| This | 1. Gear |
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Gear
Swimming requires some special equipment besides
a decent pool.
The very basics include:
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A suit
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A cap for long hair
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Goggles
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and a towel.
Other handy items would be:
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A good shampoo and conditioner (look for the Ultraswim or Tri-Swim brand, and for cruelty-free products (Yay!), look to the column on the right, under "Recommendations")
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A bottle of alcohol and white wine vinegar (50/50) solution to dry out leftover water from your ear canal, preventing the "swimmers ear" that some people develop after being in the water. Dribble the solution into the ear canal (intact eardrums only, please) with a rubber baby ear syringe and leave in for a full 5 minutes
- Silicone ear plugs (Mack's brand is good) and
- Rubber sandals for shower and poolside.
Containers near a pool or shower should be plastic.
Suits
Suits are often made of a combination of Lycra Spandex and nylon. These suits eventually fall apart from continual wearings in chlorine pools. I usually replace mine every 4 months or so since I swim 3 or more times a week.
Some suits are made of 100% polyester, which lasts longer than spandex. These and suits made from other specially-treated fabrics, plus certain special washes for your suit, will help it last longer. See the sidebar on the right for specific solutions for longer-lasting suits.
Keep your Lycra suit longer by:
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Rinsing in the shower before entering pool, to saturate the fabric with fresh water
- Rinsing the suit in cool water after swimming, by not wringing it out (just squeeze the water out instead) and hanging it to dry as soon as possible. A crumpled, soggy Lycra suit can fall apart before your eyes.
Caps
Caps come in either rubber, silicone rubber or Lycra spandex. If you really want to protect your hair from chlorine, bear in mind that rubber or silicone are effective barriers. Silicone is thicker and makes the best seal round your head. Porous Lycra caps keep your hair contained but will eventually fall apart, the same as a suit.
Hairdressers recommend putting conditioner on your hair under your rubber cap for protection while you swim. Every pool has rules regarding the use of caps, as you'll find out as you arrange for lessons.
Goggles
Goggles are a highly individual matter. Most important, the goggles need to fit your face, between your brow ridge and your cheekbone. They come in different styles depending on your face shape. Oversized mask-like goggles can offer lots of visibility and might help you relax.
Some goggle tips:
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If your nose has a high bridge, for example, try goggles with an adjustable bridge. Feel for the goggle's seal near the nosepiece
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High cheekbones need a narrow and oval, not round, shape
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Smaller faces might be comfortable with a Junior size
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Goggles come with either foam or silicone rubber "gaskets" or seals attached, which help keep water from leaking in. Be aware of allergies you may have to certain foams. You can also choose goggles without gaskets ("Swedes") if you prefer. But usually only competitive swimmers wear them. Whenever I wear them, they leak. But maybe that's just me
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Some students prefer the comfort of an oversized or wide-angle style goggle with a clear lens for maximum visibility in the water. Oversized, mask-like goggles require the most attention to fit around your cheekbones, the eye and the bridge of your nose
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Try the suction of the goggle on your face before you use it out underwater. Without undo force, press and hold the goggles over your eyes. If you feel poor suction, if the goggles don't stay in place for a few seconds before falling off, you have a poor seal. Try a different style. Don't torture your skin looking for the tightest fit. Unless you want to. (Silicone gaskets seal the best)
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Goggles can be ground as prescription lenses. Ask any optometrist who makes glasses. Speedo also offers an optical goggle. Contact their customer service about this at (888) 477-3336.
The strap fits tightest at the upper back-of-your-head. Most new swimmers have to try on different styles before being satisfied with the fit. Unfortunately, unless you can try out a friend's pair while you're at the pool or a store pair, you'll have to buy your goggles first before checking the fit.
Many swimmers use (their) spit (rub into each eyepiece, then quickly dunk into the pool to rinse a bit) to keep them defogged.
