Essential Equipment to Have for Competitive Swimming
Certain pieces of swimming equipment are required for competitive swimmers or aspiring ones to own. The first and most important one is a well-fitted swimsuit in size and straps. As a competitive swimmer, it is essential to know your right suit size to avoid mishaps and malfunctions. Having a suit too tight would make your shoulders tight and sore and hinder you from effectively swimming as you would like to. Likewise, having a loose one would make the water puff out through your suit, make you drag on the water, and can be highly distracting.
A swim cap is also very essential to have as a competitive swimmer. It is important due to its ability to keep your hair in check, which will help reduce drag that may be gotten from letting your hair out, therefore making you swim faster and better. Additionally, to some certain extent, it helps protect your hair from the chlorine present in the water. Your swim cap needs to be stretchy and not unnecessarily hold the head too tight to achieve its primary purpose.
Another vital piece of equipment is swimming goggles. Since being a competitive swimmer would require you to always be in the water, having a set of swim goggles is relevant to protecting your eyes from the chlorine and other chemicals present in pools, which may be irritable. Additionally, goggles enable you to have sight underwater and keep you on track and in your lane while competing or training. Overall, they should be a good fit so they don’t fall off and also be anti-fog to make your path clear.
Swim snorkels are part of the equipment used by competitive swimmers. Snorkels help to control breathing underwater. They can be highly effective and helpful in assisting a competitive swimmer in avoiding constant head breaks above water while training. Your head stays put in the water when breathing via a snorkel, so you don’t have to worry much about breathing techniques. In turn, because it is more stable, you will be able to develop your skills like your stroke by making it more symmetrical, and stroke symmetry leads to greater stroke efficiency. Furthermore, having a snorkel lets you concentrate on specific aspects of your technique, such as hand movements and kick patterns.
Swimming fins and hand paddles are also necessary accessories for a competitive swimmer. Swimming fins help keep your legs afloat as they propel you through the water while working on arm and shoulder movements. They also help you perfect your kick techniques in water. On the other hand, Wearing hand paddles help with underwater push, activates the laps, and aids in strengthening your stroke. Additionally, it is a prop used to widen the hand surface area, allowing you to grasp more water with each movement.
Finally, a swimming stopwatch is an excellent tool for a competitive swimmer. While training, stopwatches can help you track your splits and accurately count the number of laps. They can also help you in setting lap targets correctly. You could also get a platform stopwatch or tone that fits around your fingers and can be worn while swimming.
