I occasionally use paddles, fins, pull buoy, kick board(a lot) and other stuff depending on my work out plan(which I usually get from this site).
I often read that some swimmers say NOT to use gear.
What's your take?
Parents
Former Member
Hey Iroger. I'm not training for anything besides just getting exercise and having fun. I constantly use flippers, gloves, etc. in the pool but I do focus on making sure I keep proper form too.
I've been to lap pools I swear are quite colder than they should be so I just use a shorty (short arms/legs) wetsuit. Your water sounds colder or at the limit of what a short wetsuit (they're usually about 2-2.5mm thick) can work well in. My best guess is you either will want a shorty (if you are typically hotter and don't want to feel restricted a bit) or you will want a full suit that's 3mm/2mm (3mm in the body and 2mm at the arms / legs).
Just make sure you rinse your suit out in fresh water afterward and lay it flat to dry and it should last. A shorty you can get for about US$60-80 and a full suit is about $100-120. I would not bother with really expensive suits, you just want something made right + fits you. If you have a local dive shop it might help to ask them, but a little shopping and reading some reviews should help. My own personal opinion, I would get something that seems durable/stitched well and isn't expensive so when it breaks in a few years you can just get a new one or repair it with wetsuit glue. I know Cressi has some good suits that people use in the pool constantly for dive classes so those will hold up--they really all should. The only problem the chlorine should cause in addition to the kind of use you'd see in scuba diving is fading of the lycra. I think you'll at least get your money's worth out of it.
Hey Iroger. I'm not training for anything besides just getting exercise and having fun. I constantly use flippers, gloves, etc. in the pool but I do focus on making sure I keep proper form too.
I've been to lap pools I swear are quite colder than they should be so I just use a shorty (short arms/legs) wetsuit. Your water sounds colder or at the limit of what a short wetsuit (they're usually about 2-2.5mm thick) can work well in. My best guess is you either will want a shorty (if you are typically hotter and don't want to feel restricted a bit) or you will want a full suit that's 3mm/2mm (3mm in the body and 2mm at the arms / legs).
Just make sure you rinse your suit out in fresh water afterward and lay it flat to dry and it should last. A shorty you can get for about US$60-80 and a full suit is about $100-120. I would not bother with really expensive suits, you just want something made right + fits you. If you have a local dive shop it might help to ask them, but a little shopping and reading some reviews should help. My own personal opinion, I would get something that seems durable/stitched well and isn't expensive so when it breaks in a few years you can just get a new one or repair it with wetsuit glue. I know Cressi has some good suits that people use in the pool constantly for dive classes so those will hold up--they really all should. The only problem the chlorine should cause in addition to the kind of use you'd see in scuba diving is fading of the lycra. I think you'll at least get your money's worth out of it.
