Poolside-Chat-parents-of-competitive-swimmers

[Glittertwins]

Hopefully this will work as we’re at 999 on the other!

Amazing. Well done.

One of ds ex teammates who's at a swimming school now got a medal in his junior final. So we've been cheering along!

I've had a nightmare day. Car power steering went at 5am on way to training. Finally got home at 11.30!

It can't go onto garage until 23rd. Was meant to have its MOT tomorrow.

So car hire sorted as need to get to Sheffield next week and then the next shock of how much that'll cost to fix.

Oh no, power steering failure is awful, how long since you've driven a car without it? I think the car I learnt to drive in didn't have it and that was a tiny thing. Hope it gets sorted quickly

I can't remember ever driving one without. Getting into the car parking space was fun! Luckily ds has a blue badge so at least it was a big space!

Oh no @itsgettingweird what a stressful start to your morning.

But Tea he is going up this weekend as I said and is racing next week as I said!!!!

I clearly can’t cope with the complexity 🤣

🤣🤣🤣

I had to check I had written it right! It's very odd travelling up (not back!) on a Sunday for a meet!

Hello, just looking for some goggles advice - DD is now firmly in the world of competitive swimming and doing really well. I want to get her some good racing goggles - but I'm not sure if I should buy junior or just adult ones now? She's 10 years old and 5 ft 1 in height.
also any recommendations for brand? I see lots of arena and speedo online so I guess one of these? Thanks

My DS is shorter than your DD and is fine with the adult Speedo Fastskin goggles as they come with a range of nose bridges and the straps can be shortened quite a long way.

www.decathlon.co.uk/p/b-fast-900-adult-swimming-goggles-mirrored-lenses-fina-approved/_/R-p-123216?mc=8547681&c=BLACK

My ds wears these. Worn them for years - although he's 18 now.

They have an adjustable nose piece which helps.

Best thing is to either go to a shop and try them on or order a few different pairs and sizes from somewhere with free returns and try at home.

Ours both had junior fastskins until they were about 13 - neither of them were particularly big for their age.

If possible, get them from a shop at a meet where they can try different ones on. Mailsports, south / south east area recommend this and are very knowledgeable

Both of mine have Arena Cobra Core goggles, my younger son is 11 and shorter than your daughter and they fit fine.

Those who are experts in qualifying times, am I right in thinking qualifying times are always equal to or faster then? I think my eldest has got his first regional time today, but when converted to long course it is equal to the time - I can’t see that the conditions specify anywhere

Depends on the crieteria @Eccle80
East Region sets their qualifying times by short course, even though the competition is long course.
If the swimmers short course time matches that of East's times or is faster, they are in. If their LC time converts back to SC and meets the time, they are in but you must use the times converter they specify as they do vary.
I can see what ours have qualified for by going to the online entry tool and I just wait a few days for all the databases to catch up with any new times.

@Glittertwins thank you, this year the qualifying times for ours are long course (last year they were short course), I’ve used the converter they say is the correct one and it puts his time equal to the long course qualifying time. The conditions just say about entry times being achieved, and which convertor to use to check if short course times meet the qualifying time, they don’t mention equal to or faster than.

Equal to or faster than means they'll be in....unless your region has already stated that they will cut entries if there are too many.

Thanks, yes that is a valid point too as he would be the slowest entry so first in line if they did have to reduce numbers, the conditions say that they can, but I don’t think they generally have to reject entries, so fingers crossed!
He is swimming it again before the cut off so hopefully he can find a little more to make it a bit of a safer qualification.

So ds had his classification by international para committee today. They assessed him as the same as British swimming. They will confirm after he's raced 100 free and breast.

Very exciting!

Yes it's equal to or faster than using the designated converter from lc to sc or vice versa.

Our region (SE) then has target number of swimmers and they will cut swimmers at the target number even if they have the time.

It's often very much a maths lesson and guessing game

We find for some events they'll take 20 but the 18th ranked person is on cut off time and others they'll take 40 but there's 70 swimmers who have the time.

I do feel for the swimmers having to wait to find out!

Hello, new to the poolside here.
Just wondering if anyone can recommend any particular brand of training fins for my 10 yr old.
The local supplier for the club is currently out of stock for fins so looking elsewhere.

Many TIA!

Maru and Finis reasonably priced. They need to be short, not long like scuba fins

Thank you, will take a look.

Mailsports, Allen's of Kingsbury, Stortford Sports Supplies are our ones we use. I'm sure others will be along shortly with their online suppliers!

Yep we started with Maru and then bought Finis after DD's feet grew long and thin.

If I didn't buy them from Simply Swim or Proswimwear I would have bought them from Amazon.

Snorkel and hand paddles also Finis (had a small pair of Speedo paddles first), primarily because DD likes yellow and not many other swimmers in her club use the brand!

My ds uses the fins that have a strap at the back rather than full sock iyswim?

They are arena.

He uses them because he has a disability and can't wear the alternatives but a fair number of swimmers in his squad now use the same. They are older though so I would ask coach if your unsure.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Arena-Powerfin-Swim-Training-Black/dp/B010H65ORU/ref=sr11_9?crid=1FZSYGNUIA9NS&keywords=Swimming+fins&qid=1678812704&sprefix=swimmin%2Caps%2C1101&sr=8-9

I've linked from Amazon as they are easy to search for. I do not pay this prive for them! But I usually pay about £35.

Decathlon is always good as well for looking for fins too.

My ds always opts for bright green 🤣🤣

They are hilarious with their insistence on colour choices.

My ds always wants purple race shorts!