Category: Swim Gear

Catalyst Stroke Paddles: A New Way to Train

Catalyst Stroke Paddles: A New Way to Train

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Most competitive swimmers are already aware of the importance of using tools like swim paddles to train more effectively. In fact, this is just as important as finding the right competitive swimwear in Dallas. However, not all paddles are created the same. For instance, the Catalyst Stroke Paddles offer a unique way to use this swim training tool. Before you make your final choice, read on to learn more about why these paddles are different.

Train more effectively with Catalyst Stroke Paddles.
Catalyst Stroke Paddles offer great versatility.

An Adjustable Option

One of the key differences that makes Catalyst Stroke Paddles an excellent option for many swimmers is the fact they are fully adjustable. The string used to position the paddles on the hands can be moved into a vast number of positions, each offering a different type of resistance, useful for various aspects of training. This versatility makes the competitive swimming equipment a must-have, whether you are a competitive swimmer or swimming more for the fitness aspects.

A Number of Sizes

In addition to being fully adjustable to offer the precise training you require, these swim paddles are available in a number of sizes to accommodate each swimmer’s needs. The sizes are color-coded, allowing you to quickly and easily find a matching pair. Most swimmers can maximize the benefits of this type of swim training gear by purchasing two sizes so they can be switched out and offer varying resistance to meet different needs.

The Competitive Advantage

Catalyst Stroke Paddles help swimmers in a number of ways so they can build on their competitive advantage. Some of the benefits of using this competitive swim equipment in Dallas, TX, includes building upper body strength and improving the overall swim technique. Because you can adjust these paddles and choose the perfect size for you, you can rest assured you will get the full benefit each time you use them. Every swim is a different experience with the varied resistance these paddles can provide.

Competitive swimmers need to constantly find training tools they can use to increase strength and improve their overall swimming technique. This equipment is constantly changing, helping you keep up with the rigors of training and get the performance improvements you’re looking for.

If you’re looking for the right competitive swim equipment in Dallas, TX, contact us. We carry everything you need to become a more effective swimmer.

Why Swimming With Kickboards Should Be Part of Your Training

Why Swimming With Kickboards Should Be Part of Your Training

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While you may associate the use of TYR kickboards with a young child learning how to swim, they actually have a use beyond that, much like many of the other competitive swimming products available on the market today. These kickboards offer an advantage in the water, helping you focus on training certain muscle groups and perfecting specific aspects of your technique so you can become a stronger swimmer.

Train more effectively with TYR kickboards.
TYR kickboards can be an effective training tool.

Isolate the Leg Muscles

When you are holding onto a kickboard as part of your training for competitive swimming in Dallas, TX, you are taking your arms out of the swimming equation. Not only that, but you won’t have to think as much about your breathing because your head is held out of the water naturally. This means every action you take focuses on the leg muscles so you can build them up for a stronger kick. You are also able to focus on the technique you use. Isolating certain parts of your technique can help you strengthen them individually before you use them together.

Rest Your Shoulders

If you’ve been working your shoulders particularly hard, they could likely use a rest during some of your training sessions. Using TYR kickboards as part of your training allows you to give your shoulders the rest they need so your muscles can heal and you can go back to this aspect of your training at a future date. You can even use your kickboard for a shorter break during a training session if your shoulders are getting fatigued.

Ideal for Breaststroke Swimmers

Those who participate in breaststroke races will see a greater benefit from the use of kickboards than those who use other strokes. This is because the position the kickboard puts you in is more natural to the breaststroke position, allowing you to work on effective body positioning in the water. The kickboard also holds your chest out of the water enough to mimic the strong movement of the chest required by the breaststroke, helping you become a more effective swimmer.

There are many ways in which this type of competitive swimming products can be beneficial to your overall swimming technique. Talk to your coach about whether investing in one is a good idea for your training sessions.

If you’re looking for the best products for your competitive swimming in Dallas, TX, contact us. We carry everything you need to help enhance your training sessions.

