Based on the decisions by FINA at its recently held FINA Bureau meeting in Bangkok, masters swimming will abide by the same swimsuit rules as their younger counterparts, both in the pool and open water.

So consistency appears to reign among swimmers across generations.

That is, masters swimmers in the pool will follow the new swimsuit rules that went into effect on January 1, 2010 and masters swimmers in the open water can use their same swimsuits that were approved for use in 2009 until June 1, 2010. But after June 1st 2010, swimsuits for both male and female masters swimmers cannot cover the neck, extend past the shoulder, nor shall extend below the ankle and must comply with the FINA Criteria for Materials and Approval Procedures.

While each national governing federation set their own policies and rules for domestic competitions, it is highly likely that FINA’s decisions will be influential around the world.

Of course, tradition reigns in the channel swimming world and a few select open water swims around the world, specifically in certain races in Australia and in the waters of New York City, where textile swimsuits with no buoyancy or heat retention benefits rule the waters.

Copyright © 2010 by World Open Water Swimming Association