Most of the time, the backyard pool is something to clean, stare at and occasionally throw buckets of money at to repair.

So why not use it?

In many Sunbelt states a pool is standard equipment for many backyards and we tend to take them for granted. So last week, with the kid home from school, I decided I'd take the plunge with him instead of watching from the sidelines.

I jumped into the pool and quickly realized that I was wearing the wrong suit. The two-piece "jogkini" (fitted waist-length top and boxer-style shorts), is fine for hanging around the beach or the pool but not good for jumping in and swimming. Too many air pockets made me look like a Macy's balloon.

I swam some laps, did some underwater handstands, paddled on a float and jogged across the pool a bunch of times.

But I'm on the prowl for a SWIMsuit. And thanks to Biggest Loser season 7 contestant Laura Denoux, I found a great place. Over on Twitter, she tweeted about a photo shoot she was doing for SwimsuitsForAll.com, so I surfed over and was really impressed with the selection and the prices. (What's up with the price of women's swimsuits anyway? Guys can get a pair of swim trunks for $10 and women can't find a decent suit for under $50 most of the time.)

At right is an example of a suit from Swimsuits For All that's great for serious swimming but still looks cute. It's from Longitude and it's $49. It  has a sexy mesh top and the neckline is high enough for diving in without things going all kablooey. I noticed that certain styles are very limited in size (this one's only available in sizes 18 and 20), so you have to move quickly.

And if you have issues with your thigh area (yikes, who doesn't?) just get a breezy sarong to wrap around your waist when you get out of the pool. They have them in black, brown and navy for a measly $12.