Ball issues for swimmers

[petrus]

I credit this thread to discussions with a friend and fellow swimmer sympathetic to the problem.

Male ballet dancers wear a dance belt. When slipping it on they scoop their scrotum upwards to lie on top of the shaft with a ball on each side. The belt holds it in this position. It’s the same position the junk would be if one were hanging upside-down. As a result dancers can crouch, leap, turn and kick without the legs hitting their balls and knocking them out.

The only swimsuits we know that do the same are Funky Trunks. We both wear their Classic Trunks that have “stitched front pouch for added room and double lining for support”. They come with instructions on how to put them on:
“Once around hips, Funky Trunks should sit snug around the crutch. To create the snug fit, stretch the leg of your Funky Trunks down around the thigh, place hand on family jewels and pull up while paying your respects to the late King of Pop. Funky Trunks will move into position to hold the boys comfortably and provide a relaxed appearance on your body. If your Funky Trunks are stretched too tight, then you need to size up!”

The suits hold you in this position for an entire training session. With regular Speedos no matter how you’re positioned at the start after a few laps it can be anywhere. As a result it’s essential to adjust before climbing out the pool.

For us Funky Trunks mean greater flexibility in tumble-turns: In the somersault, legs can tuck high up to your body to form a tight ball without your balls getting in the way. The tight crouch allows a strong kick-off from the wall. It’s such a logical position.

With the balls pulled up like this the bulge is not the same shape as in a regular suit but then the highly patterned Funky Trunk suits camouflage the shape to all but those who know what to look for. The prominent bulge is less in your face than with plain black Speedos. It makes them more appealing to teenagers in the club who are less secure about sporting a bulge in public.

We add that we have no financial links to Funky Trunks. It strikes us as strange that more suits have not followed their lead.

We’re interesting to know what other guys think.

[Frog]

Well you are right about Funky trunks, but I can position the bulge the same way with other brands. I just have to pull up everything when the suit is on.
The only thing is to not have space at the bottom of the suit, between the legs. The suit must be against the skin between the legs...
And I must say that when I exit the water everything stays in place due to the temperature :D

[BikenSwim]

I have thick thighs from bicycle riding, and they chafe against pouch suits. I prefer very narrow-side low-rise suits that don't cut across my stomach, so I can't point up either. Luckily I like the squeeze of flat-front suits, from AQUX, Mategear, or Arena Japan that have no pouch or bulge. I have tried dance belts, but the fabric is too thick and the sides are too wide. Slingshot Gaff thongs are my favorites. If the ocean water is cold, my balls just slide up inside me, I like having nothing hanging down between my legs, and I can wear the smallest suit on the beach.

[niftynev]

I have only tried on funky trunks at the store, and found them uncomfortable, so didn't purchase. Maybe without the required underwear while trying them on, the instructions would have worked to make it comfortable. I agree that bags of material in the crotch area are to be avoided. I often modify swimwear that I have bought in order to remove the excess material that some brands seem to have in this area. For example I recently bought a Cockatoo brief at Aussiebum's 50% off sale, even though I could see that there was no shape to it (I couldn't go past the pattern). A bit of judicious sewing and snipping later and it fits properly. Aussiebum Ultra fits me fine without modification.

[BikenSwim]

I have some Arena Women's Rule Breaker Free and Women's Rule Breaker Real suits. Most of the Amazon reviews are from men. These are flat front and wide enough for men, but tight and tiny like Arena Japan men's suits. I like the squeeze, but now I find they are more comfortable if I lift everything and point up like you suggest for the Funky Trunks. The suit is fully lined and flat so it holds everything up and out of the way of my muscular thighs, especially if I downsize to L. The patterned suit is size L, the pink one is size XL.

[Fairfax]

While I don't doubt the "stitched front pouch" of the trunks works as intended I think the reason it hasn't gained wider popularity is because of limited demand.
A proper fitting (meaning snug) brief should provide enough support for active swimming.
That has certainly been my experience over the years. I have found a brief with 5cm or less sides makes a nice v shape providing support for my package.
Most guys who want support just go and wear a brief.
While I don't doubt younger boys with there "speedo issues" would go for it that may be the extent of the market.
Their website certainly gives the impression that the intended market is boys who are involved in water sports.
Good luck to them and I hope the idea works anything that gets boys to try tighter swimwear is fine by me