It’s exciting times in our world of swimming at the moment. Not only is it 80 days today until the FINA World Championships in Barcelona, but we’re getting ready to launch some cool new swimwear this summer.
neroTX is now available in FINA approved colours – pink, blue and orange! You’ll be able to order those from June 2013 but we’ve had a few swimmers wearing the first samples at the Australian Swim Trials in Adelaide this week, there are a few about to break into the water for the first time in the UK next month and some heading to the US Masters in Indianapolis.
We’ve also refitted neroXII to make it even faster. Look out for nero14 this summer.
So with a bigger range of suits now available, we’ve put together this guide to race suits – which to chose, how put it on correctly, how to care for it. These tips are designed to help keep your suit swimming faster for longer, so we hope you find them helpful!
Which nero for which competition?
- neroTX – lightweight, fast, ultrasonic welding, great value for money, available in black, pink, blue and orange
- neroXII – advanced compression technology, ultrasonic welding, blueseventy’s top level suit as worn by Olympians
- nero14 – refitted and refined neroXII, top level suit just got faster, available summer 2014
We suggest you save your best, most expensive suits for your best, most important meets. The fabrics are highly technical and chlorine, which is effectively bleach, damages them. Wearing them for long periods of time also stretches them, and is uncomfortable for you, so here’s our race day suit tips:
- Put your suit on about half an hour before you race
- Always have a spare suit with you, just in case! And you may need a dry suit for finals anyway!
- Don’t wear your race suit for warm ups and swim downs – put your training suit on for these
- If you have two races that are very close together, keep the suit on but remember this isn’t ideal, and might stretch your suit.
- Girls, if you swim down between races wear a training suit over the top of your race suit, take the straps off your shoulders and roll the race suit down to the narrowest part of your waist. This will be more comfortable, and it will help to reduce the stress on the bonding and fabric.
- neroTX will dry more quickly between races as it’s a lighter weight fabric
- neroXII and nero14 are ideal for that one off race when you need to be at your absolute best!
Getting into your nero...
If it takes you less than 5 minutes to get into your suit, you are not wearing the right size. Race suits need to be worn very tight, like a second skin. If you wear the right size, it will also be virtually impossible to get into if the suit is wet, so make sure you dry your suit thoroughly between wears, but definitely not under a hand dryer!
- It will take you at least 5-10 minutes to get your nero on
- If you rush, you are more likely to damage your suit
- Take your time, work the suit up slowly from the bottom, pulling on the seams or double layered panels where possible, and don’t forget to cut your nails!
- Girls may find it helpful to have a friend to help them get the straps onto their shoulders.
Caring for your nero...
We know at the end of a competition you are completely exhausted, and rinsing out your suit doesn’t seem like a priority... but leaving your un-rinsed nero at the bottom of your swim bag will damage it. To keep your suit faster for longer, please take the suit off after your race and rinse it in cold water before it dries.
- Dry your nero flat, this will help keep it in shape for longer
- The next best way to dry your nero is hung upside down from the legs – this will prevent water gathering at the crutch and damaging the bonding in this area.
- Do not use a hand dryer to dry your suit between races, ever, please!
Suit care summary....
- Save your neroXII (or nero14) for your most important races
- Choose neroTX for meets where you have multiple races in a short period of time
- Don’t wear your nero for warm up or swim down
- Have two suits – you have a back up and a dry suit for finals
- Your nero should take between 5-20 minutes to put on
- Don’t rush putting on your nero - take your time, work the suit up from the bottom first and pull on the seams when possible
- Our suits are light so that they are FAST, so don’t use unnecessary force to get into your suit because this may damage it
- Rinse your nero in cold water after each race
- Dry your suit flat, or suspended by the legs – never use a hand dryer
With this simple guide, blueseventy hope to keep you swimming faster for longer!
