Equipment

What equipment does my child need?

Swimmers will need the following items in training sessions:

Swimmers are encouraged to bring their own kit, but we

can lend kit to swimmers during sessions, if required.

Below is a list of links from the head coach that you may find useful when buying equipment for your swimmer. These items can be purchased anywhere (and of course there are often alternative brands that suit different budgets) but it's always worth checking Allens of Kingsbury as we have a permanent 10% discount code with them (check Spond for the code).

Goggles

As a rule of thumb – a pair of good fitting googles will stay on for 5secs when just affixed to the eye-sockets (without the straps around the head), and the head is bent slightly forward.

Swimmers should have at least two pairs of goggles – one for training which have comfortable fitting straps, and one pair for competition where the straps are much tighter (so they don’t come off when diving in!). The training pair can then also be used in an emergency as a back-up pair for competition.

XBASE Goggles - Decathlon -Ideal for younger/junior swimmers

Aqua Sphere XCEED Goggles - Decathlon

Adult Fastskin Goggles - Speedo

Junior Vengeance or Fastskin Goggles - Speedo

Python / Cobra Racing Goggles - Arena

THEMAGIC5 custom made goggles

Goggles

Floats

Floats/ kickboards

NO LABEL Swimming Float

Kickboard 100 - Decathlon

Pull Buoys

FINIS Foam Pull Buoy Jr

FINIS Foam Pull Buoy

Nabaji Pull Buoy 100 - Decathlon

Speedo Unisex-Adult Swim Training Pull Buoy

Pull Buoys

Fins

Cressi Light Short Swimming Fins – For younger/junior swimmers.

Arena Powerfin Pro Swim Training Fins

FINIS Adult Z2 Zoomers Gold

Maru Training Fins

Caps

Chapeltown Club caps can be purchased via Connor Robinson/Merchandise. If swimmers wear swim caps regularly – both in training and/or in competition, then they should have at least 2 or 3 caps, in case one becomes torn!

A quick tip to prolong the life of swim caps, is to dry them inside and out immediately after use, and dust inside and out with talcum powder, to stop the inside sticking to each other, and the outside sticking to other caps/items. Talcum powder also helps reduce the risk of mould appearing.

Arena unisex classic silicone swim cap

Speedo Long Hair Swim Cap

Speedo Fastskin Competition Swim Caps

Arena 3D Soft Swim Cap

Caps

Girls/Womens Swimwear

Competition racing suits are expensive and should not be used for training sessions. They have an “in-water” shelf-life of approximately 20 hours (or about 6-12months of competition depending on how often a swimmer competes) They should be rinsed in COLD water after use and left to drip dry (in the shower – not outside in direct sunlight.)

Different suits have different fits – either around the hips, the body-loop torso or around the bust. It does not necessarily follow that the most expensive suit will be the best fit. The advice is to try on different suits (from different manufacturers) to find the best fit for you. Competition racing suits are designed to be a tight fit and they should take about 10minutes to get into (anything less than 5mins means that the suit is too big!). Swimmers may also find that they need a friend to pull the shoulder straps out so that they can get their arms in.

Also note that racing suit sizes are usually smaller than standard training costumes. For example, if you usually have 32” training costume, then you probably need a size 26 racing suit. Different manufacturers also have different sizes – a Speedo 26 is NOT the same as an Arena 26!

Speedo Fastskin Endurance+ and LZR range

Arena Girls Powerskin

Arena Womens Powerskins

Speedo Fastskin LZR

Boys/Men Swimwear

Speedo Men's Fastskin LZR Pure Valor Jammer Swim Briefs

Arena Men's Powerskin Carbon Air Swim Jammers

Boys Speedo and Arena Jammers

swimwear

Other Equipment

Paddles

Speedo Unisex-Adult Swim Training Power Plus Paddles