Australia's women beach volleyball team have threatened to ignore the sport's bikini-style dress code at the Olympics.

Regulations, implemented by the sport's governing body (FIVB), state that women must wear two piece bikinis with low cut tops at the front and back, and bottoms no wider than 6cm at the sides.

Men, in comparison, are required to wear shorts not longer than 20cm above the knee.

The sport's governing body in Australia - Volleyball Australia - recently relaxed the dress code to virtually whatever style the players desired at the national championships.

Former Volleyball Australia chief and promoter of the Manly Beach event, Craig Carracher, said the FIVB rules were not suited to Australian beach culture.

"There is a fine line between promotions and exploitation and in this country we see no need to adopt the FIVB rules," Carracher said.

"We have determined that free choice is as much part of the tradition of the sport of beach volleyball as it is the culture of the beach."

Australian number one, Natalie Cook, said there would be a push to extend the new look - which includes shorts, one-piece suits or even leggings in cooler weather - to international competitions including the Olympics.

"We're a little bit worried about the nine o'clock game in September in Sydney, it will be a little bit cold," Cook said.

"We're going to make sure that the Australian Olympic team have tights for us in Olympic colours in case we win the fight (to change international rules)."

Lee Zahner, who shared the men's No.1 seeding with Julian Prosser at the Australian Open, wore regulation shorts during the preliminary rounds of the competition before reverting to longer shorts.

"Everyone comes to the beach now wearing board shorts and I think that's what people expect," Zahner said.

"That's what we're comfortable in, and I don't see why we shouldn't play in what we're comfortable in."