Here is how we know that the Jaked01 and some other suits are significant aids to buoyancy and therefore enhance performance beyond natural capacity of swimmers. The below letter to FINA is the explanation of why those suits failed to make it on to the FINA approved suits list (and keep in mind that the buoyancy value applied to the April-May  round of suit testing is considerably weaker than that which is to be applied for the regime that will begin on January 1, 2010).

In a letter to FINA, Prof Jan-Anders Manson, of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, states:  

"During our testing procedures, we have observed a number of swimsuits which are constructed exclusively or predominantly from solid (non-textile fabrics) non-permeable material.

"While these swimsuits comply with the buoyancy value when tested in accordance with the defined procedure, we note that this kind of construction may cause significant air trapping effects when worn by the swimmers."

"We note that construction resulting in air trapping is in principle prohibited under your regulations.

"As measure to counteract those effects in the case of swimsuits which do not already include significant areas allowing air release, our recommendation would be to request modifications ensuring that air does not remain trapped. This is to ensure air release in particular from chest/abdomen area, lower back area and groin area.

"The measure could consist in applying areas of permeable material/regions (textile or hole perforation). If the measure consists in perforation, we suggest as recommendation: a minimum diameter of 2mm and a maximum distance between holes of 10mm."

So ends the letter.

For those who grasp at the word "may", it is used in this sense: "If you walk in the rain with your hood off, you may get wet hair". No-one is left in any doubt that hair would indeed get wet.

Prof Manson's letter makes something very clear: a ban on the use of non-permeable, non-textile fabrics of any kind is well overdue. It is among measures that must happen on January 1, 2010, if the sport of swimming is truly going to be able to say: we nailed it, let's get back to talking about the achievements of swimmers and coaches, nature and nurture. Let the swimmer swim, not surf.