Swimming Gear Essentials | 8 Things You Must Have

Have you ever arrived at the pool and realized you forgot an essential piece of gear? Admittedly, you don’t need too much to make the most out of your workout, but still, having all of your swimming gear essentials together is super helpful, especially if you’re in a rush.

Maybe you’ve wondered why swimmers always seem to have such a large backpack, and maybe even an extra gym bag as well. Well in this article we are going to talk about all the swimming gear essentials that should be in your swimming bag(s) and let you know what you might need for your next swim.

Keep in mind that some of these items are for more advanced swimmers while others are for more casual swimmers.

Top 8 Swimming Gear Essentials

Essential #1: A High-Quality Swim Bag

This may be an obvious item, but we’re still listing it.

You’ll need a bag that’s big enough to carry all of your swimming gear. This swim bag is made of an open weave mesh for strength and quick-drying, which will minimize the growth of bacteria and fungus.

A quick tip would be to keep a smaller, separate bag that you can use to keep all your wet gear away from the dry things in your bag. If you’re desperate, you can always use your swim cap as a makeshift small bag to keep small items separate.

#2 The Swimming Essentials: Goggles, a cap, and a Practical Swimsuit

You’re not going to get very far without the essentials: a swimsuit, pair of goggles, and a cap.

Often people will just wear their swimsuit to the pool since this eliminates the chance of forgetting it.

Goggles can also be worn around your neck as you travel to the pool, but we recommend bringing an extra pair in your swim bag, even if they end up being just for a friend. We’ve gone into depth about our favorite swimming goggles in this article.

When it comes to the cap, they’re small and lightweight, so there’s no harm in just keeping a spare one. They also come in handy when separating wet swimming gear from dry gear after your workout.

#3 A High-Quality Towel

If there’s one item everyone relies on when they step out of the pool, it’s definitely their towel. Our choice is a quick drying, microfiber option.

There is nothing worse than having to use a t-shirt to dry yourself off, and then having to wear that same now wet t-shirt home, all because you forgot a towel.

If you’re a bit tight on space in your bag, wear it around your neck or over your arm. This is one item you will surely miss if you don’t have it.

#4 An Appropriate Water Bottle

Just because you’re surrounded by water doesn’t mean you’re getting hydrated. Many gyms where pools are located are normally hot and humid. These conditions can lead to fainting and a whole host of problems you are dehydrated.

Always have a water bottle with you and try and get in the habit of taking drinks throughout your training session.

We also recommend keeping some electrolyte fuel mix nearby.

#5 Pull Buoy

Now on to the swim toys, which admittedly can be a little bit bulky, but we definitely think these are worth taking.

A pull buoy is a foamy piece of gear that you hold between your knees as you swim to eliminate the need for kicking and improve your upper body workout.

These are really good tools for recovery and warm-up.

#6 Kick-board

Since we mentioned pull buoys, we can’t help but mention the kick-board. These do the opposite of pull buoys as they hold the upper body up and force the lower body to do all the work to move.

They also add some resistance to your workout in the water since you’re essentially pushing a large shield through the water in front of you with only your legs.

Again, these are great to use for recovery and warm-up.

#7 Ankle Bands

Now that we’ve covered the more essential items, we’ll move on to less popular ones. You might not have thought about this one.

The ankle band is an extention of the pull buoy exercise. These are essentially stretchy resistance bands that keep you from kicking when you want to isolate your upper body workout.

Even with a pull buoy between your knees, your lower legs may be tempted to sneak in a little kick. These bands are for swimmers that are serious about focusing on their upper body.

They can also be worn around the knees if you don’t have a pull buoy, or in conjunction with the pull buoy to maximize your workout.

#8 Stretch Cord

This piece of the kit may be surprising, and it’s a larger version of our previous item. It’s known as a physio band or resistance band, which is basically a big piece of stretchy elastic.

It comes in handy for various swimming warm ups. For instance, you could do some stability work with your shoulders by placing the band under your feet and pulling it up in a bicep curl motion, or you could stretch your calves by sitting on the ground with the band beneath your feet as you pull it toward your chest.

Swimmers use these before and after their training sessions if they don’t have very much time in the water.

Conclusion

Swimming is one of the best sports for weight loss, and we’ve gone into detail about swimming for weight loss in this article. This list of swimming gear essentials is to help you reach your fitness goals without you having to question if you forgot an essential piece of gear at home. Be sure to check out our favorite swimming goggles, and let us know in the comment section below if you would suggest any other items for this list.

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