How to Defog Swimming Goggles

How to Defog Swimming Goggles

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One of the primary reasons competitive swimmers wear the best swimming goggles is to be able to see clearly in the water as they swim. However, this type of swim gear can be susceptible to fogging in certain conditions. The good news is there are competitive swimwear products in Dallas, TX, that can help you defog your goggles, as well as some other remedies that can help with this problem so you can rest assured you can always see well, both in and out of the water.

Do you have problems with the best swimming goggles fogging up?
Even the best swimming goggles can fog up.D

Spit on Them

It may not seem like a plausible solution, but you can actually use your own saliva to help defog your swimming goggles. Spit into your goggles and rub it around a bit before rinsing it off in the pool water. This will create a layer of water that sticks to the inside of the lenses so the condensation that creates fog won’t develop.

Baby Shampoo

Baby shampoo is gentle enough to use where it won’t bother your eyes but will also create a protective layer that prevents fog from developing for a period of time. Simply add a drop or two into each lens, rub it around and then rinse it off.

Toothpaste

Just like baby shampoo, toothpaste can create a protective barrier. However, make sure the toothpaste you choose to use doesn’t contain any abrasives because this will scratch the lenses and ultimately ruin even the best swimming goggles. Simply rub the toothpaste into the lenses and buff it out with a towel.

Commercial Antifog Sprays

One of the best ways to keep your goggles from fogging up for a longer period of time is to choose commercial antifog sprays. These sprays can be applied to any goggles and will last a bit longer than some of the other DIY methods of defogging your goggles. Many of the major competitive swimwear manufacturers make a version of the spray so try different brands to find the one that’s right for you.

If you’re looking for the best competitive swimwear and competitive swimwear products in Dallas, TX, contact us. We carry everything you need to be a more effective swimmer.

Ear Protection for Competitive Swimmers

Ear Protection for Competitive Swimmers

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One of the biggest problems individuals have when it comes to competitive swimming is keeping the water out of the ears so they can stay comfortable. This means having the right competitive swim equipment in Dallas, TX. One of the best ways to combat this problem is using earplugs for swimmers. This equipment effectively keeps water out of your ears so you can swim without concern over developing swimmer’s ear.

Learn how to choose the right earplugs for swimmers.
Which are the right earplugs for swimmers?

Types of Earplugs

There are several types of earplugs. Which ones are the best earplugs for swimmers depends on your own personal preferences, as long as they’re rated for swimming. Flanged earplugs offer a universal fit using multiple flanges to block the water out of the ears. These are often the least expensive option but may not fit as well for everyone. Ergonomic earplugs fit securely in the ears and lie flat against the ear canal to reduce resistance. Finally, moldable earplugs offer the best customized fit so you don’t have to worry about water entering the ears.

Various Materials

In addition to the type of earplug, you will also need to be concerned about what material they are made from. Most earplugs for swimmers are latex-free so those who suffer from a latex allergy shouldn’t have a problem finding the right earplugs for them. However, be sure to read the descriptions carefully because some of them do contain latex. For the most part, earplugs are made from a soft silicone material because it is hypoallergenic and can easily be molded and reused. If you’re a competitive swimmer, you want to choose the best earplugs for swimmers that are reusable so you don’t have to keep buying them repeatedly.

Swimmers ear can be one of the biggest challenges for swimmers. While many swimmers are mostly unaffected by getting water in their ears, others are much more susceptible to problems caused by letting water in the ears. The good news is earplugs don’t often affect your ability to move through the water and don’t create more drag. This means you can easily keep the water out of your ears without negatively impacting your swimming performance.

If you’re looking for the best earplugs for swimmers or other competitive swim equipment in Dallas, TX, contact us. We carry a vast number of earplugs for swimmers so you can find the perfect one for your needs.

