12 & Under Tech Suit Rule Changes at SwimOutlet.com (2024)

FAQs

Are tech suits allowed for 12 and under? ›

No Technical Suits may be worn by any 12-Under USA Swimming athlete member in competition at any Sanctioned, Approved or Observed meet. A Technical Suit is one that has the following components: Any male or female suit with any bonded or taped seams is defined as a technical suit regardless of its fabric or silhouette.

Longevity. Unfortunately, all that compression comes at a price. Tech suits are recommended to last between 10 and 12 swim meets, give or take.

12 & Under. Compliant Tech Suits. Any suit that does not have the FINA logo on it is approved for 12 & Under use. A knit fabric suit with sewn seams can extend to the knees and is not considered a technical suit.

There are a handful of suits in the market with the FINA logo that would be considered legal for Age Group competition. These suits will bear an additional green checkmark logo developed by USA Swimming to indicate approval (the two versions are to the right).

While basic suits are excellent for training, their material often doesn't offer the same level of compression or drag reduction. Consequently, tech suits can significantly enhance performance during competitions, thanks to their hydrophobic (water-repelling) materials, seamless construction, and body-hugging fit.

The study found that, on average, swim performance improved by 3.2% when swimmers wore a tech suit as opposed to a regular training suit. Additionally, the study found that tech suits can reduce drag by 4.4% to 6.2% and reduce the amount of energy needed for swimming by 4.5% to 5.5%.

So why are tech suits so expensive, then? Tech suits are expensive because of lengthy development processes, taking years, including testing with Olympic-caliber swimmers and laboratory research (Speedo consults with NASA to help design more hydrodynamic suits).

Cut your nails. Long sharp nails can easily tear and fray fabric, (not to mention leaving some accidental gashes in your crowded warmup lane mates). Short nails allow you to pull on your suit efficiently without the risk of tearing or snagging the material.

Because the playing season overlaps the new year, the “U number” refers to the age that a player will turn after December 31st of the current season. For example, if your daughter or son is born in 2005 and is 11 years old at the start of the 2016-2017, they will play in the U12 age group.

The evolution of equipment, like aluminum bats in baseball or putters in golf, has often been met with regulatory responses. In swimming, the ban on tech suits for young swimmers reflects an effort to maintain a balance between accessibility, cost, and competitive integrity.

Why do tech suits have QR codes? ›

A FINA approved tech suit will have a small square on the suit, typically on the back side, with what looks like a QR code. At higher level meets, if the FINA stamp is not on the suit, they will not be allowed to wear that suit for competition. For your 12 and under athletes, a FINA sticker will prove the opposite.

If you ask me: There is no set age limit for wearing a suit, but it's generally advised that you don't start dressing up in formal wear until you are at least 18 years old. This is because suits can be tricky to fit and may not look their best on young or petite adults.

The Olympics now calls those games "a moment when technology went too far." In a June post, the Olympics explained that the "super-suits" made of polyurethane or other non-textile materials were banned because they were seen to provide a greater advantage to larger athletes.

The When. When we choose to wear these suits should be between you and your coach. As stated above - a special suit stops being special when it is used often. A mid-season taper meet, a last chance qualifier, or your end of season championship meet are the perfect times to wear your tech suit.

Research has shown that compressed muscles perform more efficiently. Since most of these suits relax with wear, it is best to size down to a very tight fit to allow the swimmer to wear the suit as many times as possible.