Swimming must haves

[splishsplash3]

I started swimming again at my gym few weeks ago, I go 3 times per week and am really enjoying it.

I don't have any 'accessories', I literally take my cozzie and a bath towel.

Do you have any recommendations for things to jazz my experience up a bit? Or make life easier?

Any hints/tips/hacks also welcome.

Someone recommended some waterproof earphones which i want to look into so I can listen to a podcast so that's already on my list although no idea which brands are good.

Thanks!

Goggles, and if I want a quick swim without having to wash my hair I will use a swim cap.

I'm also thinking about earphones, it's apparently 20 weeks to Christmas. 😉

My friend just sent me these ones. She has them and says they do the job.

amzn.eu/d/2ZsXi1n

Cheap and cheerful so I might give them a whirl

Do they actually keep your hair dry?

OP, water bottle at the side of the pool.

Not a hack as such, but I have a shampoo, conditioner and shower gel that are nicer than my ones at home. I feel like it makes my experience a bit more spa like. And they stay in my bag at all times. As does a double of my deo, moisturiser etc. So I never have to think about packing.

I also like my galaxy watch for tracking my swims.

Ear plugs, if you're prone to clogged ears.

Flip flops so you don’t get verucas.

I have a triswim shower gel approx cost £10 - it helps get rid of the chlorine smell. I was also finding my skin got itchy so it helped with that.

flip flops to avoid the dreaded athletes’ foot. Wear them everywhere apart from the actual pool (changing room, steam room, shower)

I’m quite low tech, I go out to the pool with 4 things - goggles, cossie, hair bobble and flip flops.

(towels and toiletries in carrier bag to risk putting them down somewhere damp!)

I try to combine my daily hair wash on days I swim to save washing twice. I do rinse it in the shower pre-swim for hygiene and it stops it absorbing so much chlorine

I've been swimming regularly for years and don't really have accessories. Prefer to do my thinking while I swim rather than listening to music. But I do have separate toiletries which I keep in my gym bag to avoid having to pack a bag every time. And about 4 decent Speedo costumes.

Goggles

I’ve swam for years without - bought my first since the 1980s a couple of months ago - game changer!

i can see underwater (even without prescription lenses) and no longer spends half the day crying with eye irritation.

i feel a wee bit daft that I didn’t do it sooner

my next purchase will be a cossie with mid thigh shorts - bye bye bikini waxing, hello 1970s porn bush!

A onsie and crocs for afterwards.

I used to swim every single day at 6am before I got (lazy) pregnant!

Here’s what I used:

• waterproof headphones and iPod shuffle in a waterproof arm bag
• swim hat, not for keeping hair dry but for keeping it out my way. I would also sometimes apply a hair mask then put two swim caps over it so I would have a nice hair treatment while swimming.
• high neck swimsuit, to stop my norks falling out
• goggles, naturally
• three towels, one for hair, one for body and one for the floor
• an anti chlorine shampoo
• a really nice body lotion for afterwards

Oh l love my 'leg suit' and it wasn't wildly expensive, it's a speedo number and was about £35 from Amazon.
But I've seen some targeted at serious swimmers at serious money.

They keep it surprisingly dry, maybe a bit damp round the edges. But means I'm not faffing having to properly wash and dry it. I have a long hair speedo one that I got at the pool

I'm a three towel type for swimming - a small towelling one (actually an old terry nappy), a hammam towel, and a microfibre hair turban. By putting my hair up first, then a quick dry over with the towelling one, stand on that, then use the hammam towel I get properly dry very quickly. If I am driving to swimming I will put a onesie on over my cossie to go and just put the onesie on after

I misread crocs for chocs!

I like to take a hair band to tie back hair and travel samples of:-

shampoo/conditioner
body wash/shower gel
body scrub
soap for face
moisturiser
styling cream for hair

I can bring full size products but with sachets or small bottles takes up so much less room. Or decent from full size into clear travel containers.

It depends what you want to get out of your swimming.

DS is in a swimming club and they have all sorts ofinteresting bits of kit. They use kickboards to isolate the arms and just use the legs. Pullbouys to isolate the legs and just use the arms. Fins to make the kicking harder or hand paddles to make the pulling harder. Although both make you move faster as you are moving more water so some pools don't let you use them. Parachutes make swimming harder work by adding resistance. Centre snorkels so you can work on arms and legs without having to worry about breathing. Tempo trainers that clip onto your goggles and beep at present time intervals do you can basically make swimming into a beep test like you do in running.

However I like the above idea of post swim chocolate and lots of towels a lot better than all that malarkey.

I love my swimsuit that has shorts cut rather than high legs for proper swimming. Good goggles and nice moisturiser for after.

I wouldn't want to swim without goggles and swimming hat - doesn't keep my hair dry but does keep it out of the way better than just tying it (I have quite long hair though).

I recently ish upgraded my Garmin to one which tracks swimming laps. I'm primarily a runner, and not sure I'd personally splash out on a Garmin just for swimming, but when this model was reduced, the pool swimming function was a big part of its attraction.

Smart Watch you can get them off eBay counts distance speed and time

Spent years thinking best thing was jump in swim as long and fast as possible was the best thing

loads of swim workouts intervals and distance makes it less boring

Bluetooth waterproof headphones are ok if you keep your ears out of the water the whole time, but if you don't then they won't work. Bluetooth signal can't travel through water so every time your ears submerge they'll cut out. You'll also need to have your phone next to the pool because they have a distance limit, usually around 25m which is the length of a swimming pool.

I have these https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sony-NW-WS413-Waterproof-All-Player/dp/B01BBWU834/ref=ascdff_B01BBWU834/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=309964054975&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=16913720277604613350&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9046177&hvtargid=pla-406359666858&psc=1&th=1&psc=1

You preload them with music like the old fashioned MP3 players by plugging them into your computer. Sound quality is good, they don't cut out and the battery lasts a few swims. They take a bit of getting used to to get on and remember which ear the different buttons are on.

I love loading mine with 80s rock and metal (AC/DC, Metallica, iron maiden, queen), cranking the volume up and swimming along completely in my own world.

Same. I also take 3 very thin towels, one for hair one for body and one to stand on.

Swimming carpets!

Bare Feet Changing Mat for Surf, Swim, SUP, Watersports and Outdoor Sports - Sherpa Fleece, Waterpoof, Roll up, Portable (Black/Red) amzn.eu/d/9QoYDcZ

I wish there was a hat that kept hair totally dry!

Decathlon microfibres towels
Slides
Swim hat so I'm not fannying about with Kirby grips
Speedo mesh bag to hang poolside so I don't need to go back to the locker for shampoo etc.
Minis of haircare, skincare etc.
Olaplex or Elasticizer I can put on if having an evening swim then wash off the next morning.