Swimming Equipment List

I didn't realize competitive swimming required so much equipment when I started.

It's been so many years since I started competitive swimming. I don't know what I was thinking at the time. However, I guess the only things I needed were glasses, a suit, and a cap.

I'm pretty sure we all thought the same at first. However, once we saw a competitive pool deck, we quickly realized that wasn't true.

There are tons of technical suits and goggles for training, and swimming, as well as a variety of drag suits.

Sport requires a lot of things including good training, dry ground, nutrition, time and the money we spend on equipment, technical suits, goggles or other gear.

How to overcome the boredom of long-term training and maintain rhythm underwater? Having waterproof headphones that can be used underwater is essential. Listening to music while exercising not only helps to relax and alleviate boredom but also allows us to synchronize our swimming pace with the rhythm of the music.

This is a detailed checklist of all the essentials you need to have in your swim bag. These items are essential for any swimmer whether you are a pro or a beginner.

We will cover both basic equipment and more advanced equipment.

This checklist will provide you with a guideline on what you should have in your swim bag to get the most out of your training.

So that you can race next time with PBs, you'll feel confident knowing you did everything right.

Here is a swimming equipment checklist for swimmers.

Swimming Equipment Checklist

Headphone

Many beginners or those who didn’t know electronic products will well may feel confused: Why wear headphones while swimming? Can headphones really withstand water? The answer is yes. Swimming with headphones is possible, and typically, headphones with a waterproof rating of at least IPX7 can be used for swimming, but for greater durability, IPX8-rated headphones are highly recommended.

There are several options for underwater headphones available on the market, including true wireless earbuds, neckband headphones, and ear-hook headphones. True wireless earbuds are not recommended for underwater use since they are highly likely to be lost if they come off the ears.

Among neckband headphones and ear-hook headphones, bone conduction headphones are recommended due to their unique sound transmission technology, providing higher comfort and better sound quality underwater.

We recommend the Wissonly Hi Runner bone conduction headphones to everyone.

The headphone with three support points that conform to the skull - the temples, auricles, and occiput - making it very stable in water, ensuring it won't easily come off. The material used is a foldable titanium alloy, covered with soft, skin-friendly silicone, weighing only 27g for a comfortable fit. It has undergone IPX8 waterproof testing and can be used up to 20 meters underwater.

Hi Runner is equipped with Bluetooth 5.0, and its effective underwater Bluetooth connection distance is 15 meters. As we all know, underwater Bluetooth signals tend to be unstable, and the connection might get interrupted as you swim further away from the paired device. In such cases, the MP3 mode comes in handy, allowing you to listen to downloaded music from the headphone's library without being affected by distance, ensuring stable sound. With 32GB of internal memory, it can store over 5000 songs, enough to hold all your favorite tunes.

Before using it, I was concerned that bone conduction headphones might leak sound, but in reality, the sound leakage is not as significant as I initially thought, though it's not completely absent. Overall, its performance in water is better than in-ear headphones.

Additionally, maintenance is straightforward. After each swim, I wipe it with a towel and then put it in my backpack for easy carrying, and it hasn't encountered any issues. Although this method is not recommended by the manufacturer, it hasn't caused any damage to the headphones during daily use. Maintenance is quite convenient.

Fins

Probably the most exciting piece of equipment is the fins. They can be worn to make an underwater ensemble, but they are not necessary.

These allow us to learn in different ways and become faster swimmers over time.

Fins can be used to help us develop a stronger kick. They allow us to train at a racing pace on a regular day and can help us develop a faster, faster kick.

In addition, fins help increase flexibility in the feet and ankles.

Avoid fins that have too long blades when choosing fins.

They will reduce your ability to deliver fast, powerful kicks, and also slow down your kick rate. This will make the flippers useless.

Choose fins with a shorter blade. I recommend the Arena Powerfin Pro. These fins are very comfortable and do not take too long to use.

The Arena Powerfin Pro are the fins all professional swimmers have been waiting for. Their innovative design features a sloping surface and hydrodynamic slits in the top to allow you to swim with a faster leg kick and better control. The open heel ensures the best possible ankle flexibility allowing faster upwards notion and a more powerful downward leg kick. Training your legs vertically using Powerfin Pros for just a few minutes today will help you improve your underwater phase. The vertical leg kick allows you both to control your body position and make sure you are performing a proper leg kick.

Skateboard

You now have fins that will help you develop stronger kicks. Now you will need a board.

Your legs are the biggest muscles in your body, so be sure to use them to speed up.

Kickboards can be used for intense kick sets where you don't feel like kicking in body position all the time.

To help you hit harder, I recommend fins and boards. You can also train your legs with exercises on dry land.

While the Team Kick Board speedo might be a good option, it's up to you to decide what your preference is.

Paddles

We will now cover the equipment needed to train a hard kick. We start with paddles. They are basically flippers that you can use for your hands.

