Comparison of buoyancy, passive and net active drag forces between Fastskin™ and standard swimsuits

A cross-sectional comparison between the buoyancy, passive and net active drag force characteristics of full-length, Fastskin(TM) swimsuits with that of standard swimsuits was completed with nine Open National level swimmers (5 males and 4 females). Subjects were weighed in a hydrostatic tank and then towed via a mechanical winch on the surface and 0.4 in deep at 1.6, 2.2 and 2.8 m/s. The subjects performed a prone streamlined glide and maximum effort flutter kick at each towing velocity and depth. Hydrostatic weight differences between swimsuit types were not significant (p > 0.05. Fastskin(TM) passive drag values were significantly less than normal swimsuits during surface towing at 1.6 and 2.8 m/s; and at 0.4 in deep towing at 1.6, 2,2 and 2.8 m/s. Net active drag force values also were lower for the Fastskin(TM) suits when compared with those of normal swimsuits and a significant difference existed for surface towing at all three velocities of 1.6, 2.2 and 2.8 m/s. The full-length, Fastskin(TM) swimsuits created less total hydrodynamic resistance than normal swimsuits while providing no additional buoyancy benefits.