Equipment
Below is a list of equipment that swimmers will require during their time with the club.
The list of equipment depends on the type of training and the age of the swimmer and therefore varies by squad, so please check the squad descriptions for the specific equipment needed for your training group.
PLEASE MAKE SURE ALL EQUIPMENT HAS THE SWIMMER'S NAME ON IT! It is very common for equipment to become muddled or left on poolside and we want to return it to the correct owner.
Please remember that the Club can get hold of additional equipment, see the Club Shop page.
Essential For All Swimmers, Including Swim School
- Swimming Trunks/Jammers and Costumes - It is important for all swimmers to wear swimwear that allows them to move comfortably in the water. Swimming trunks or jammers are fine for boys, but not baggy shorts as these drag in the water and tend to make the swimmer's legs sink. Swimming costumes are fine for girls, preferably without frills as these also cause drag and inhibit the swimmers. The colour and pattern are left to the swimmer's personal preference. Swimwear may extend to the top of the swimmer's knee. Boys' swimwear should extend no higher than the bottom of the navel.
- Swimming Goggles - These are essential. Very few swimmers can train without goggles as they protect the eyes from some of the necessary chemicals in the water. They also aid good vision so are necessary for tumble turns. Always have at least two pairs available. Swimmers who are long or short sighted may benefit from optical goggles with prescription lenses to allow them to see the coaches, training session whiteboards and timing clocks more clearly. The style and colour of googles is left up to the swimmer's personal preference. Swimmers may find that dark and/or mirrored lenses reduce visibility in some pools and they may benefit from lighter or clear goggle lenses.
Essential For All Junior 3 Squad Swimmers and Upwards
- Drinks Bottle - To keep hydrated during training. 700ml capacity or higher. Plastic rather than metal so it floats. Water or diluted juice is fine - nothing fizzy.
- Swimming Hat - Keeps your hair under control and helps to identify club swimmers, but most important of all it creates less resistance with the consequence that you swim faster. Boys please note, it is not macho to swim without a hat. The yellow and black Eastleigh club hat is preferred but it is noted that swimmers are often proud to wear the limited-edition hats they can buy at competitions, e.g. county championship hats. Some pools insist on swimmers wearing hats and may prevent you swimming without one. Always have a spare hat because they can be prone to tears in the silicone from which they are made.
- Kick Boards - Held by hand, they support the arms and upper body whilst propulsion is ensured by a strong leg kick.
- Pull Buoys - These are gripped between the legs and ensure the buoyancy of the legs so that movement of the body comes from the action of the arms and therefore develops upper body strength.
- Fins - Give rapid propulsion and strengthen ankles and legs. Used in developing good butterfly technique. The legs don’t have to work quite so hard thus allowing the swimmer to develop a good arm action without tiring rapidly. The fins should be short, not the longer style of flippers used for scuba diving. Fins are made of rubber and swimmers may find their growing feet sometimes rub against slightly ill-fitting fins, therefore they may prefer to wear fin liners or trainer socks inside the fins to reduce friction.
Training Aids For Senior Swimmers
Check your squad description to see if these are needed in your squad.
- Hand Paddles - Excellent for good hand tracking underwater and their use increases arm and shoulder strength.
- Snorkel - Breathing aid. Should extend up the middle of the swimmer's face to the to of their head, not around the side. Allows the swimmer's head to remain still and in the water while executing training drills. Can take a bit of getting used to! Swimmers may wish to use a nose clip with their snorkel initially.
- Skipping Rope - Poolside warm up aid.
- Training Parachute or Drag Belt - Adds drag and builds power. Examples of suitable parachutes can be found on Decathlon and drag belts on Swimaholic.
Additional Equipment For Competitions
If you are swimming at Open Meets, it is recommended that you have the following additional equipment.
- Poolside Bag - Small bag to take onto poolside for keeping the essentials safe, e.g. your goggles, hat and snacks. Pools are often busy with limited space, so this bag needs to be small. The club offers an Eastleigh SC poolside bag printed with the swimmer's name, sold through our PB Teamwear shop.
- T-Shirt - a lightweight T-shirt to keep you comfortable on poolside. The Eastleigh club top is preferred at all competitions. This can be ordered from the Club Shop on Swim Club Manager.
- Race Suits/Jammers - These are optional and can be very expensive. Younger swimmers will tend to see a greater benefit from technique practice and improvement rather than the use of specialist suits. It is strongly recommended that parents and swimmers seek advice face-to-face with suppliers, such as Fastlegs and Swim Stop, who often have stalls set up at Open Meets, because they will ensure you get the correct swimwear and, critically, in the correct size. Race suits should always be FINA Approved. This means that it will have been sent to FINA by the manufacturer to be tested and checked that it meets FINA’s criteria for competing. If a swimsuit is FINA Approved it will have a FINA Approved label printed on the suit (normally on the rear). The colour and pattern of the swimwear is left to the personal preference of the swimmer. Race suit lifespan will be extended if the suits are worn only for competitions, not training, and are rinsed in cold water after each use.
- Shorts or Leggings - To protect swimwear from damage on the poolside tiles. Particularly important if you have an expensive race suit. Swimmers will be spending a lot of their time at competitions sitting on poolside and shorts/leggings will help costumes last longer. The Club has Eastleigh SC official shorts and leggings, sold through our PB Teamwear shop.
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