The added water resistance in your hands and arms can make paddling more effective in driving a stronger pull.

These can help you get a better grip in the water and get the right hand position for entering the water.

The speedo nemesis is a great paddle. They are comfortable and well built. But it's up to you.

The tubercles increase surface area along the paddle's edge, pushing more water and creating smooth pulling trajectory. Contoured shape helps the swimmer feel the proper hand position for water entry. Improved tubing straps at the finger and wrist Use with speedo Nemesis fins for the ultimate workout.

Pull The Buoy

You now have your paddles. It's time to invest in a pull buoy. A solid pull set can be made by combining your paddles with a pull buoy.

A pull buoy, which is basically a piece of foam that fits between your legs, can come in handy if you get a little lost. To prevent it from escaping, you need to keep your legs straight.

You can kick while maintaining your body position. To make a solid pull set, I recommend combining your paddles and your pull buoy.

The finite pull buoy is my favorite, but I'm open to any type of buoy!

Resistance Parachute

We have now covered the kick and the pull. These are the two main drivers of speed for competitive swimming.

We need to find ways to increase the resistance of our stroke to make it more powerful.

A resistance pulley is a good idea. However, most pools don't have one, so we'll use the resistance parachute. That's exactly what it sounds like.

You can use a small parachute to place behind you in the water for additional resistance. Swim training should include additional resistance.

This will help you swim faster and with more confidence. You can also wear a drag suit but a parachute provides more resistance.

A resistance parachute can be incorporated into swim training to provide a fun and challenging resistance set.

The Drag Parachute finish is my favorite. Generally lower quality and less comfortable parachutes are not recommended. However, the Drag Parachute finish lives up to its name!

Swimming Snorkel

Until recently, snorkels were not very popular with swimmers. However, competitive swimmers began to use them quite often during training.

Snorkels can be very useful and offer many benefits to swimmers.

You can improve your kick, save your neck, and avoid straining your neck while doing long sets of kicks.

By not raising the head to one side, the snorkel helps correct muscle balance.

The MP Michael Phelps Focus Snorkel is my recommendation. This is a high quality snorkel with a great design.

The MP Michael Phelps focus on swim technique, body position, and efficiency by eliminating the need to turn the head to breath. Unique low profile, hydrodynamic tube design reduces drag and allows for easy breathing. Lightweight, adjustable head bracket with integrated cushion ensures comfortable fit

Resistance Bands

You can't do much in the water. Swimming is an important part of fast swimming. There are many ways to improve your swim training.

Many swimmers ignore land training and only put themselves at a disadvantage.

Tubing is a swimming method that simulates the resistance band.

You can do all of your punches without the resistance band, but you're only doing the pulling motion.

This will help you pull harder and hit faster, and can also make it easier to get out of the water. A resistance band can be used to perform many movements and exercises.

This circuit is a combination of push-ups, pull-ups, and core exercises. Each band has a different resistance variation. As you get stronger, your resistance can be increased further.

Mesh Bag

To transport your equipment, you will need a bag or a mesh bag. Imagine carrying all your gear with 2 hands to every workout.

The Speedo Deluxe mesh bag is my favorite. It's roomy enough to hold all my gear and made of durable materials.

You can also carry it on your back using the straps provided.

Conclusion

Here is the complete list of swimming equipment for competitive swimmers. Remember that equipment is only part of your training.

Our training is the most important thing. The gear is there to complement the workout and sometimes mix it up a bit.

Endless swimming can get boring. However, being able to grab a pair or fins and run a sprint set is definitely worth it. To avoid boredom, you can also prepare a swimming headphone, allowing you to listen to music or radio broadcasts while swimming.

Like I said, the most important thing in training is you. You never know what you'll find, so be there and show up at every practice.

This is a quick overview of all the equipment we have covered again.

· Swim Headphone - That can dive away boredom, and help you finding your own rhythm of movement.

· Fins - These can help you build a stronger kick and flex your feet and ankles.

· Kick Board - The kick board can be used in conjunction with fins to make it fun and challenging for kick sets.

· Paddles - These can help you develop stronger traction by increasing your water intake.

· Pull Buoy - This pull buoy works well when used with paddles. It can also be used to create stronger traction.

· Slide Parachute – This will increase your water resistance and make you a better swimmer.

· Swimming Snorkel - This snorkel can be used to improve strokes and address muscle imbalances.

· Resistance Bands - These resistance bands can be used to do many different exercises.

· Mesh Bag - Do you need something to keep all your gear safe?

This article should have helped you make sure you have the right gear and highlighted some of the benefits of different gear types.

Although swimmers may think that equipment is just for fun, many of them actually play an important role in helping you become a faster, stronger swimmer. If you are trying to increase your swimming time, a pair of swimming headphones is necessary to relieve boredom. The Wissonly Hi Runner is the answer to all your underwater needs.