Interesting story Swimmboy.

At first I was amazed that anyone who has the confidence to sunbath in a speedo wouldn't also wear it for lap swimming but I guess it shows how perceptions of what's appropriate can change over time.

If like most young men today he has only ever seen jammers worn for competitive swimming he regards them as the appropriate choice for fitness swimming.

Much like a lady might wear a one piece for fitness swimming then choose a bikini for sunbathing.

Have you ever suggested he ditch the jammers and just use the speedo for both jobs?

High end competitive male swimmers now believe they can attain faster times in jammers than speedos.

Yes, guys prefer the jammers for racing in big meets. I asked a college swimmer several years ago about why jammers were so popular. He told me something interesting - he said the tight fabric around their thighs helps hold the muscles in place, and prevents the thigh muscles from jiggling around. Thus, their thigh muscles do not feel as tired and stressed during a race. Also, the fabric is supposed to be slicker than human skin, so the more of their skin that is covered, the faster they can go.

As for the guy I know who swims in jammers and sunbathes in brief Speedos - no, I haven't asked him why he doesn't just swim in Speedos, but I may ask him in the future. I'm just glad that he wears the brief suits on the pool deck and has a nice tan!

Interesting indeed about the reason for wearing jammer to assist with muscle compression, I suppose it's the same principle as compression shorts which I wear for running. Maybe I should get jammers......um.....nah!

Or maybe you should try very short running shorts for running!

Why not swim in a brief suit instead of jammers?
 

I finally asked the guy at the college pool why he wore jammers for swimming instead of the briefer suit. He told me he had grown up competing in jammers, so he feels more 'streamlined' in them. He also mentioned that his quad muscles don't hurt as much when he races in jammers.