Are swim skirts/tankini top combos practical for swimming?
I have something very similar though the skirt part is probably a little longer and find it to be fine. I wouldn’t want to be swimming laps in it but for just screwing around in the pool it’s fine and would likewise probably be fine for a beginning swim lesson. I like that I’m much more comfortable lounging around in it than a more revealing suit though I am a little less fond of it when it’s fresh out of the pool and sticking to my thighs. As for the top, a tanktini shouldn’t be a problem at all.
You’ll be fine in that. You could go to swim lessons in jeans and a t-shirt if you wanted to. If you decide that you love swimming and can’t get enough of it, you may want to switch to a modest one-piece just because it’s easier to swim in, but you can swim in what you are suggesting and if you want to feel as comfortable as possible you should wear what you like. I’d also suggest, if you’re swimming in a chlorine pool, possibly investing in some decent goggles. You can go to a big place like Sports Authority and get totally decent goggles for $10-15. It’s a little easier for novice swimmers if they don’t have to worry about their eyes stinging or water getting in their eyes when they’re trying to float or whatever. If you’re doing beginning swim lessons you’ll do a lot of water familiarity stuff, learning to float, dog paddle and some basic strokes. If you’re afraid of the water, make sure your instructor knows that so that they can make sure they’re going at the right pace for you. H
I think you’ll be fine in a beginner’s swim course. If you like swimming and start to progress, you might want to think about a one-piece. My second-biggest problem with a tankini is that the material at the waist starts to ride up a bit and starts to annoy me. It shouldn’t be a problem at first, though.
I think since you’re an A cup, you’ll be fine. I have a tankini (also from Popina’s — highly recommend!!) and I swim in it but the material gets all floaty around my stomach which I find sometimes sort of odd feeling. However, I know the girls are covered and no one can see anyway so I don’t worry about it. I have boyshorts for the bottoms and they’re totally swimmable. For lap swimming, I have a one-piece sport suit from Dolphin and honestly, nobody looks at me. The tankini and boy shorts are really more for lounging pool side. I think it would be a good suit to get you started and then you’d get mileage out of it at the beach or near a pool or just running though the sprinklers! + 1 to the advice on getting goggles and letting the instructor know that you’re hesitant. I’ve just gotten in to swimming after a long time away and started out with a refresher lesson and the experience was great. Now I swim three times a week and feel fab! Good luck!
I’m an advanced swimmer, and I went swimming in the ocean in something pretty much identical a few weeks ago. No problemo. Once you get more comfortable, you can find out what’s comfortable for *you* to swim in. In the meantime, enjoy yourself and if you’ve got more fabric than the next girl, so be it. I actually don’t feel comfortable wearing my lap suit (your average generic Speedo. Except, it’s got skulls on it.) to the beach because they’re *not* form-fitting and I just look kind of… blobular. But I would never wear either of my beach suits (skirtish bottoms and halter top or same bottoms and tankini top) to the pool either. It’s all about context! And yes, get goggles. Try to avoid foam gaskets (which, y’know, are obvious and look like foam) and get some with rubber/silicone/whatever gaskets instead. Foam, like a sponge, gets saturated and starts leaking after a while – which doesn’t do shit for keeping water OUT of your eyes. I’ve got some fancy Speedo goggles that are pink and
