Tips for Choosing the Right Swimming Equipment Regardless of Skill Level

It may sound simple, but swimming gear is designed to make you a better swimmer. Every swimmer—from recreational to elite—can benefit from functional training tools to help maximize speed and efficiency, improve stroke technique, and make swimming more exciting. To elevate your swimming to the next level, here are a few products you’ll need, some are basic and some more advanced. When choosing your gear, keep in mind that some of the best swim shops cater to every swimmer who loves the sport.

Swim Fins
Swim Cap

A swim cap isn’t like a shower cap—it isn’t meant to keep your hair totally dry. Most every swimmer, male and female, wears a cap to prevent drag, keep their hair out of their faces, and to protect their hair from the damaging effects of chlorine. You still may need to use a swimmer’s shampoo to keep hair from turning shades of green. Latex caps are inexpensive and made of stretchy rubber. They are thinner than their silicone counterparts. Silicone caps are soft, smooth, and don’t tug on your hair like a latex cap can. Silicone caps will likely outlast your latex caps. It’s entirely a personal preference which you like to wear during training and racing.

Swim Fins

Every swimmer gets a kick out of training with swim fins or “flippers.” They give you the ability to swim faster than you normally can and they’re just plain fun. But swim fins are a resistance tool that also help improve ankle flexibility, strengthen leg muscles, ease the load from your shoulders onto your hips and legs, and improve your endurance if you’re using them correctly. You’ve probably noticed, but your dolphin kick is much easier to do with a pair of fins. Fins come in different lengths, including short blade and long blade, and can either be rigid or flexible. The stiffer the fin, the more difficult it is to kick. Flexible fins provide a more natural kicking motion. Rubber and silicone options are available.

Training Snorkel

A front snorkel has grown in popularity in recent years as more people seek to perfect their stroke technique and become faster and more efficient in the water. A swimmer’s training snorkel also helps to refine your head position and keep your body aligned without side breathing interruption. You’ll feel much more aerodynamic in the water and your neck won’t feel as strained from the repetitive motion of breathing to one side. Your front-mounted snorkel just might be your next secret weapon.

Hand Paddles

Like swim fins, most swimmers use a pair of hand paddles in their training. Hand paddles allow you to focus on your arm stroke and pulling motion. They add resistance and build strength and power. You’ll notice that every part of your pulling motion is accentuated when you use hand paddles. Don’t make the mistake of buying paddles that are too big for you. It can lead to excess strain on your shoulders as well as tendons in your arms. Go with a pair that are slightly bigger than your hands, especially when you’re just starting. Paddles are meant to give you good technique and not encourage bad habits.

About Kiefer Swim Shops

Kiefer Swim Shops is among the leaders in swim gear, swimwear, and pool and aquatic equipment. Kiefer Swim Shops offers competitive and recreational swimmers, lifeguards, and aquatic facilities throughout the U.S. a wide selection of high-quality products. Shop for everything from swimsuits, caps, and goggles to training gear, water weights, lifeguard gear, pool equipment, and much more. As a best-value brand, make Kiefer Swim Shops your number-one swimming source. Kiefer Swim Shops makes it a priority to offer quality, durable, comfortable, and safe products, which is why they are a top-rated brand.

Shop swimsuits for your team from Kiefer Swim Shops at Kiefer.com

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