Tech Suit Information
Since September 1, 2020, USA Swimming’s restrictions on tech suits for swimmers 12 & under have been in effect. If you are considering this option as a competition suit for your swimmer, please familiarize yourself with the differences and refer to the USA Swimming lists for 12 & under approved suits using the link below.
USA Swimming 12 & Under Tech Suit Policy
Tech suits for 12 & under swimmers
- intended to be worn based on swimmer preference for suit style
- team suits remain black, Arena suits, even for 12 & under tech suits
- come at a much lower price point (than 13 & over tech suits), but slightly higher than regular team suits
- It’s your responsibility to make sure that they are 12 & under approved before purchasing and wearing for competitions
- They are an excellent way for female swimmers to get used to putting on a knee length suit before their first “big meet” wearing a 13 & over tech suit, which is MUCH harder to get on.
Tech suits for 13 & over swimmers
- They wear quicker than regular suits and are made to be much more fragile
- The typical life expectancy of a tech suit is a half-dozen races and cost well into the several hundred dollar price range.
Tech suits are not the answer to swimming fast. They act as a bonus to help with physical drag in the water, as well as mental edge. Scientifically they can reduce physical drag by up to 5% on elite level swimmers, but having proper technique, solid training, and efficiency in the water ALWAYS leads to time drops.
