Swimming club newbie - what do we need?

[Junibug]

Hi all, my DD8 is starting at her local swimming club tomorrow (in our town’s leisure centre). Training just an hour each week at the moment. Just wondering if there were any essential bits of kit to make things easier, like for getting changed, showering etc? Also any tips for swimming club mums and generally what to expect? Thanks in advance x

Ours needed good goggles (plus replacements for when they lots them) and they needed flippers.

My dd who had long hair, it was really helpful to have conditioner on hand to comb through in the shower to get the knots out - but this will depend on the number of children trying to use the showers at the end and the number of showers there are.

Depending on what time of day they are swimming, then snacks! or working out when they can eat, around swimming.

I found a slow cooker useful - get home and a hearty meal is waiting, don't have to start thinking about what's for tea them preparing it.

An hour a week is pretty similar to swim lessons so nothing much really but as she progresses you will need very deep pockets, a flexible job or lots of help and an ability to spot "those parents" and not get drawn into their drama.

The club will give you a kit list and it can vary quite a lot by club what equipment they decide they need at what age/level etc so best to just be led by them.

If your DD has long hair, wet it in the shower before putting her swimming cap on. It will absorb less chlorine that way.

I’d check the kit list but actually buy stuff once she’s started so you can see what the others have. We got the wrong pull buoy when my daughter first started as I didn’t realise they came in different sizes (hers was too thick) and flipper length can be different as well.

You’ll see lots of kids in dry robes. The real ones are mega expensive and you can get non-branded for about 1/3 of the price.

A kit bag is handy so they have everything together and ours requires them to have a plastic water bottle and not metal pool side.

We ask for Maru fins, pull buoy, kick board and snorkel. The fins have to be training fins, not scuba style ones. The snorkel needs to be a child one otherwise it will be too big. Decathlon have a decent range too. With kickboards, a small one is ok, a full size Arena one will be too big and lead to incorrect body position in the water.
Tie hair back in a low ponytail / bun otherwise the amount of hair makes it awkward for goggles if it’s there is a lot of hair too high up. When goggle straps are under the pony/bun, they are too low and they will come off when diving in.
Feel free to PM me, I coach this age group and slightly older and go often go through these things with new parents.

I disagree, my children’s half an hour lesson can’t compare to the intensity demanded in an hour with so much swimming, pushing on and building stamina.

Best thing is to ask the club themselves no point buying everything like hand paddles, snorkles etc especially for an hour a week. At that level for one hour at our club I work at we give out a kickboards and pullbouys. Its only when you go up into the squads you will need the additional stuff. Usually you get a cap off them but get a good pair of googles arena is a good brand and start from 9.99.

I didn't say it was the same I said it was pretty similar I.e only half an hour more and to be fair it depends on the club the intensity of that hour. It certainly doesn't need any major change to strategy for getting changed or shower which is what the OP asked.