Swimsuit recycling?

[FindingMyInnerFish]

Hi folk--

Just replaced my fading into oblivion speedo with a new model and got to thinking about the retired suits that I keep around--sometimes to double up... for modesty and drag/resistance. But some after a while even become useless in that capacity. While there doesn't seem much you can do with the totally worn to a frazzle suits, I do kind of wonder if there's any way to salvage/re-use them for something--not even necessarily swimming... although a quilt full of faded squares probably doesn't cut it. Still, maybe some of you have made some sort of creative use of unwearable suits?

Just one of those things a person thinks about instead of having a life... ;)

[Peter Cruise]

If you're into sailing, you could use them to signal extreme distress...

[aquageek]

You could probably sell them as bandages, slings and tourniquets to all those people posting on the injury blog thread.

[FindingMyInnerFish]

Used to do some sailing, George, but not lately... tho maybe if I get into trouble during an open water swim, I could wave one...

but aquageek, I like your idea, in that it has some profit potential! :)

[craiglll@yahoo.com]

Frequently, by the time I give up a suit, there isn't enough there to even worry about. Soem of the older women who do aqua dance /exercise classes use the same suit for years. One lady has practically no suit on yesterday, it was very thin and faded. I've often thought about telling them then I wonder how they woudl feel about this information coming from a man.

[aquageek]

Originally posted by craiglll@yahoo.com
Soem of the older women who do aqua dance /exercise classes use the same suit for years.

That's because floating on a noodle does not tend to put a lot of stress on the fabric.

[MichiganHusker]

Geek, you are in rare form today. I like your sense of humor!

[geochuck]

Originally posted by FindingMyInnerFish
Used to do some sailing, George, but not lately... tho maybe if I get into trouble during an open water swim, I could wave one...

but aquageek, I like your idea, in that it has some profit potential! :) Are you calling Peter - George???

[FindingMyInnerFish]

Originally posted by geochuck
Are you calling Peter - George???

oops, sorry! a little caffeine deprived this a.m. and was only seeing the maple leaf--and you guys both have the maple leaf icons! Note to self: check username. <blush>

Back to "swimsuit issue" (and not the Sports Illustrated variety, altho past swimsuits of mine probably got immodest enough to qualify for the SI swimsuit issue...but I digress...)....

This was quite a few years back in my "pre-masters' workout/just swimming laps when I had running injuries" days. I was doing a perfectly fine little lap swim at my local h.s. pool. Upon finishing and returning to the locker room, I was taken aside by a woman finishing around the same time. "I can see right through that suit, as if you have nothing on," she told me. I COULD not go swimming again until I'd bought another suit! Also realized that white suits, even those with cool looking stripes on one side, were a bad idea. (Might be why the suit was marked down in the first place....)

I learned after that to be watchful... although still sometimes stretched a suit's life a little too long... fortunately, I also discovered that it was perfectly okay to wear two suits and that in fact Real Swimmers often did so.

Today I wore my new suit to practice and my times were mysteriously much faster than they had been... could it be the new suit? If so, I'll get a dozen of the same kind! ;) Or maybe just the fact that in the past several days, I was doubling up and today felt deliciously light in my single suit! Or that I was sharing the beginners' lane w/ three others--newcomers, but all faster... usually I'm alone or with only one other swimmer.

[msgrupp]

in time when I "start" a new suit. Late last year I was wearing a suit that I had been wearing for a good 9 months. While the inner lining appeared to be OK and still fit, the outer shell was a bit loose. I put on a new suit, same size, same cut (different color?) and my times dropped immediately.

Maybe it was the compression factor or the fact that I wasn't dragging part of the pool along with me?

[nkfrench]

I'll confirm both on the new suit time drops. I can get 10 seconds per 100m LC. It's nice not snagging handpaddles on the billowing mess, either.

[geochuck]

How many suits do you actually use and have. I have 2 that I wear all of the time. I always have 2 brand new in reserve and about 20 in storage, (some in tatters with memories) of which could be used a few more times. I have a friend who has 21 he wears a different color and design every time he swims over 3 weeks. He gives them away to Mexican kids when he gets to Mexico and starts all over again.