Poolside chat - new year, new racing!

The problem is, I can’t find another nearby club. They’re all too far to commit to regularly.

I saw Dulwich dolphins and thought they looked perfect, but it’s a bit far.

We are very near the Queen Mother so might give synchronised swimming a go.

Are you anywhere near Vauxhall Bridge Rd (Queen Mother Sports Centre) Duvet?
There is a synchro club that runs from there? https://seymourasc.org/

Otherwise (and I think it would be a pain to commit to without a car) you could try Dulwich Dolphins https://uk.gomotionapp.com/team/lrdudl/page/about-us

It might be worth asking your swim teacher(s) for advice/suggestions.

Have you looked into diving clubs, or even synchronised swimming? Or try another swim club and see if that suits her better?

Or even octopush which is underwater hockey and looks really fun.

How about Rookie Lifeguards? Both my kids loved it and competitive lifesaving is also becoming a bigger thing if she still likes the idea of competing.

If she loves swimming how about looking at other aquatic disciplines? Artistic, polo or diving?

Or have a look at another swim club. They are all different and different styles suit different swimmers (although my experience of C and W I can see issue with attitude!!)

I don't know local clubs to you but there must be more than 1?

It should definitely be about fun whatever age, stage and level they are swimming at.

My daughter has just turned 7 and has moved up to stage 8 swimming lessons. She’s very competent and absolutely loves swimming.

She used to be a member of Chelsea & Westminster swimming club which she HATED and I can’t blame her. It took all of the fun out of swimming, several of the coaches were unpleasant and the number of hours per week for a just-turned 6 year old was insane.

I would love to find a fun swimming club or swimming related activity that she could get involved with. She will finish lessons soon and want something to replace it with so she has a reason to keep swimming.

Does anyone have any recommendations? We’re in South Westminster so ideally something local.

Thanks.

Hello oh no. Hope ds is better soon

Porseb that's amazing. She must be buzzing it's such an experience for them going abroad to race.

DD finished her Europeans debut last night.

Had a great week, got to semi-finals in 2 individual events and finals in one event and a relay.

I did not expect her to progress out of heats as first international meet but really proud and happy for her.

I'm going to European Jr Open Water in July as a team official (not technical!) - looking forward to that.

We are prepping for OW but by that I mean not swimming at all at the moment as DS managed to dislocate his elbow playing rounders!

Hopefully it will be ok for next weekends regionals but I am not confident of qualification for Nationals as OW really seems to have been pushed amongst the clubs this year and a lot of kids who usually beat DS in the pool are entering.

Thanks.

I'll try and catch up later.

Hope everyone is well and all those who have done gcse and a levels are now finished and enjoying the brain break!

Ds is off to Edinburgh Thursday for Scottish open and then next stop aquatics gb summers.

2 more chances to put into practice what he's been working on! 😂🫣

What's everyone else up to? I know we are peak OW season - my dads reffing at OW regional events the next 2 weekends inbetween playing taxi for DS getting to Stansted and back 😉

I am taking my "light" lifeguard training certificate soon as the swimming club uses parent volunteers to supervise sessions.

Once I've done the training I'll be sitting diligently poolside for an hour a week during training to liven up the 7+ hours sitting poolside anyway!

Has anyone else done/doing this?

Welcome! We've been happy with prescription goggles from GoggleEyed .co.uk website. Surprised by what good value they were, I assumed they'd be more expensive. I got myself a pair too even though I rarely swim myself!

(Tangent though, my swimmer now has overnight corrective contact lenses which has removed the need for prescription glasses or goggles)

Thanks everyone 😀

Welcome Bucks2015.

Try using Swim EAR drops as soon as she gets out of the pool. I think we just get ours from the local chemist, but you can get them online.

They dry out the ears (our box says they are 95% Isopropyl alcohol).

We started using them after an expensive ear infection DH picked up diving.

DD(16) has her lifeguard trial this week - hoping the local leisure centre will pay for her qual.

@porseb congratulations to your DD, very exciting!

@Bucks2015 welcome, glad to hear she has been enjoying it. We’ve been recommended Swans for prescription goggles though whilst we did have a look at them, so far my DS has stuck with non prescription. He’s fine in training but he couldn’t celebrate when he won at regionals as he wasn’t certain he had touched first and couldn’t read the board to be sure 😂

I know some swimmers my DD has swum with used like an ear putty thing which is quite malleable.

Have a look at Swans prescription goggles.

Hi @Bucks2015 unfortunately I dont have the answers but I would ask the coach regards ear plugs and prescription goggles, they have normally seen it all before and got good info on this stuff and if they dont know they generally know someone who does.

Hi and welcome.

Absolutely this is the place for all swim club questions and chat!

It's a friendly board with a range of swimmers from all around competing at all sorts of levels.

Most of what I know has been learned here and I still make it up as I go along mostly 😂

Can't answer your question better than glitter but welcome and I hope your DD enjoys her journey through swimming.