Swim gear can be found at the following or at your local sports store:
- Speedo A biggie with everything you need, from suits to goggles to kickboards
- The Finals Mail order and now online. Great prices
- Kiefer All gear, online and in retail stores
- Junonia For the active woman size 14 and up. Look for Juno's Closet, their outlet store with a daily special
- Seal Oversized goggles for a wide view.
Try them on for the fit before you buy.
updated 11/23/08
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| Recommendations |
| iPod housings You'll find something to keep almost any kind of iPod dry at h2OAudio. Waterproof your 2nd generation iPod shuffle! Visit Swimman to learn more. I haven't tried it yet myself, but I just found it online: the Freestyle Audio Fusion DMP MP3 Player sold by Razor Reef. Miscellaneous gear Cyle Sage, head swim coach at St. Leo University in Florida, specializes in the developmental swimmer and has experience in working with those with extreme fear of the water. He recommends the following gear, all from Swim Your Best: "Goggles — Finis' line of goggles provide exceptional fit and eye socket comfort, UV protection and wide field of vision. Their snorkel-type swim masks fit and look like a snorkel mask. I find that people with a fear of the open water are calmed by a goggle that fits a larger portion of the face compared to a smaller goggle. "I have had a lot of success with the front-mounted snorkel in teaching people to learn the proper freestyle pull pattern, as they are able to swim with their face in the water and not worry about the breathing timing with the stroke cycle. "A swimmer with a fear of water will keep his/her face and head out of the water, causing the hips and legs to sink, struggling and essentially swimming " uphill." I have also found that the 'shaky' swimmer and new swimmer really benefit from learning how to swim, keeping the face in the water with the snorkel first, then transferring that learned stroke to swimming without the snorkel, lastly adding the breath timing. "The SWIMP3 gives one music; I feel this is one way to get a 'shaky' or nonswimmer into the water, as they can take their music with them. "The Z2 Zoomer fins also help a novice swimmer with their body position and correct kicking technique." Thanks, Cyl. Swim fins are used as learning and training aids by swimmers of all levels. The style varies but the idea is the same — correct kicking is maintained by wearing fins for part of your workout. TYR makes a split fin, which balances the resistance of both the "up" and the "down" portion of the kick, allowing smoother forward propulsion. TYR also makes a swim mask for new swimmers. Protect your skin and hair from chlorine Find Ultra Swim shampoo/conditioner, Tri-Swim shampoo/conditioner, Aquia shampoo/conditioner and lots of other gear at http://www.swim2000.com or call (800) 214-6823. Organic and/or cruelty-free chlorine protection for your skin and hair
Extend the life of your swimsuit or find a chlorine-resistant one H2O Wear makes suits out of "Chloroguard." Rinse in the shower before entering pool to saturate the fabric with fresh water. Pop suits into the washing machine; there's a 1-year prorated warranty. Use Solmar Suit Saver to rinse your suit and remove residual chlorine. Find everything at http://www.h20wear.com or Try Aqua-Gear's rinse-free wash called "Activewear Mate" to neutralize chlorine in your suit. Treat your suit after each swim with a capful of this rinse, found at For larger-sized swimmers, Junonia makes an all-polyester suit, their most popular ever, called the Chloroban suit. Find it at http://www.junonia.com or call (800) 586-6642 (JUNONIA). The Finals (my brand of choice!) has an affordable polyester-blend Endurotech suit. Find it at http://www.thefinals.com or call (800) 345-3485. The people at Kiefer offer a wide selection of nylon and polyester suits, including their own Kiefer nylon brand, plus others' Fluento polyester suits. Visit http://www.kiefer.com Speedo makes a polyester training suit for women and a nylon suit for men; find them at http://www.swim2000.com or call (800) 214-6823. |
Keep your Lycra swimsuit longer...
Rinse it in the shower while wearing it to open and saturate its fibers with fresh water.
Rinse it again in cool water after swimming, and hang to dry without stretching it.
Suits first fall apart on areas of the body where the fabric doesn't fit snugly. Without your skin as a natural barrier, chlorinated pool water flows easily back and forth through the fabric.
For a longer-lasting suit, get the best possible fit.
