I just picked up a Speedo Hydraline drag brief because it was on sale, bright orange, and I didn’t know better…
When should I use it? When should I not use it? Is there actually much difference this sort of brief vs a standard brief vs a pair of board shorts?
I think it was easier to feel when I’m not keeping my hips aligned, but I’m sure there is a placebo effect and some rust from not being in the pool for 2+ weeks.
I’ve never used that particular drag suit, but I wear my mesh drag suit every practice, with a second suit underneath it. It only comes off for meets.
Different drag suits have different effects, even ones that look like they should be the same. I have 2 drag suits, my old black one and my new lime green. Both are speedo mesh suits, but the green one is about 1 -2 secs per 100 slower than the black one. Both are nominally the same size, but the green is stretchier.
Board shorts would be a lot slower, but also are a lot more restrictive, and are annoying. board shorts are for the beach or the wading pool.
I’ve never used that particular drag suit, but I wear my mesh drag suit every practice, with a second suit underneath it. It only comes off for meets.
What is the point of a drag suit?
They last forever, even longer than speedo endurance suits, are comfy, and a little more modest than briefs.
I like the psychological boost that comes when you take off the drag suit for a meet.
They aren’t necessary at all, I never had one before this year. Will it actually make me faster, probably not directly. But, it does force you to work a little harder to keep up with / stay ahead of your lanemates in a squad setting.
I always use the speedo polymesh square leg, but for some ultra short sets I even put on the finis 4-pocket drag suit on top of that. Going to a jammer or brief feels (and is) much faster for me at the same effort level. However in my last swim meet I wore a brief and didn’t quite have the greatest walls (they came up too fast in the 100fr), maybe my timing with the faster suit was off idk.
I always use the speedo polymesh square leg, but for some ultra short sets I even put on the finis 4-pocket drag suit on top of that. Going to a jammer or brief feels (and is) much faster for me at the same effort level. However in my last swim meet I wore a brief and didn’t quite have the greatest walls (they came up too fast in the 100fr), maybe my timing with the faster suit was off idk.
The first time I swam in a pool in my wetsuit (I had four days between purchase and my first triathlon) I almost killed myself on the first wall, I had so much speed and glide going.
Ugh. I always hated the ones with pockets. Take them off though and you feel like you’re shaved and tapered in the middle of high volume training. I don’t need any equipment to make me feel slow anymore though.
They last forever, even longer than speedo endurance suits, are comfy, and a little more modest than briefs.
This.
I only had to replace my previous drag suit because I lost it. I am on my second drag suit since I left high school, though I have had to replace the draw string a few times. I wear a speedo underneath that I replace way less often than I should.
I always use the speedo polymesh square leg, but for some ultra short sets I even put on the finis 4-pocket drag suit on top of that. Going to a jammer or brief feels (and is) much faster for me at the same effort level. However in my last swim meet I wore a brief and didn’t quite have the greatest walls (they came up too fast in the 100fr), maybe my timing with the faster suit was off idk.
I wear one most of the time. Tight enough I one need one suit but the mesh gives a little bit of drag say 1-1.5/100.