4 Reasons You Should Be Training With Swim Fins

4 Reasons You Should Be Training With Swim Fins

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There are many types of competitive swimming products used to help swimmers train to their fullest and reach their highest potential. One of the most widely used pieces of equipment, beyond your competitive swimwear in Dallas, are swim fins. These fins can help create drag in the water and help swimmers focus more on certain aspects of their swimming technique. The following information is critical if you intend to use these swim fins as part of your training routine.

Learn how to choose the right swim fins.
Swim fins can be an effective way to build strength and endurance.

More Than Faster Swimming

If you’ve ever gone swimming with swimming fins on your feet, you understand the impact. They certainly make you move through the water more quickly. However, these competitive swimming products do so much more than that. When you use them as part of your swim training, you can reduce your kick count by as much as 40 percent, allowing you to conserve more energy in the long run. This means you can swim more effectively without negatively impacting your swim times.

A Vast Array of Benefits

There are many benefits to using swim fins as part of your training for competitive swimming. For instance, because of the increased resistance created by these fins, you will build muscle strength in your legs, making your kicks more effective when you swim without them. You will also see improvements in your kick technique, as well as your ankle flexibility so you can swim better. With the use of swimming fins, you also improve your body position and your stroke technique, reduce the amount of stress your shoulders go through and increase your strength and endurance. While it’s best not to overwork yourself and you should always mix up your workout routine, the use of the right competitive swimming products will strengthen your workout and help you become a more effective swimmer.

Choosing the Right Swim Fins

When you first start browsing competitive swimming products, you will find there are a lot of options from which to choose, even when you’re looking at one item like swimming fins. There are basically two choices you’ll have to make: the length and the flexibility. Length impacts how much resistance the swim fins create. Shorter fins are often best for more frequent use. Longer fins help you move faster and slow down your kick rate so you can focus on your technique. The flexibility also impacts how hard you must work while wearing these fins. If your swim fins are too flexible, you can see a reduction in benefit. However, the right answer is based entirely on your own preferences and strength level.

If you’re looking for the best competitive swimming products, including competitive swimwear in Dallas, contact us. We carry everything you need to train to be a better swimmer.

4 Reasons Your Team Needs Customized Swim Parkas

4 Reasons Your Team Needs Customized Swim Parkas

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Consider the last time you got out of the pool. Even on particularly sweltering days, you may have felt a bit of a chill run through you. This comes from the contrast in temperature between the pool water and the air. No swimmer likes this sensation. Luckily, however, there is a way to protect yourself against this feeling.

A swim parka is one of the best pieces of gear any swimmer can own. As soon as you slip it on after your swim, you’re guaranteed to feel perfectly warm. Of course, there are other benefits swim team parkas can offer as well.

When you're on the sidelines, a swim parka can help.
A swim parka is ideal for your time on the sidelines.

They’re Great for Showing Team Spirit

Whether your team is newly formed or simply looking for new gear, a custom swim team parka is always a great option to consider. The vast majority of swim team parkas come with flaps on the back and the front; these areas make great places to add the names of your team members, logos or anything else you’d like. Make your team stand out by decorating your custom swim team parkas with your trademark colors.

They Come With Pockets

While most swim parkas come with just two pockets, you can request a few additional pockets if you like. This makes it easier to keep all of your key gear, such as your phone and goggles, on hand when you need them. You can even choose how they close. Velcro and zippers keep your items secure inside your pockets.

They Have Excellent Ventilation

While swim team parkas are definitely designed with warmth in mind, they’re also light enough to prevent you from being too warm; in other words, swim parkas are quite different from traditional parkas. Your swim parka will feature ventilation flaps at the back of the garment and under your arms.

The Internal Lining Won’t Hinder You

In addition to plenty of ventilation, your custom swim team parka will also feature unique inside lining. It will typically be made from either faux fur or fleece, but fleece is the more popular option. Fleece is much better at drying you off once you’re out of the water, especially if you don’t get the chance to towel dry beforehand. It also tends to feel more comfortable than faux fur.

