PRACTICE GEAR 

CHECKLIST & GUIDE

  Competitive Suit

Required for meets, and great for practice too. The team suit is very durable and will survive YEARS of practices and meets without stretching or fading.  It's a good idea to have a backup suit too.  Swimmers are free to wear any suit in practice, but it's good to practice in the same gear you plan to race in.  If you aren't sure whether a suit is legal or not, check the Competitive suit section below. 


 Competitive Goggles (at least 2 pair) 

if you're not sure if yours are competitive goggles, then they are not.  Most kids' goggles won't work.  Check out Goggle Recommendations below, for specific models.   And check out the section on Leak-Proof-ing Goggles to make sure they fit well!


 Competitive Swim Cap (at least 2 purple) 

Great for workout, and required for meets.  Silicone and fairly robust.  Even boys with short hair wears a cap.  Even Adam Peaty with NO HAIR wears a cap!  Why?


  SHORT Training fins

Must be short fins!  Long fins allow bad kicking.  The  TYR Crossblade is great.  The Speedo Switchblade is essentially a twin.  The TYR  Stryker or Speedo Short Blade Training fin are also good options.    Fins can get pricey, but you can buy/sell them locally with OfferUp.  Be sure to buy short  swim fins.  Diving or snorkeling fins won't work.   If you fall between sizes, get the larger option.  Oversized fins can be kept on with a rubber band or hair tie around the foot. 


  TYR Jr Kickboard  or small kickboard


  TYR Jr Pull buoy  or small pull buoy


 FINIS Jr. Swimmers snorkel - Jr. snorkel is shorter and easier to ‘clear’, though more likely to take in water from the top.  


  Mesh Bag - keep gear together during practice!  Kids without mesh bags lose stuff often.  There is a LOT of stuff on deck during practice, and gear piles rarely stay together.  


  Towel & Parka / Robe / Fleece

clothing that you can put on quickly and easily after practice, in the short time allowed for dressing


  Water Bottle with water! 


  Swim Bag

any LARGE swim bag will do, but it needs to be large enough to hold swim gear (fins, kickboard, snorkel, pull buoy), towels, and dryland gear (mat, shoes).   Also needs to drain.  


  Dryland Clothes - appropriate for the weather, layered for warmth, no cotton!


  Shoes - fit for running, NO SANDALS FOR DRYLAND! 


  Yoga Mat - the thicker the better. 


 Jump Rope - any kind will do!


*PRO TIP:   Don't lose stuff - put your NAME on every side of every thing in LARGE CONTRASTING colors!

Gear Suppliers

Swim Outlet - The Amazon of swimming!  (100% piranha free, guaranteed) 

OfferUp - Need gear?  Need to get rid of gear?  This is a great, local, peer-to-peer marketplace.   Great for fins that no longer fit, or anything else.  

Gear FAQ

What is a Competitive Suit?  


In general:  A close-fitting suit without 'extras'.  Tight and smooth like sharkskin. 


Off limits:  shirts, baggy shorts, rash guards, pants, skirts, tech suits (for 12&u), transparent fabrics, anything 'indecent', sports tape, extra flotation, wetsuits, zippers, frills / folds / loose material, electric motors... 


The only exception to the rule is for a religious, medical or other significant reason.  Apply for an exemption well in advance of the meet.  Even so, it is still good to get tight-fitting shirts like sharkskin, sealskin, or dolphin skin.  Anything else is a drag.  


TEAM SUIT:  Required for meets, and great for practice too, most team suits are very durable and survive YEARS of practices and meets without stretching or fading.  It's a good idea to have a backup suit too.  Swimmers are free to wear any suit in practice, but it's good to practice in the gear you race in.

Why Wear a Cap?

How to Wear a Cap?

Goggle Hacks

Try these in order - these solutions are ordered easiest to hardest, most permanent to least permanent and least painful to most painful.  Those at the bottom are race-worthy only.  


Suction test:  The seal should be good enough to hold goggles on your eye without the strap, even with a good head shake.  

PRO TIP:  GOG-FOG PREVENTION  Are your goggles fogging up? - A drop of tear-free baby shampoo, like Johnson & Johnson is all you need!  Swish it around and rinse once, and you’ll be gog-fog free!   If you can’t afford $2 of baby shampoo, spit works too and is usually available... But slightly grosser.

Goggle Recommendations

* competition goggles are smaller than recreation goggles, so 'adult' models often work well for age group swimmers.     

If these goggles seem uncomfortable, they are far better than they were!  Back in 'my day' we mostly wore swedish goggles, with no gasket or cushion.  I still have dents in my skull, from cranking down the straps in races.  But we were glad to have them.  Before 1976, no one could wear goggles, they were illegal!

Technical difficulties?   More solutions to common problems:  

Goggle problems

12 Ways to put on a Cap

10 Hacks to enjoy workout more