Swimming
Flow measurement gives Olympic swimmers the edge
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One of the secret weapons of the US assault on the pool in Beijing is a high-tech flow measurement technique developed at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute which aims to help athletes gain that critical few extra milliseconds by providing state-of-the-art analysis of how much energy the swimmers exert and how their body affects the water. Read More
iRobot expands pool cleaning range
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iRobot is known to consumers as the creator of all types of home helpers, from the gutter cleaning Looj to the floor scrubbing Scooba. The company has now expanded its iRobot Verro Pool Cleaning Robot line to include two new models, the Verro 100 and 500. Read More
Aquatic audio: Natalie Coughlin Signature Series iSH2 waterproof headset
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April 13, 2008 We've written before about H2O Audio's waterproof iPod accessories that let you pump out some good adrenaline tunes while you push through your swimming workout. Now, as America, China and Australia prepare to do battle for aquatic world supremacy in Beijing, the company has teamed with U.S. backstroke world record holder Natalie Coughlin to produce the iSH2 - an integrated waterproof case and headset for the iPod shuffle that works up to 10 feet (3m) under water. Read More
Aquatic Fitness Systems' advanced swim spas
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March 11, 2008 Aquatic Fitness Systems has taken a multi-faceted approach to the low impact benefits of training in the water by incorporating walking, running, stretching, rowing and strength training functionality into its line of luxury swim spas.
Extreme swimming pools: the biggest and deepest dips on the planet
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February 28, 2008 Looking to beat the heat this summer by installing your own swimming pool? We thought we would give you a taste of what you almost certainly can't have when designing your dream backyard aquatic paradise. Firstly, there's the world's largest pool with an area equivalent to an incredible 6,000 standard-size 26 ft long domestic pools located at the San Alfonso Del Mar resort in Chile, and, going to the other extreme, there's Belgium's amazing 100 foot deep, 660,000 gallon (and heated!) Nemo33 dive pool. Read More
Beijing’s Olympic Aquatic Centre: the eye-catching, eco-friendly Water Cube
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February 6, 2008 Construction work on the Beijing National Aquatic Center began in December 2003 in preparation for the 2008 Olympics and four years later, a stunning piece of architecture has been completed. The “Water Cube” is a rectangular-shaped steel building covered by a membrane of brightly lit blue bubbles which is incredible to look at but it is also important on an environmental level. The Water Cube consists of 100,000 sq m of ETFE, (Ethylene Tetrafluoroethylene) a unique transparent plastic which absorbs solar radiation and reduces thermal loss. This is the first time EFTE has been used in China and it is the world’s largest and most complex EFTE building ever constructed. Read More
Convertible flippers eliminate duck waddle
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September 20, 2007 We’ve written before about high-tech swim fins designed to be as efficient as possible in the water – but the problem remains that they’re very awkward and restrictive on land. That’s why we can instantly see the value of these convertible fins from Omega Aquatics that fold up out of the way to allow full mobility out of the water and click down with your first kick once you’re in the water. Read More
Asymmetric fishtail flippers promote a more natural kicking motion for swimmers
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July 24, 2007 The idea of attaching fish-like fins to the body to propel us more efficiently through the water occurred to many early inventors, including Leonardo da Vinci, but it wasn’t until the early 1940s that flippers came into actual use – in this case, for the US Navy’s underwater demolition teams. Since then, they’ve become popular around the world for skin diving, snorkeling and swimming training. Look at the tails of fast fish, however, and you’ll notice that none of them sport a flat-edged tail – and it’s this observation that has driven Italian swim fin specialists Salvas to develop a new asymmetric fin design to get maximal kicking power out of a swimmer while promoting a more natural kicking motion than many standard fins. Read More