If you’re curious to know more about why swim parkas are the best type of gear for you or you’d like to order your own custom swim team parkas, get in touch with our team at D&J Sports! We’ll hook you up with high-quality swim parkas that look and feel great.

5 Useful Tips for Putting on Your Swim Cap

5 Useful Tips for Putting on Your Swim Cap

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It may seem simple to put your swim cap on. After all, there’s not much to them. However, team swim caps can be much more difficult to put on correctly than they appear, especially for individuals who may have longer hair. When you follow these tips, you can easily put on the custom swim caps without taking up too much time.

Learn how to put on custom swim caps.
Custom swim caps can provide the fit you need.

Stretch It Out

Lace your fingers together  and place your hands inside the swim cap. Once inside the cap, part your hands and stretch out the material so it will easily fit around your head without touching it. This will help reduce any hair pulling you may experience.

Settle the Cap

You don’t have to get team swimming caps in place all in one shot. While stretching it out and pulling it over your head in this position will get it mostly in the right position, you may still need to make adjustments. Tuck in any stray hairs and pull the edges carefully into place to keep your head as hydrodynamic as possible.

Wet Hair and Cap

Custom swim caps are designed to get wet, but many swimmers try to put them on while their hair and cap are both dry. This can make it more difficult. Instead, you should consider wetting down both your hair and the cap before you put your swim cap on.

Use a Ponytail

If you have longer hair, it can be a real challenge to get all of it into team swimming caps quickly and easily. One of the best ways is to put your hair up in a low, loose ponytail so you can easily sweep it up and under the swim cap without too much trouble.

Keep It Even

It’s important to keep your hair even when you’re putting it up in your swim cap. If you don’t evenly spread your hair throughout the swim cap, you could cause an imbalance while you’re swimming. While it won’t slow you down significantly, every fraction of a second counts when it comes to competitive swimming.

If you’re looking for the best team swim caps, contact us. We carry a vast array of styles made from a number of materials so you can rest assured you get the right one to meet your needs.

Holiday Gifts for Competitive Swimmers

Holiday Gifts for Competitive Swimmers

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As you start shopping for those holiday gifts, it can be difficult to decide exactly what to get that competitive swimmer in your life. This guide will help you make the right choice to please your favorite swimmer.

Get the best swimming goggles as a gift for swimmers.
The best swimming goggles can make the perfect gift.

Swimming Goggles

Having the best swimming goggles can be a blessing for any swimmer. There are a vast array of options available. If you aren’t sure which ones the swimmer in your life prefers, you may want to consider one of the top ranking pairs of goggles on the market. For instance, the Arena Cobra Ultra Mirror Goggles are an excellent option for a neutral look with optimal performance in mind.

Storage Solutions

Swimmers have a lot of gear they need to take from one place to another. This is why it’s important to have a good backpack to transport items. A Speedo backpack is a great choice due to their durability and the fact they are designed with swimmers in mind. There are plenty of sections to store everything swimmers need, as well as to keep their wet items separate from things that just can’t get wet.

A Snorkel

Snorkels aren’t just for snorkeling. In fact, if you purchase a Finis Freestyle snorkel for your favorite competitive swimmer, you are giving them all the advantages when they train. They may not use these items when they’re competing, but they do have many benefits when used as part of their training.

Other Items

If these items aren’t something you feel the competitive swimmer can benefit from, there are a vast number of other options from which you can choose. For instance, a waterproof MP3 player can help swimmers relax in between their races or to focus better on their training. A stopwatch and even some water shoes can be other excellent choices for swimmers. If you aren’t sure what to get for them, don’t be afraid to ask them or someone close to them what they may need to help with their training so you can give them something they will truly enjoy.

If you’re looking for the best competitive swimming gear, contact us. We can help you find the perfect gift for the competitive swimmer in your life.

Should You Be Using a Swim Stopwatch?

