Speedo Quality Decline

[Endurance Lad]

Hi all, my name is Mike from Melbourne Australia. This is the first time I have posted on the revised speedo fantasy board (I used to post under the name Ozimica before changing that to Endurance Lad, based on my preference for the Speedo Endurance Brief). Some may recall. Some may not. Many won't care

I ventured out to a local shopping centre/mall that had recently been revamped to include some new department stores, one of which being called David Jones (the first one in my area). David Jones would be considered a premium end department store.

While there today I picked up a new hoodie/jersey for around the home as we head into the southern winter and I picked up a new Speedo Endurance brief. Being a premium department store I felt uneasy about trying a brief on and purchased based on my knowledge of my size, 16/34. Alas after paying $50.00 ($52USD) I come home and tried on my new brief and discovered it to be too big which was very disappointing (as you would well imagine). While I have a few Speedos in good condition there really is only one I feel comfortable swimming in.

One thing I learned

After assessing my small pile of briefs I have assessed that the narrower the hip-rise the larger the brief is in my collection. While a wider hip proved I owned a brief one size smaller (I never noticed this before).

On to topic

It was the QUALITY I was really disappointed with much more than me buying a size too big. This link is similar to the brief I boutght http://s.wiggle.co.uk/images/speedo-...941-ps-med.jpg

As I rummaged through my surviving collection, dating back to 2001, of Speedos made under the Endurance fabric style it was clear this latest purchase was just not the same fabric. Even indeed I compared to a brief I "rescued" from the change rooms (Ascot Vale) of a similar variety. The fabric just proves to be thinner. Much more light comes through (and this is a black brief). Finally the fabric has noticeably more give when you pull (stretch) at it.

Has anybody else noticed this?

If so has anybody found a happy alternative to the Speedo Endurance brief?

I might now try buying a skimpier one from the UK where "old faithful
came from. Australia proves to be a dumping ground for inferior imports of late. Case in point a $100 business shirt isn't anything like it used to be. Because of this I have finally been spurred the courage to begin buying clothing online ... If I have to buy crap products I am NOT paying through the nose for the privilege.

Any thoughts or input would be truly welcomed.

Mike
(Endurance Lad)

PS: My tag reference to Endurance Lad has nothing to do with the story of the Endurance Swimmer from STS which was a truly wonderful and well written piece.

[louis]

Ouf that was a long tread and lots to answer to.
I will never the less briefely respond, I also have bene dissapointed after purchasing speedo endurance suits, one reason is to start with I prefered by far just the ordinary speedo brand without the endurance added, I found that the endurance were made bigger then and didnt correspond to the sz. ordered
(the equivalent to sz. 34 in Australian sizes.
I found that they have a terndency to strech a lot anyway I winded up with ta suit that was way to big mfor me that I floated in.
Anyway from now on I will buy any speedo brand without the endurance word added to speedo.
I purchase a lot of suits from Australia (different brands and it seemed to me that in general Australians make them bigger then suits from elswere in the world, that doesnt correspond with american and uk (etc) sizes anyway.
You might compare them with japanese suits that are made very small witch does that if purchased theres a big chance that you wont even to slip it on, except that Oz suits are to big.
Another thing, wene you looke at pics of australians with suiits on they seem to be rather loose,(perhaps thats the way australian guys prefer them.
Perhaps it vwould be best that when one purchases suits from Australi it would be best to buy sizes smaller.Buying suits were it doesnt matter , one must be careful to notice if they are nylon and expect them to be smaller then lycra suits nylon do not strech wene lycra suits do.
I understand your frustration its very dissapointing to notice that suits purchased dont fit ether to small or to big and most firms dont exchange them for sanitary reasons.
Its very delicate to purchase suits on the internet some company smake them ether smaller or bigger then the sizes specified.
the best way is to buy them at local stores and try them on, of course one must notice the material on the material they are made with.To put it all in a nutshell one must be very carefull wene purchasing suits and exam all options possible.the next time I buy suits from Australia I will order a sz smallle aND SEE THE RESULTS HOPING THAT THEY WILL FIT BETTER.
BTW YOU ARE ON THE DOORSTEPS OF WINTER WE ARE JUST ABOUT TO ENTER OUR SPEEDO SEASON. mY APOLOGIES FOR MY ENGLISH AND MISSPELLINGS I AM FROMTHE PROVINCE OF QUEBEC CANADA WITCH IS A FRANCOPHONE PROVINCE. LANGUAGES PREVAIL IN SUCH CASES.

[Torchwatch]

Speedo Endurance use a low stretch fabric, stretch fabrics lose their stretch so a low stretch fabric will last longer. They have made your new suit from a thinner more stretchy fabric from the same pattern size as your old pair and therefore it feels too loose. To make a medium suit in stretch lycra and in non stretch nylon different patterns should be used to fit the same swimmer. Speedo in changing the fabric they are using have neglected this.

It would be interesting to take a look at the label and see what country they were made in, perhaps it is not Australia. They seem to have used the right pattern and the wrong fabric and still stamped it will the Endurance logo. it may even be fake goods.

[epicinspeedo]

I have had wonderful results form my TYR Durafast suit. I got it as a grab bag suit, as the sides seemed smaller than Speedo, plus the pattern was neat. This was a year and about 50 trips to the pool ago. The suit fits as it did on the first day. It is less stretchy, more nylon, not as much spandex. The emblem is embroidered, so it stays put as well. My speedo screen prints come off within 10 trips to the pool.

I own several speedo suits, and I would highly recommend he TYR durafast suits!

[shaulis]

I own both speedo and tyr suits. I use them the same amount but I will have to replace my beloved pair of speedos because of fabric stretch.

[SwimTeamSpeedo]

I have had some Speedos that seem to last forever... some not. Tyr for me is the least longevity suit, but for some of the fashion oriented that just don't hold up at all.

[JamesSwim]

Originally Posted by epicinspeedo

I have had wonderful results form my TYR Durafast suit. I got it as a grab bag suit, as the sides seemed smaller than Speedo, plus the pattern was neat. This was a year and about 50 trips to the pool ago. The suit fits as it did on the first day. It is less stretchy, more nylon, not as much spandex. The emblem is embroidered, so it stays put as well. My speedo screen prints come off within 10 trips to the pool.

I own several speedo suits, and I would highly recommend he TYR durafast suits!

I noticed there are two types of Durafast suits. Regular training Durafast which is all polyester / PBT and a Durafast Elite competition suit that is made of polyester and lycra.

http://www.tyr.com/shop/mens/swimwea...ing-suits.html
http://www.tyr.com/shop/mens/swimwea...-swimsuit.html

[Torchwatch]

China's recent industrial revolution occurred with a poorly trained workforce and no tradition of quality control either for incoming raw materials or for the production process itself. The emphasis was upon mass production, not on quality and Chinese products had a reputation for failure.

Japan who had an industrial revolution in the 1950's went through the same process, making unreliable and odd motorbikes and cars until they started getting things right in the 1960's when their transistor based electronics burst forth upon the world.

When Japanese customers buy from China they demand proper quality standards, so Japanese labelled Chinese made goods are of high quality; while the rest of the world buying on price alone get what they deserve and face the consequences of substandard goods.

I spent last summer rebuilding Chinese made shower screens, there were design, manufacturing and assembly faults that had to be corrected. There was no feedback through the manufacturing process so the same mistakes were repeated over several orders and production runs.

If you must get Chinese made goods get those intended for the Japanese market rather than for Europe or America. As the customer services departments get tired of complaints for shoddily made goods the Chinese quality standards will gradually rise but so will their prices, allowing goods to be made elsewhere in the world.