Poolside chat - new year, new racing!

[Glittertwins]

Hope this works, am rubbish at this!

@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 😂

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.

Thanks everyone 😀

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)

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?

Good luck with the life guard training! We have lifeguards when we share the pool with the public so we don't do that.

Click on BBC 1 /IPlayer at 5:30 am today - Arena race suit design and Honey Osrin.

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 😉

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.

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.

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.

@Hellocatshome - it's always the daft things that do them in! DS did his shoulder in throwing cricket balls 🙄

Pressed the wrong button ...
Well done for mini @Porseb, sounds like she's having a good tim.

We're at SC this weekend, 2 PBs in 2 races which should get entry to winter nationals. No open water this year, not interested in that distance 😆

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.

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.

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.

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

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

I'd go for a change of discipline or club. C&W are a performance club and although they have some superb younger age group swimmers, I don't think it's the best place for under 9s. There are better, less formal clubs.

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.

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.

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

C&W have hoovered up a monopoly. We drive 25 mins each way for ours. There are plenty closer but not as good for us.

Yes we travel about 20-30 minutes. (Can do it in about 18 at 4.30am 😂)

Our club is further than our towns club but time wise - because of where they train - it's not that different tbh. (Except for the leisure centre 1.5miles from me!)

But this is definitely the right club for ds and the right coaches for him.

Can you go to watch training at other clubs - either straight swimming or other disappointed and get a feel for their ethos and see if it meets what your DD wants?

Or even go and sit by C and W again and see if anything's changed or she'd manage the training load better now she's older?

Plenty of swimmers find it's the coach and not the club that make their swimming journey better. It's a real lottery to find the best of both worlds.

I only know Pimlico in that area. Is there anything down in Battersea?

It's a shame a single club has grabbed the central London pool times.