Swimsuit longevity

Yes, some suits only last around 6 months and there is not much you can do about it.  

Buy a Speedo suit made from their Endurance fabric. They last for years because they are designed for chlorine pools.

My regular nylon/spandex only lasts around 3-4 months.  The Tyr Durafast and the Speedo endurance last much longer.  Those are the ones made from polyester.  I think dolfin uglies too are polyester.  

jami 

Polyester fabric wears f-o-r-e-v-e-r but the stitching may not (as I found out last year). 

How to tell?  Look at the labels, but also feel the fabric.  My experience is that the poly suits are coarser than lycra/nylon. 

As far as care, you're doing ok.  Rinse the suit after swimming (don't wring it if you can avoid it), and air dry.  Heat and liquid fabric softeners are bad for swimsuits and any of the moisture wicking workout materials. 

x2 Speedo Endurance, going on 2.5years.

Patsy

Where did you get a poly suit for $16?

I would get about one season out of my TYR lycra jammers, with thorough rinsing after every swim to get the chlorine out.

On the other hand my TYR poly suit has lasted two years.  As mentioned previously, poly isn't as comfortable as lycra, but not to the point where it's a problem.

Mark  

I bought a new pair of poly jammers in January and they still look brand new.  From my equipment tracker:

Speedo Endurance +1. I grabbed several and wish I didn't because the first one is lasting me FOREVER.

For cheap suits, try Marshalls or TJ Maxx. I have a bag full of suits I got for under $20 each including some Speedo Endurance ones. WIN!

Speedo Endurance X 3. I've had two for over a year now and they're still going strong; no other suits have lasted over six months. (I usually swim 3 X a week, sometimes more, about 8000m/week, pretty much year-round.)  If only they would make them in more interesting designs. I have all black, black with pink edging and dark blue with light blue edging, and I'll probably be wearing them for at least a few more years. ZZZZZZZZ.............

Darn it.  My regular speedo jammers last about 3 months at +- 3 hours a week in the pool.  Time to switch to the endurance I guess. 

Maybe *you* (or your body) should be what makes the suit "interesting!"   

But, yes...you'd better like whatever polyester suit you get because you'll wear it a long, long, time. 

Stores would MUCH rather you be the frequent lycra-buyer than the one-and-done polyester suit byer.

In the sports stores around here, you have to dig to actually find the few 100% poly suits they have on hand, whereas the lycra suits take up an entire wall. 

I train in Quiksilver board shorts that I've had since I was a teenager.  I'm 37 now.  I'm amazed at how well they've held up.

Arena Waternity suits work for me and my daughter (she does synchronized swimming and is in the pool at least 3x week). My suit has lasted over 2 years with 2-3 swim sessions/week - though it's now getting a bit stretched out.

It also seems to help to have two different ones that I alternate. I rince and hang dry after every swim. After 2 or 3 swims I throw them in a lingerie bag and into the washer on cold. Never been a problem.

I'm trying out a Funkita (Funky Trunks) suit now, too as they have great colors. Only had it for 2 months so don't know how it will hold up. But one of the local swim clubs uses them and say they last forever. We'll see.

Seems like a scam. Plenty of poly online, and I know my TYR size...so I think I'll order a Durafast suit!

I started buying  polyester late last year. I've had 3 suits that started breaking down within months of purchase. Some of those lycra suits are like over $50 dollars. I paid 45 for a Speedo Endurance and except for the fading of the stitching, it still looks brand new and its been almost a year.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Arena-Morax-FL-Competition-Swimsuit-Womens-Size-34-Black-Red-White-/390359851715?pt=US_CSA_WC_Swimwear&hash=item5ae342a2c3

I've bought 2 of these for only 13 bucks each. Not for large busted ladies though, there's definitely not enough support or coverage in that area.