Microstructures and aerodynamics of commercial swimsuits

In competitive swimming, every moment is important and counted. Professional swimmers attempt to utilize every possibly legal means to enhance their performance. Using modern swimsuits, swimmers endeavor to reduce hydrodynamic drag thereby get competitive advantage. However, the hydrodynamic contribution of the swimsuits is not well studied and fully understood. The primary objective of this work is to the study aero/hydrodynamic behavior of a range of commercial swimsuits. Both aero/hydrodynamic and microscopic measurements were undertaken. The analyzed data indicate that the swimsuit surface structure has significant effect on aero/hydrodynamic properties especially on drag.