Becoming an Enthusiast 05: Jammers and Friends

[ReservedEnthusiast]

Part 1 of the 5th chapter of my story is here! Be sure to catch up by reading Becoming an Enthusiast 01-04 if you haven't already. Reminder: all events are true to life and not embellish or exaggerated in any way.

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Part 1: The Jammers

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Well, I’d done it. I’d worn a speedo in public…sort of…and I could keep my urges under control. But, I of course want to be able to get in and out of the pool without undressing and re-dressing, so after a summer- and autumn-long hiatus from swimming (thanks to travel and then an incredibly stressful fall at school, but that’s another story which I don’t need to share), I started to look for an affordable jammer to wear instead. It was just about halfway through sophomore year at uni and I was living in an apartment on campus with 3 other guys, so I had a room to myself to wear swimwear if I want and relax completely alone.

I decided to stick with Speedo because, again, Speedo and TYR were the only brands I know and I’m not a huge fan of TYR’s designs. After all, Speedo was tried and true so I knew I could trust it without having to consult other guys or friends for advice. I decided to go with the X Plaid Spliced Jammer in blue because (1) I LOVE blue and (2) the design down the side of the jammer looked super cool. It arrived and I began going to the pool again after a long break. I also invested in some mirrored Speedo goggles (I can sometimes suffer from crippling brand loyalty, if you haven't noticed) to wear because the clear (Speedo again) goggles I’d bought before were too bright to look through on a sunny day.

Here’s the suit from the front:



This time, I wore my suit straight from the locker room to the water. It was just tight enough to give me a similar sensation as the briefs, that precious combination of display, athleticism, and support. Though, with jammers you feel the comforting extra coverage. Consequently, a couple of weeks saw any reservations I had melt away. Pretty soon, I was confident enough to not just go straight to a lane but to go find a chaise lounge as well! I was still very conscious of how overweight I was, but I figured the dark-colored jammer offered enough cover and containment to walk on the pool deck even without a rash guard. I also found myself spending more time tanning by the pool after I swim because I am desperately white, like printer-paper white, underneath my clothes. (Don’t worry, I use sunscreen and I don’t spend too much time out there!)

That first jammer lasted from January until August. Yes, that’s a shockingly long time for a suit to last with regular use, but that’s because I wasn’t regularly using it until May or June. It was at the point where I could start seeing through the suit if I looked inside of it before putting it on. So, I decided to buy a new one before any accidental reveals à la Nathan Adrian happened. I'm sure you've seen the photos before, but here they are in case you haven't and are too lazy to go hunting them down:





Apparently, it happens to him on a regular basis. Anyway...

For my second jammer I had to settle for a Speedo Solid Jammer in navy because it was the only one in my size and my price range at the time. Unsurprisingly, I ended up returning it to Speedo almost instantly and buying the Rapid Splice Xtra Life Lycra Jammer in black/blue on Amazon instead; I couldn’t bear the oppressive simplicity of the styling of the solid jammer.

This is the suit:



This time, I asked my roommate for his opinion on how they fit, him being a former polo player as well. And good news: these jammers were the same size as my previous ones, but they were too loose! I’d lost weight! Woohoo! I’ve never been more happy to exchange an item of clothing.

I owe a lot to my jammers. You know, we criticize jammers for their modesty and difficulty to get on, myself included, but it helped me transition to having the confidence to wear a skintight swimsuit where others could see me. Them allowing me to reduce the blinding whiteness of my upper body also made me feel less self-conscious about taking my shirt off when I went to the beach with my housemates. They also helped me finally feel comfortable in my own skin…well, with the anonymity of the pool deck, anyway. Although, as I was about to find out, I wasn’t as alone at the pool as I’d hoped. Soon, friends started appearing left and right.

To be continued…

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Check back soon for part 2! As always, your comments, questions and general reactions are welcome via reply to this thread or private message.