Neoprene swim shorts, buoyancy shorts or cheat pants by swimmers who don’t have a pair for a swim session, are a must have swim accessory.

 Why Neoprene Swim Shorts?

For Open water swimming or pool swimming they have numerous advantages. Firstly as the name buoyancy shorts suggests, they create significant lift of the hips and help to improve body position which dramatically improves a swimmers hydrodynamics. For weaker swimmers or leg sinkers the additional buoyancy results in significant speed gains and the resulting improved efficiency allows you to swim further which is ideal for those looking to build fitness.  

 Swimming Technique

For swimmers who are not from a pool swimming back ground or naturally gifted at swimming, the extra buoyancy / hip lift created by neoprene swim shorts makes working on swimming technique dramatically easier. Volare buoyancy shorts can also be used to replace a pull buoy in training, allowing for a natural swim kick and tumble turn. Fluro yellow side panels improve visibility in the water and allow coaches to note hip rotation in pool training, making them ideal for technical feedback. 

 Open Water Swimming:

For open water swimmers the advantages include being able to keep up with strong swimmers, improved confidence in the water and enhanced body surfing ability. Many swimmers love the extra buoyancy of neoprene swim shorts and the knowledge that they can stop, adjust goggles or catch simply catch their breath without the fear of sinking. The fluro yellow side panels also improves a swimmers visibility and we would suggest always using a bright swim cap or neoprene swim cap

Triathletes:

Volare neoprene buoyancy shorts help to replicate the body position created when swimming in a triathlon wetsuit, without causing overheating in the pool. Like a wetsuit efficiency is improved and distance per stroke increased. Wetsuits generally don’t like chlorine so it’s a great way to protect your race suit and replicate the wetsuit feel you will have on race day. Especially in Australian and warmer climates swimming for an hour in a hot pool is not recommended and can potentially cause over heating issues.

Construction & Care:

Volare neoprene swim shorts are unique and constructed from 3mm Yamamoto Neoprene. Buoyancy is then further enhanced with additional 5mm frontal buoyancy panels.

Like any swim specific product that is constructed from smooth skin, avoid sharp objects, finger nails, sitting on rough surfaces and aggressively pulling your neoprene swim shorts up. To avoid issues simply pull the neoprene up between the pads of your fingers, a few cm at time or wear gloves.

Always wash your swim shorts in fresh water after swimming in chlorine and never leave your neoprene swim shorts in a hot car as they will melt. Dry in the shade and store.

October 12, 2020 — Anthony Cook