Aquapel

Aquapel is a technical racing swimsuit designed by Tyr. It has a unique creation process which gives it a high-speed design, turbulence reduction and advanced compression biochemics. The suit fits snuggly and uniformly across all parts of the body. The suit also sports strangely placed seams, that together make-up what TYR calls hydro-dynamic flow panels. These flow panels have been specially designed to reduce turbulence, and aid in the smooth control of water flow. The price range for this type of suits is roughly $55 for a racer to $220 for a bodyskin.

Construction

Aquapel is constructed of a unique Lycra blend. Then it is passed through a series of rollers which flattening the material, while still maintaining the materials original strength and recovery ability. Then it is heated, which sears the material giving it its unique shiny finish. A hydrophobic solution is the applied to the finished material to reduce the chlorine and water absorption of the fabric. Combined all of these applications help the suit reduce drag and micro-turbulence, while advancing the hydrodynamic principles of the suit.

Performance

The suits have been seen at the 2000 Olympics, but their popularity was far lower than that of their competitions, the Speedo Fastskin.

References