Should You Be Using a Swim Stopwatch?

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There are many competitive swimwear products you may need.
A stopwatch is one of the best competitive swimwear products.

Timing is everything when it comes to competitive swimming. If you aren’t the fastest swimmer in the water, you won’t be able to win your races. While you’ll always know whether you are the fastest at the end of the race, it’s important to be able to track your time when you’re training as well. One of the best ways is to invest in a swim stopwatch, such as the Ultrak 330 Swim Stopwatch or the Seiko 300 Split Link to PC Solar Stopwatch. Before you make your purchase, it’s critical to understand why they are such an important tool.

Better Used Later

In the earliest stages of learning to swim competitively, it’s more necessary for individuals to focus on learning the proper techniques to propel themselves through the water more effectively for faster speed times. The amount of time it takes to complete a lap across the pool is irrelevant for the most part at this point. Instead, you should be focusing on learning the proper techniques before you further hone your skills and pay attention to the clock. In these stages, a simple pace clock will work well for keeping track of your times and noting whether improvements were made. Once you are a stronger swimmer, a more precise stopwatch is much more effective.

What Can It Do?

Once you make the decision to use a stopwatch for your swim training, it’s important to understand exactly what they are capable of doing. Those that are designed for swimming specifically will offer a number of features that help you break down the information and get the most out of it so you can continue to grow and improve. A cumulative split timer allows you to track your individual laps, along with your overall time. A good stopwatch should also have a countdown timer. This timer is excellent when you want to perform a specific training task for a certain amount of time. Once the set time has expired, an alarm goes off. These alarms can also have other uses. A good swimming stopwatch has a vast array of features that make it more useful than your typical pace clock, including the ability to store times to reference next time.

If you’ve been thinking about investing in a stopwatch to help keep track of your swim times or are looking for the best competitive swimwear products in Dallas, TX, contact us. We carry a variety of features designed to help you better track your times so you can note improvements as they happen.

6 Swimming Tools Every Competitive Swimmer Should Have

6 Swimming Tools Every Competitive Swimmer Should Have

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If you’re ready to get involved in competitive swimming, it’s essential to get the right competitive swimwear products in Dallas, TX. There are certain types of swim gear that are essential if you want to succeed. The following are six customizable swim gear options you should consider.

You need the best swimming goggles.
The best swimming goggles is just part of what you need.

Swim Goggles

Having the best swimming goggles is of utmost importance. Not only do they protect your eyes in the water so you can see clearly, but they must also be comfortable to wear for long periods of time. Choosing the right goggles will help you perform better in the water.

Swim Fins

If you’re looking to improve the strength in your legs, swim fins can be the perfect swim gear to use. These come in a variety of styles, each one designed to help with another aspect of your swimming technique so you can perform your best.

Pull Buoy

Resistance is something most swimmers avoid while in the water. However, it can be a critical training tool that helps build endurance and strength. Investing in a pull buoy can help you achieve this goal. This gear floats behind you in the water, creating drag that forces you to work harder and strengthen your muscles.

Swim Snorkel

Breathing properly is a critical aspect of swimming well. However, there are times when you need to focus on your technique and less on making sure you get your head out of the water to breathe. When you utilize a swimming snorkel during your training, you can focus more on what you need to do without worrying about the breathing element.

Kickboard

Many people associate the kickboard with teaching young children how to swim in the early stages. However, they can also have benefits for those who are training competitively. When you use this important piece of swim gear, you can improve both the kicking technique you use and your leg strength.

Hand Paddles

Another critical element for effective swim training is hand paddles. These paddles also come in a variety of shapes and styles, each designed with a different purpose in mind. Overall, they are meant to create resistance for strength and endurance, as well as help swimmers focus on the proper stroke technique.

If you’re looking for the best competitive swimwear products in Dallas, TX, contact us. We carry everything you need to become a more effective swimmer and perform your best at all times.