of support from jockstraps. So, many people find it comfortable to swim with briefs as bathing suits.

With many bathing suits to choose from in the market, it's worth taking the time to find the right style and size for you; a little time spent choosing will give you a lot of good use and enjoyment from your new bathing suit.