I remember the first suit I wore here at UVAC. It was a mid range suit as far as expenses go and had a ribbed design. One day, all of a sudden, all the elastic in every rib let loose! I stood up and had a suit 3 sizes too big! I hid underneath the water until my fellow coach could bring a towel! Ahhh… to tell it now:)
From that point on, I started purchasing “Chlorine Resistant” suits. My favorite is the TYR Solid Twisted Bra Chlorine Resistant Controlfit One Piece Swimsuit (94% Polyester/6% Spandex), but many of my water aerobic friends are fond of the Penbrooke “Krinkle” Suits: 100% Polyester. They come in a variety of suit designs, lovely gem stone colors and last well. I have also had good success with Speedo “Endurance Suits” (their brand’s version of “Chlorine Resistant” 50% Polyester/50% PBT) .
I do see that companies like Lands’ End have started selling “Chlorine Resistant” suits, but I don’t have any first hand knowledge… I’m seeing they are called “Lycra Extra Life Spandex…” maybe someone could share their experience?
Classic suits that you may find at brand name stores (usually Nylon/Spandex) are typically not chlorine resistant. They are often more glamorous beachwear, but not really designed for pool swimming…
Please note: Not all Speedo or TYR suits are “Chlorine Resistant” and sometimes the suit is chlorine resistant, but not the lining. I’m going to encourage good label reading here… Please also note that Lycra, and Elastane, are more prone to stretching… (unfortunately, you should reconsider the centrifugal force of the suit spinners for these suits).
I believe our friends down at StateLine Sports carry TYR, Speedo and Penbrooke brands. And of course you can always try Google 🙂
Manufactures usually say rinse in cool water, dry flat. I used to rinse my suits all the time, but I couldn’t prove it made that much difference, so stopped bothering. But rinsing with cool water may be to your advantage. I do always air-dry my suits. I have found that body oils are the key factor to suit degradation. Rinsing off prior to putting a suit on would be ideal, but we all know how hard it is to put a suit on a wet body! If you can stand a cooler shower, then that would be the second best choice, and definitely better than a hot shower…
I hope this helps address some of your questions. Please feel free to send me your comments!
Happy Swimming, ~ Karen, UVAC Swim School Director