The 1.5 inch swim brief

[PSDave]

Can't see the big difference between 2 inches and 1.5 inches. I have my own pool so don't go to local public pools but whenever I travel I have a one inch side suit I wear. The only comment I ever got was from the bartender that said it was good to see a guy in a skimpy suit that actually had the body to wear one. He said it was usually guys that were out of shape or wore a suit so tight it looked like sausage casing

[Bede735]

You don't see a 1.5 inch suit in competitive divers, for example, so you're conscious you're wearing less than standard. But when you're in the water you don't really notice the difference. Well not much, anyway.

[PSDave]

Originally Posted by Bede735

You don't see a 1.5 inch suit in competitive divers, for example, so you're conscious you're wearing less than standard. But when you're in the water you don't really notice the difference. Well not much, anyway.

For years the divers wore a suit that was extremely tight with about 6 inch sides made out of a strong spandex. The though being that they would stay in place when they dove. At the same time the swimmers were in nylon and about 3-4 inch sides. It was the 1972 Olympics in Munich when Mark Spitz showed up in the now famous stars and tripe suit that designs and patterns really emerged. In the Los Angeles Olympics when Greg Louganis wore the regular 2-3 inch speedo that the diver really got in on the color and design band wagon in a skimpier suit. I am sure that the size of the speedo now depends on either the team preferences or that of the diver. I am guessing that the suit is way down the list on important things a diver thinks about when perfecting his diving.

[Swimmer]

I wear Turbo, TyR and Sporti with 2" sides to my Y and high school pools and have no problems. I also just bought a 1.5" Aussiebum Classic nylon suit (on sale). Love the feel of the nylon and can't wait to have it on the beach on Lake MI (once the ice melts!)

[Dooley67]

Welcome to the board swimmer. I hope you enjoy the conversations and contribute as often as you want. Incidentally, I also just ordered an AB 1.5 classic and am eager to try it out at the Y where I swim. I also don't expect any problems since I've been wearing 2" suits as long as I've been swimming there.

Dooley67

[Bede735]

Originally Posted by PSDave

For years the divers wore a suit that was extremely tight with about 6 inch sides made out of a strong spandex. The though being that they would stay in place when they dove. At the same time the swimmers were in nylon and about 3-4 inch sides. It was the 1972 Olympics in Munich when Mark Spitz showed up in the now famous stars and tripe suit that designs and patterns really emerged. In the Los Angeles Olympics when Greg Louganis wore the regular 2-3 inch speedo that the diver really got in on the color and design band wagon in a skimpier suit. I am sure that the size of the speedo now depends on either the team preferences or that of the diver. I am guessing that the suit is way down the list on important things a diver thinks about when perfecting his diving.

That reminds me a bit of this photograph:
tumblr_n16js0DYif1slely1o1_500.jpg

Does that mean competitive swimmers and divers, when they're in training, prefer really brief suits?

[PSDave]

Originally Posted by Bede735

That reminds me a bit of this photograph:
Attachment 417

Does that mean competitive swimmers and divers, when they're in training, prefer really brief suits?

I used to know a swimmer that competed in the Olympics. Their favorite practice suits were any suit that was given to them by a swimsuit company and that fit. He preferred a suit briefer than his competition suit so that the tan line would be smaller than the suit and not show a white line. That was the only comment he made about practice suits (other than offering me a couple cuz he had so many)

[Minimalist75]

I heard that the Speedo Solar was made so competitive swimmers and divers could tan in something smaller than they would wear in competition but still covered enough to be legal anywhere. Has anyone else heard this?

[Tsturbo]

I wear 1.5 to 2" while on holiday in the Caribbean with pride

[PSDave]

Originally Posted by Minimalist75

I heard that the Speedo Solar was made so competitive swimmers and divers could tan in something smaller than they would wear in competition but still covered enough to be legal anywhere. Has anyone else heard this?

That is really a wild story. First, while divers often wear a regular speedo for practice and then a diving suit during competition, there was no suit created for just such a purpose. It was probably a matter of economics since the regular speedos were considerably less money than the competition suits.(Diving suits used to be much larger than swimming suits and a very thick spandex type material. They were designed to remain in place when the diver entered the water) Legal?? According to all the conversations on this board through the years there is no place that a speedo is illegal -- no matter what the side measures -- and to my knowledge, no diver has worn a thong when diving - practice or competitive.
The Solar was a natural progression in size when the suits went from 5" to 3" etc. as the briefer suits gained popularity. Actually, the US franchise of Speedo made a 1.5 inch all nylon suit long before the current lycra suits gained popularity.