$ for embroidery? cheap swim tech suits?

[pocomom]

My girls are doing really well this year with swimming, but unfortunately it means we have meet fees and travel expenses (two nights in a hotel coming up) and now they need tech suits which run hundreds of dollars, yikes! I already told my 8 year old she can't have a tech suit because she is 8 and growing and won't be able to wear it next season, but I feel bad she'll look different from everyone else, we just don't have the option right now especially knowing she won't wear it again. My 12 year old should be able to fit in it next year, as she is just about done growing, and she will have a few more meets this season that it will work at, plus they are supposed to help with times ...so I am trying to swing it. Does anyone know any sites that we might be able to find a good one cheap other than swimoutlet?

Additionally, they really need a backpack big enough to hold their sweats etc, because 2 of their expensive team sweatshirts have gone missing at meets. Just about everyone on the team has these embroidered speedo backpacks and I just priced out 2 of them for $123.98 where everyone else got them. . They both want the bags enough that they are willing to chip in, but it is still a stretch for me , but if they had something big enough to throw their sweats in the first place maybe we wouldn't be down $100 in sweatshirts. So I found the bags unembroidered at almost 50% off at Swimoutlet.com $34.95 each and free shipping. Was thinking I might be able to take it somewhere to get them embroidered locally at a mall or something, but as I haven't done that before I was wondering what a ball park figure on that would be. It is simple, one name for each no fancy type or anything. Any ideas? Trying to figure out if it would be cheaper when I factor in driving, time and cost...

 

[uk_wildcat]

I had my son's swim bag embroidered with his first and last name and a picture and it was like $25, so I would think just for a name it shouldn't be much.
As for the tech suits - my son just stopped swimming after doing it for almost 4 years and he never had one. I wouldn't invest in it at that age because they grow so fast. My son started at age 8 in a 26 suit and when he quit at 11 he was in a 32. I had to buy new suits every few months to keep up with him. I only remember one girl on his team that had a tech suit, most wore the team suit which was just a Speedo brand suit with the team logo on it. Swimoutlet was really the best place I found online for suits and then sometimes at meets local shops would set up and I could find clearance suits there. The sport can get really expensive and I look back at how much we spent over the years and realize that it was crazy, especially now that he decided he no longer wants to do it.

 

[DisneyRunner2009]

This is where I shop. Here is a link to their bags. They do embroidery too.

https://www.all-americanaquatics.com/BrowsePage.aspx?searchtype=navitem&NavItemID=1000014

I, too, wouldn't buy tech suits for your girls. First of all, you usually go down a few sizes with those suits. My DD, 16, normally wears a 30/32, depending on brand, took a 26 in her knee suit. So it's best to try them on. You want it tight. Second, those high end suits only last about six swims. That would last about one Friday-Sunday meet. As someone at All American told me, "Those suits self implode once they hit chlorine."