FINA-Approved Swimwear from Sharks Swim Shop

Sharks Swim shop stocks a wide range of FINA-approved swimwear including brands such as Speedo, Arena, FINIS, Maru and more.  But what is FINA-approved swimwear and what does it mean for competitive swimmers?

Essentially, it's a seal of approval from British swimming governing body that the race suit is legal for any FINA-affiliated competition. You will know if the swimwear is FINA-approved by its distinctive black and white tick logo.

To becomew the swimwear must meet strict regulations which are in place to make sure human performance and athletic ability is not outshone by swimsuit technology.

The issue of swimsuit technology came to light during the 2009 World Swimming Championships which was full body suits were used to incredible effect resulting in records being broken all over the place!  Even though the records stood, FINA banned these swim suits after the championships and continually review what is acceptable in line with the rules ever since.

Key Areas of FINA-Approved Swimwear

In essence, when it comes to approving competitive swimwear, FINA usually takes into account design, material and construction.  There are however different rules for swimsuits worn in the pool and open water swimming and those which apply to wetsuits.

For swimming pool competitions, FINA-approved racing swimsuits must not extend below the knee. Men’s swimsuits must not extend above the navel, while a women's suit should not cover the neck or extend past the shoulders.  For open water swimming events, suits must not cover the neck, extend past the shoulder or extend below the ankle.

What’s more, before approving a competition swimsuit, FINA will also take into account decency levels. The rules state that the swimsuit "shall not offend morality and good taste" which applies specifically the cut of the suit and the exposure of body parts.

Men's swimsuits must be one-piece, however women's suits are permitted as one or two-piece providing the above decency criteria is met.

FINA-Approved Materials

The FINA regulations stipulate that only 'textile fabrics' can be used in the manufacture of racing swimsuits. Some materials can be added to the surface of a race suit providing they don't close the overall open mesh structure of the textile fabric.

Any treated materials must also comply with the regulations in terms of  thickness, permeability and flexibility. Surface treatment rules do not apply to permitted seams, markings or labels.

Total material thickness must not exceed 0.8mm and racing swimsuits must not have a buoyancy effect above 0.5 mm; and all materials used must have a permeability value of more than 80 l/m2/second.

Zippers or any other fastening systems are forbidden and seams must be limited to functional systems and must not create outside shapes.

Our Most Popular FINA-Approved Swimsuits

We have a huge selection of FINA-approved competition swimsuits in stock at Sharks Swim Shop.

So if you’re a competitive swimmer, you know that if you purchase a FINA-approved swimsuit from Sharks that you will be meeting all the required criteria to take part in your next race.

To find our more, call into our Shop on Sketty Cross in Swansea or call us today on the number below: