What's in your swimbag - deckbag?

Besides the standard accoutrement... pull boys paddles a small note book and pen/pencil to write down yardage flip flops for the fungus showers stalls a Sammy 2 water bottles one with water and another with a flavor of some sort to get the chlorine taste out of my mouth after practice A mesh bag to toss all the poolside "stuff" goggles, caps, ear plugs when the water bugs my ears etc... A lock for the locker Pretty boring and basic!

LOL, cute question. I have a locker so I don't carry a bag regularly. Once every 10 days or so I take all of my suits to the gym and put them in my locker. I take the one I wear home after the swim, rinse it out and hang it up. When all 10 return home it's time for me to take them back to the gym. I keep just the basics like, shampoo, soap, lotions and potions, brush, hair dryer, curling iron, make up, two pairs of goggles, two caps, my zoomers, the TI poolside primers, and numerous workouts (in plastic ziplock bags--that way I have a lot of workouts to choose from). I go straight from work to swim so I also have a plastic container to leave my jewelry/watch/cell phone/pda in, and a little bit of change, in my locker. My pool has kick boards, pull bouys, and hand paddles. I don't use them on a regular basis though, especially the pull bouys. I've been meaning to buy fist gloves. Also been thinking about a snorkle. Those of you have started using them, how are they working out?

Thank you! I'm trying to decide if I want to invest in some fins, paddles, a pull bouy and my own kickboard; our pool offers the normal red kickboards so I don't know if buying/using my own is actually going to help me re: toning my legs, etc. I'm not trying to win any races this year - just continue to shape-up and improve my physical condition. Since August, I've swum 162 miles so I'm in okay shape - I just want to get better! :cool:

I'm happy I just got a bunch of new stuff to carry for christmas (and a new bag to carry it in!!). I have the pretty standard stuff. 2 suits, like a bizilion pairs of googles (dont' know how I got so many:confused: ), a shamy, a huge towel (bath sheets are fun!), my zoomers, some caps, make-the-water-leave-your ear-drops, and some misc. bath items. If you're looking to tone your legs, I would say buy some zoomers. I have only swam with them for like 2 workouts but you can really feel them working. I have the red ones which are pretty stiff, so they make you work to kick. ~Kyra p.s. I'm glad to see that another fitness swimmer wants to start competing....it makes me feel so not alone! :D Good Luck and Happiness to everyone in the New Year!!!

My gym provides the towels, kickboards, paddles and fins, I have yet to use the paddles, and I bought my own zoomers fins as the ones at the gym are too long. So my backpack has goggles, a few swimcaps, my finger lap counter (can't live without it -- I was always losing count before!), flipflops, zoomers, my swimsuit, stuff for the shower, clean underwear, and today I just added my new waterproof MP3 player -- hopefully I'll get to test it out tomorrow!

I've been thinking about buying the finger lap counter! So you have one and you like it -- hmmmmm. This is exciting news! And you have a new MP3 player - :D - please let us know how you like it as that's another item I've been looking at purchasing... I just ordered my blue Zoomers tonight; toys can be such fun.

I bought it from SwimToWin at swimtowin.com/.../dsc.html but it was out of stock for a long time (even though the site didn't say that), so it took a good two months to arrive. A quick google search for either "finger lap counter" or "ring lap counter" should bring up other sites. Note that there is two different types, the cheapest one only counts laps and nothing else. I love mine, it's great!

look ---> here and here :D

I bring my own fins. I haven't come across a pool yet that has size 14s in their fin bin. (If they offer for-the-public fins at all...) I have my own paddles ("hans paddles"). I carry the fins and the paddles in their own mesh bag because I don't bring these to the pool every time. I use the pool's kickboards and pull buoys. In my bag is the towel and suit I will be using that day. A change of clothes. Goggles. Ear plugs. Swim cap (latex). (And spare goggle, plugs, cap and a suit.) I also have a spare set of glasses that I wear out to the pool. If my glasses are going to get damaged laying around on the deck, it may as well be an old pair. I also have a bottle of cornstarch baby powder. I powder my cap after I have dried it off. Keeps it from sticking to itself. Cornstarch dissolves, unlike talc. So I don't have to worry about breathing in any powder dust when I use cornstarch. I have a spare inhaler bottle (combivent/albuterol) for my asthma in case I forget to take a dose before leaving home. I bring a water bottle to the pool. Nalgene, 32 ounce, which I completely finish off by the end of my swim. (The air is dry in Colorado!) As for toiletries, besides the powder (which I also put into my socks after I get dressed after my swim) I carry deodorant and a shaving kit. No soap though. I use what they have in the dispensers in the showers. I have a little log sheet and a few pens. I keep track of miles ( in fractions of one-twelvths, for what it's worth. It's my own personal quirk.) And a lock. Never leave your stuff unlocked in the locker room! That's about it.

I love the finger lap counter -- I always lose count without it, and with it I know for sure how many laps I've done. Plus it gives me the total time I was swimming (it has a pause button so you know it's accurate), the fastest lap time, the slowest lap time and the average. I can't wait to try the MP3 player -- it was quite expensive but definitely worth it if it works!