Swimsuit vs Bikini: Choosing Optimal Water Sports Clothing

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Finally, summer has arrived, which makes it the ideal time for exciting water sports. Having the right swimsuit that perfectly fits your body and stays in place is a must whether you want to go wakeboarding, surfing, swimming, or rafting.

However, you might be wondering which one is more suitable for water sports, and let’s explore more about choosing a swimsuit vs bikini.

Be it for paddleboarding or diving deep into the water, a swimsuit is a way to go if you want to wear something that stays in place and provides more coverage. Sporty swimsuits can maintain stability even in risky athletic situations. That being said, it all comes down to your preferences and what you feel comfortable wearing.

Overall, the optimal active swimwear between swimsuits and bikinis will always depend on a few factors.

No matter how cute one looks, it depends on how active you will be, what kind of support you want, and how much flesh you want to expose.

If you are still confused, keep reading to find out which one is the better active swimwear between them!

Lady in swimwear matched next to a lady in a bikini to show the differences between the two swimsuit styles

Everything To Consider When Choosing Your Outfit For Water Sports

If water sports activities are your favorite kind of entertainment, you probably have questions about which attire is best for them.

After all, it would be best to have the appropriate outfit for your excursion.

Whether you’re going to the beach, a lake near you, or a river, you should wear clothing that keeps you warm and is somewhat flexible to help you feel comfortable in the water.

So what are the factors you should consider when choosing your outfit for your favorite water activities? I list them below to help you have an easier time selecting the best attire:

1. Pick A Swimsuit That Fits Your Sport

The type of swimsuit you choose will depend heavily on your movements and the amount of sun exposure you may experience!

Make sure to shield your skin from the dangerous UV rays and the sun whenever you go outside. 

Overall, one-piece swimsuits are the best choice for any water activity! You can choose a one-piece swimsuit, a top with crisscross straps, or a racerback.

The straps will ensure the suit stays in place if you spend a lot of time ducking under waves. 

2. Decide How Much Coverage You Will Need And Where

If the activity involves a lot of exposure to the sun, you will not want to go out in skimpy swimwear like bikinis! With so much skin out in the sun, it’s the ideal recipe for getting a terrible sunburn! 

A full-coverage swimsuit would work best for such activities. However, you may also put on board shorts or a rashguard over your sports bikinis for low-impact activities like snorkeling or sunbathing. 

3. Try To Settle On A Comfortable Look

You want to concentrate more on your water sport without having to readjust your tops or bottoms constantly.

Imagine having to continually adjust your attire when all you’re trying to do is enjoy your activities or concentrate on giving it all! On top of it all, nothing can be worse if your top suddenly falls into the water! 

Indeed, we all want to avoid this situation when having fun with others while rafting, water-skiing, or surfing! Unfortunately, skimpy swimwear like bikinis always seems to come with this risk.

One-piece swimsuits might be the ideal choice for most water sports. Always try it on and move around as much as possible to ensure

What Are The Differences Between A Swimsuit And A Bikini?

The main difference between them is in the number of pieces each has and the way they are worn and tied. We commonly use the term “Swimsuits” to refer to a form-fitting one-piece. However, there are two separate pieces to a bikini, the top and the bottom. 

Other than this key difference, there are a few more differences between the two swimwear. Exactly how different is a swimsuit from a bikini? Let’s take a look: 

What is a Swimsuit?

The term “Swimsuit” refers to garments made specifically for use in the water.

It is typically a one-piece garment and the optimal clothing choice for recreational swimming, scuba diving, surfing, or in the sun when sunbathing.

Sports like scuba diving, water skiing, wakeboarding, and surfing may require wearing a wetsuit. But you can still participate while wearing only a swimsuit.

You can also wear swimsuits to flaunt your physical characteristics in bodybuilding or beauty pageants. Modern swimsuits come in many different styles. They mainly vary depending on how much of the body they cover and their materials. 

The swimsuit you choose may depend on the community’s standards of modesty, the latest trends, and your tastes.

The event will also affect the choice. For example, whether you want to wear it for a relaxing sunbathing or an active one like surfing or a swimsuit contest.

What is a Bikini?

Typically, a bikini is a two-piece swimwear for women. The top consists of two triangle fabrics that act as a bra and cover a woman’s breasts.

The bottom piece consists of two triangle fabrics covering the pelvis and buttocks while exposing the navel. 

The size of the bottom and top pieces can vary. They can range from completely covering the wearer’s breasts, buttocks, and pelvis to highly revealing designs.

These swimwears are best if you plan to get a beach tan, show off your curves at the beach, or for maximum comfort.

These aren’t the ideal choice if you plan to be active for obvious reasons like the top falling off. 

Swimsuit vs Bikini: Which One Has Better Advantages For Water Sports Activities?

So far, we have gone over everything you should consider before choosing swimwear. We also looked at the differences between a swimsuit and a bikini. After considering everything, it’s easy to see that swimsuit wins by a landslide against bikinis regarding water sports attire!

Let’s go over the advantages swimsuits have over bikinis in terms of water sports activities: 

1. Prefer More or Less Coverage

In comparison to a bikini, a swimsuit offers much more coverage. Most of the skin on your body will be protected from the sun when you wear a swimsuit, but your exposed skin will be at risk in a bikini.

There will be less need for sun protection products and less chance of sunburn. 

You should also take modesty into account. When you’re busy having fun with water sports activities, none of us want to get unwanted attention from men.

So you might want to dress modestly in swimsuits and cover up places you wish to. Bikinis can feel too revealing, especially when trying to be active.  

Hiding your so-called flaws in your physical appearance is another perk of dressing modestly. Do you feel like you’re overly fat or underweight? Do you want to keep people from questioning you about scars or a medical condition?

Perhaps you’ve recently gotten a tattoo and don’t want to show it off. A swimsuit is better at hiding it all than a bikini.

2. Prefer More Freedom Of Movement

One disadvantage of two-piece bikinis is that they don’t keep you as covered as a one-piece swimsuit.

You may experience such humiliating events as the top coming off or, heaven forbid, the bottom coming off. The possibility of losing a piece is always present, even if it never happens.

In addition, you may find that you have to readjust your bra regularly even if your two-piece swimsuit manages to remain put.

Bikini wearers who exclusively go to the beach will experience fewer wardrobe malfunctions. But after you enter the water, especially if you’re active, there’s a high risk of embarrassing situations. 

The swimsuit prevents this problem by covering up a significant portion of your body. One-pieces provide you with much more freedom and flexibility compared to a bikini.

Therefore, you should avoid wearing a bikini when engaging in water sports.

3. Easier To Find More Higher-Quality Swimsuits

Most one-piece swimsuits use high-quality spandex or polyester. The materials are durable without being heavy during swimming.

Because they are resistant to water, it absorbs less moisture and dries quicker when exposed to air.

But it’s not that easy to find high-quality bikinis. High-impact activities call for higher-quality swimwear.

Thus, it’s best to go for swimsuits over bikinis if you want more fun and thrilling time during your water-based endeavors. 

Final Thoughts on Choosing a Swimsuit vs Bikini

Summer’s already here, and it’s time to get your perfect attire out for a fun time doing water sports with others. But a major dilemma over swimsuit vs bikini, which one is better for such endeavors, may arise. 

Here, I explore why swimsuits win by a landslide against bikinis for water sports! I hope you now know which one you should buy and wear. Thanks for reading till now!