by
Olivier Poirier-Leroy
In this little guide we will cover everything including the history of the suit, what swimmers wear them, whether they are good for breaststrokers, and give an overview of the different types of Avictor racing suits for both men and women.
Let’s do this!
The Avictor series are elite competition and racing suits for swimmers produced by California-based TYR.
Launched in 2014 and worn by some of the top swimmers on the planet, including Ryan Lochte, Cody Miller, Leah Smith and Matt Grevers, these suits feature bright, hard-to-miss design with high-performance fabrics.
There are a couple different versions of the Avictor, including the Prelude and the newer Venom and they are made both as jammers and kneeskins.
Designed to make you look like a badass and swim like a greased-up lightning bolt, here’s what you need to know about the TYR Avictor racing suits.
The TYR Avictor tech suits are designed in New York and produced in California, making them distinctly American-made.
As far as high-performance suits go, the TYR Avictor includes some buzz-wordy features that has become typical of tech suits. Beyond the usual marketing jargon of terms like “hydrospheric technology” there are some things to really like about TYR’s racing suit.
Here’s a quick rundown of what the Avictor has to offer:
Speed Dry fabrication. Like most tech suits, the Avictor is supremely light and is water repellant. This means less resistance and drag in the pool (water gets wicked away and your suit doesn’t get water-logged).
Super Flex bonding. Suit makers are always looking for ways to make the suits faster. One of the ways they do this is by removing the stitching from the surface of the suit and instead of bonding the seams together.
Silicone linings to help you put on the suit. It’s common to see swimmers struggle for 25-30 minutes to get into their racing suit. When time isn’t a luxury, this can mean tugging and potentially ripping at the delicate fabric of the suit to get it on. The TYR Avictor suits come with durable silicone linings around the hips and legs for you to pull on.
Closer to true-to-size compared to other tech suits. One of the infuriating things about buying a racing suit is that a 30” racing suit doesn’t fit the same as a 30” training suit. This means we often have to guess on sizing down, with some suits requiring a 2-3 size jump. The TYR Avictor tech suits are sized “true to fit.” Now, this is a general rule, and bodies are unique in shape so make sure that you measure and reference TYR’s sizing guide before ordering. (Or better yet, head down to your local swim shop and try one on.)
Hydrospheric technology. The material causes water to surround the swimmer, causing a bubble effect.
Includes instructions for wear. The suit is a big investment. You don’t need me to tell you that. TYR includes a booklet with your suit that gives you instructions and tips for getting in and out of the suit in a way that will insure your suit is more durable and comfortable.
Goes up to a size 36. Because the suits are closer to true size they are sized accordingly, with men’s suits going up to a 36” waist. The Avictor is one of the very, very few technical suits that come in this size.
FINA Approved. The world governing body for our sport has given the stamp of approval to these suits to be worn in competition.
Suit composition: The TYR Avictor is made of 70% nylon and 30% lycra.
This is one of the most common questions I get regarding to tech suits.
The compression inherent with racing suits means there can be less wiggle room when it comes to rotating our hips externally (like when we are doing breaststroke kick). This is obviously problematic for not only breaststrokers, but swimmers competing in medley events.
The TYR Avictor ranks as one of the most effect tech suits for breaststroke, and I found that with my (admittedly not very good breaststroke kick) I could achieve a solid level of external hip rotation. World-class breaststroker also Lilly King rocks out the TYR series of kneeskins.
Olympic backstroke gold medalist Matt Grevers has become almost synonymous with the suit, having been rocking them since they came out. American breaststroker Cody Miller has talked about the Avictor being his favorite racing suit (he’s also sponsored by them) on his YouTube channel numerous times.
One of the biggest names in the sport, Ryan Lochte, also joined up with TYR in 2017. Other athletes include Olympians Tom Shields, Kelsi Worrell, and Leah Smith.
There are two versions of these suits for the fellas: the original Avictor (the Prelude) and the newer Venom.
Black/Black
Black/Blue
Multi-color
Red White Blue
Black/Black
Black/Grey
Black/Multi
Black/Blue
Just like with the fellas, TYR makes this suit in the Prelude and Venom editions for the ladies.
These kneeskins are some of the fastest on the planet and consistently rank in our “best of” lists.
Red/White/Blue
Black/Blue
Black/Multi
Grey/Red
Black/Black
Black/grey
Black/Blue
Red
Olivier Poirier-Leroy Olivier Poirier-Leroy is the founder of YourSwimLog.com. He is an author, former national level swimmer, two-time Olympic Trials qualifier, and swim coach.
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