What Equipment Do I Need For My First Swim

photo via matt coughlin

So! You're ready to swim. What equipment do you need for your first day at the pool?

**Side note, for most of my swimming equipment needs I head to SwimOutlet.com. This is primarily because it has a wide selection, reasonable prices, and I am way too lazy to go to the store. One thing about ordering suits online is that, like pants, size and shape of swim suits vary with brand. If you are new to swimming it may be beneficial to go into a store and try a few suits on, just so you have some frame of reference and know where to start.**

Suit
Obviously.

MEN - please don't wear board shorts. It is the equivalent of running with a parachute tied around your waist. I know many of you are terrified of spandex (especially Americans), but fortunately there are a lot of options that are not the traditional speedo. There are jammers, drag suits, square leg suits...go do a little shopping. You will be glad you did on that last fast 100 of a long set.

WOMEN - one piece or two piece is fine. Just make sure if you go with a two piece you don't have a lot of extra room in the top (it will billow) and that your bottoms are tight (they will fall off when you push off the wall). Most competition two piece suits have tie bottoms, so you can tighten them around the waist.

Goggles
There are tons of options for goggles out there, and they are kind of a personal preference. I generally recommend the Speedo Vanquisher, because they tend to fit most people's faces. But there are lots of other shapes and sizes out there, don't be afraid to try something different.

Caps
People with long hair - PLEASE WEAR A CAP. I know they're ugly but, like men in board shorts, swimming without a cap is just going to make your life more difficult than it needs to be. The two main types of cap are latex (cheaper) and silicon (lasts longer and is easier to put on, but can sometimes slip around, especially if you've just conditioned your hair).

Water Bottle
You sweat in the pool. Drink water.

That's it! 

Equipment such as pull buoys and kick boards are often available for use at pools, and we will be introducing that into workouts early on. But for your initial visit and establishing your base, etc, they won't be necessary.

Additional Equipment
In the future, you may want to look into getting fins (this would be my first purchase), a buoy and kick board (if your pool doesn't have them), and eventually paddles.