Tools of the Trade

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  • girlwithcurls2
    girlwithcurls2 Posts: 2,264 Member
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    I'm so envious of you people, lol. At this point, I'm staying alive. I'm waiting for the day when I can use the pool to decompress or listen to music. It's coming though!

    I TOTALLY get the thing about the mental pie charts. My pool has both clocks. Not bad for a community center.

    And THAT THING, AQ, is dang cool!!!
  • Tamois
    Tamois Posts: 64 Member
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    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!
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
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    I wear a cap (special one with extra space for long hair), my fitbit, a waterproof IPod, and a lap counter on my finger.
  • getfitrenee22
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    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
  • girlwithcurls2
    girlwithcurls2 Posts: 2,264 Member
    edited February 2015
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    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!


  • AquaticQuests
    AquaticQuests Posts: 945 Member
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    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? :smile:
  • Tamois
    Tamois Posts: 64 Member
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    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!
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
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    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.
  • NoelFigart1
    NoelFigart1 Posts: 1,276 Member
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    I have waist-length hair and use a Speedo silicone cap that is for long hair. It looks quite unattractive with the hair piling up on top of my head like a topknot, but it totally keeps my mop easily contained.
  • getfitrenee22
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    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? :smile:

    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...

  • Ms_J1
    Ms_J1 Posts: 253 Member
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    My Garmin Forerunner 920XT because I can't count laps.
  • AquaticQuests
    AquaticQuests Posts: 945 Member
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    .
  • fishgutzy
    fishgutzy Posts: 2,807 Member
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    [/quote]

    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.

    [/quote]
    Doesn't that force you head up? I'm looking straight down. Looking forward forces my butt and legs down and strains my neck.
  • AquaticQuests
    AquaticQuests Posts: 945 Member
    edited May 2015
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    Anyone know of a swim watch that allows you to swim for set intervals then resets itself back to zero to start again?
    Eg if swimming 5 x 100 on a 1:45 interval, it goes through to 1:45 then restarts at zero?
  • Beneita
    Beneita Posts: 29 Member
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    For now, I am using speedo dumb bells for aerobic strength and speedo web gloves for my breast stroke and for aerobic cross country and other water aerobic exercises. I just got my Vivo2 from Garmin and just got that up and working...will swim with it tomorrow to track my progress!
  • fishgutzy
    fishgutzy Posts: 2,807 Member
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    The new Fit Bit with the wrist HRM looks cool. If it is waterproof then one wouldn't have to worry out that darn strap flipping over on push off :)
  • Beneita
    Beneita Posts: 29 Member
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    I am loving my water dumb bells and web gloves! Gives me a workout! For an ole momma like me!!
  • AquaticQuests
    AquaticQuests Posts: 945 Member
    edited July 2015
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    Saw something about TritonWear's Triton which seems targeted at coaches, and when looking for information on that I came across this page with information on a wide range of swim trackers.
    Never hurts to know what new gadgets someone has dreamed up:
    http://www.bestfitnesstrackerreviews.com/activity-trackers-for-swimming.html
  • AquaticQuests
    AquaticQuests Posts: 945 Member
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    bump
  • girlwithcurls2
    girlwithcurls2 Posts: 2,264 Member
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    Thinking of getting some Finis burner fins (I think that's what they are called--Mac, help me out?). There's enough talk around here that I think they'd be good for me. And asking for a waterproof MP3 from Santa :)