optical goggles.+4 strength.
the joy of being able to see the clock at 25m is lovely.
also good for peeking around underwater!

Waterproof iPod!!!!!!! And, of course, a bathing suit

I am fine swimming with nothing but my suit, but I have a few little toys and gadgets that have either helped or made it more interesting.

I really like the finis forearm fulcrums, they were cheap and the first time I wore them I could see an improvement in each of my strokes. I only wear them for a lap or so, and share them so they were really worth it. Not something I need everytime, but a good refresher and they were wonderful to help explain strokes to a first time swimmer.

Another Finis thing was the Positive Drive Fins, they are shaped in a way you can use them for all strokes including breaststroke. Not many fins work with breakstroke, and I can really feel the extra effort in my butt after swimming with them. Also it's nice to go a bit faster with breaststroke on days where I feel like I'm barely moving. I use these fairly often, but try to swim without fins for some of the laps so I don't get totally used to them.

I just use speedo vanquisher goggles, they were really affordable and my husband got the optic version for the same price. They just work, nothing special but nothing to complain about.

When my goggles do fog I use Jaws Quick Spit Antifog Spray, I do a spray on each side and wash them with cold water and they are fine for several more sessions. I don't know if it's the best or anything, it's all I've tried but it seems to work well enough. I've heard licking your goggles will help but I don't want to do that.

My husband just learned to swim this year so he uses a snorkel with some stokes, he said it's nice because it helps him focus on the technique without panicking for breath. He uses a Finis Swimmer's Snorkel. I've tried it but I'm so accustomed to blowing air out the second my face enters the water that I just can't get used to a snorkel, I can't keep a nose clip on without blowing it off mid lap so I will stick to coming up for air. I thought I would mention it because it seems to serve him well.

I like using a kickboard sometimes to do a lap or two of kick drills just to mix it up. I just use one of the boards at the gym that doesn't have bite marks on it. I may pick up my own at some point but it's not really important.

I wear my Polar FT4, so I can keep track of my time and heart rate but I will be ditching it for a swim watch at some point so I can let it count my laps for me. It's really accurate and affordable for a HRM, so if you are wanting to keep track of calories while swimming it's a cheaper option than most of the swim watches.

We both have a UwaterG5 Mp3 player, it's so tiny and lightweight that it clips to our goggle strap and we can't really feel it while swimming. It's got an 8 hour playtime and only takes a few minutes to charge. It's go a much better storage space than we could ever use and it was pretty affordable so we aren't worried about breaking it like we would if we used a waterproof ipod. Bonus, when I wear it the headphones keep water out of my ears and it really cuts down on ambient pool noise like kids screaming and the loud drying fans. If you've never swam with music you are missing out! There are many different styles of MP3 players, some use bone induction so you don't even wear headphones but I am sticking with this one.

I wear a THT swim cap, it's some random off brand on amazon. I like that it covers my ears, it's easier to keep chlorine off my hair and to keep my headphones in. I have really long hair and it stays mostly dry when I stick it in a bun. I still wash it right afterword, I have tried two of the chlorine removing shampoos and can't really tell a difference so I won't recommend one over another. Triswim also makes a body wash, and it works so well that I can smell chlorine on a tiny spot on my arm when I've missed a spot. I don't know that it works any better than normal soap though really.

I can't speak for men, but for ladies it's so worth getting a good quality swim suit. I used to just swim in whatever suit I had picked up on sale but I got a chlorine resistant suit from speedo a few months back and don't think I could wear a normal suit again. At first it was like swimming in a corset with all the reinforced panels and stitching but once I got used to it I really appreciate that it stays in place and is supportive while I'm moving around. On the plus side, it's much more flattering than my old suits that would stretch out after a few times in the suit dryer/spinner thing. It's good to feel comfortable when swimming in a public place. I got a style that was a 'conservative' cut and I no longer feel like I need to wear a cover up or be self-conscious when getting in/out because I know it will stay in place.


They make mesh gear bags and they are so huge that we are able to share one and trade off who carries it when we both go. I think it was $9 and it has held up really well with two sets of fins and everything in it and it's kept everything dry (including the car.) It seems to drain pretty quickly.


Again, I would be totally happy just me and the water but most of the things we've picked up have been pretty helpful.

Leaping_Lemur wrote: »

I would feel naked without my swimsuit.

And your feelings would be correct!! :)

For me Swimsuit, goggles and Baby shampoo for the goggles.

For anti-fogging I use baby shampoo. Couple of drops and quick rinse they won't fog. Do the same with my SCUBA mask when I dive. Problem with licking or spitting in your goggles or mask, even though it works, is that it could lead to eye infection

cheshirecatastrophe wrote: »

My people. You will understand.

My pool replaced its trusty pace clock with one of those newfangled "digital" things. This is a problem, because it turns out I do not figure swim time in numbers, I measure in fractions of a circle. You cannot make colorful mental pie charts out of digital.

I just try to beat the second hand around

I take a rake of stuff into the pool! On my wrist I have a SwimTag which loads the swim onto a computer, and the locker key, and on my middle finger a cheap lap counter (it's worked so far!), I have numerous hats because my hair is long and thick and a nightmare to contain, goggles that I dip in the pool water so they don't steam up, a noseclip because I hate water going up it and of course my swimsuit because otherwise it just ain't pretty!

cap, goggles, water bottle....i also use paddles, fins, tennis balls, a 6in piece of garden hose and occasionally borrow a kickboard from the pool's supply.

goggles: old school swedish

fins: http://www.swimoutlet.com/p/aqua-sphere-alpha-fins-5265/ - these give me enough boost w/o disrupting my ankle flexibility or giving me blisters

paddles: http://www.swimoutlet.com/p/tyr-catalyst-contour-training-paddles-42243/?color=37394 - mine are similar but small & black

Tamois wrote: »

earlnabby wrote: »

I wear a cap (special one with extra space for long hair), my fitbit, a waterproof IPod, and a lap counter on my finger.

Can you let me know what the special cap is called so I can order from Amazon please? My hats always end up slipping up and off because my hair is too long and thick. I've tried putting it in a bun, a plait, even loose and it still falls off!

Search for "long hair swim cap" on Amazon and a bunch come up. I have used the Speedo and the Tyr ones and like the Tyr one better. I can wear my hair in a bun and it has this extra pouch-y looking space in back that fits the bun perfectly. The Speedo has extra space throughout the crown so I braided my hair and kind of loosely piled the braid on top of my head inside the cap.

AquaticQuests wrote: »

girlwithcurls2 wrote: »

getfitrenee22 wrote: »

cap, goggles, water bottle....i also use paddles, fins, tennis balls, a 6in piece of garden hose and occasionally borrow a kickboard from the pool's supply.

goggles: old school swedish

fins: http://www.swimoutlet.com/p/aqua-sphere-alpha-fins-5265/ - these give me enough boost w/o disrupting my ankle flexibility or giving me blisters

paddles: http://www.swimoutlet.com/p/tyr-catalyst-contour-training-paddles-42243/?color=37394 - mine are similar but small & black

Tennis balls? Garden hose? Do go on, lol...
ETA: OK, just read the other post. Now it makes more sense!

I'm asking the same question?

Tennis balls: can hold in each hand for free & backstroke...forces proper angle of entry as well as pulling with forearm/ core & back muscles instead of just pulling with your hand...awkward at first but much more efficient if you can get the hang of it.

Garden hose: use like a catch up drill...both hands on the hose, keep eyes on the hose for proper head position...also works a strong kick and forces a full follow through on the arm pull.

After 15+ years of coaching kids! I've got all sorts of random tools and tricks...