Wear speedos in the pool because they help you swim faster, swim faster than the guys with dragging board shorts and listen to see if anyone is still being sarcastic. If you can outswim them and they are still talking rubbish then ignore them, they are unworthy.
If you can't outswim them then make improving and beating them your target. Beat them once and you'll always beat them.

Speedotime, my university rec center pool is pretty similar. There are quite a few guys who wear swim briefs and quite a few that wear boardshorts. Most people don't give a damn what you wear, but there are always a few self-righteous pricks.

Like Torchwatch said, wear them to help you swim faster and better than those guys. This is a lap pool, after all. Swimmers wear briefs at lap pools. So long as everything is reasonably covered, it's none of those guys' business what you wear to swim laps.

It seems to me like they are so bored with their lives that they can't help but freak out when they see a fit dude in speedos.

What do the self-righteous pricks do/say?

I've only received one bad comment in a lifetime wearing Speedos.

If you are going to the pool to swim laps, wearing a speedo makes sense. In fact, wearing board shorts to swim laps makes no sense since they create drag and make swimming harder and less efficient.

However, if you are going to the pool just to sit in the hot tub and sit in the steam room or sauna, I would wear board shorts myself.

Actually, board shorts don't make any sense for anything except sleeping during cold weather. Otherwise, they are excessive clothing and an annoyance.

Honestly, I have no problems wearing speedos to the pool, but the tough part is when it comes to the beach!

man up -- Wear Them

Wearing speedos in a pool while doing a hard swim session makes you a swimmer, but wearing speedos on the beach makes you a sun worshipper and into sensuality. This may be a bit too much in a heteronormatic environment where any display of male sensuality is frowned upon. We all have to survive in our own minds and our own communities.

Nich,

Do what works for you. If wearing speedos on the beach makes you uncomfortable, then don't do it. Perhaps you'll give it a try when you're ready, but only when you are ready.

D67

I think I don't wear Speedos at the beach because I never swim in the sea. Otherwise...

Though I'm thinking of taking part on the community dip in the sea next New Year's Day, so it definitely would be Speedos then.