Which Are the Best Brands for Competitive Swimwear?

Which Are the Best Brands for Competitive Swimwear?

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Competitive Swimwear
The Speedo LZR Elite Jammer is just one example of great competitive swimwear.

Competition swimming often requires a different type of swimwear than what you would wear for a leisurely swim at the beach or community pool. This is because competitive swimwear is designed to cut down on water resistance so you can swim as fast as your ability allows. As you seek the right swimsuit for you, it is important to know some of the top names in competitive swimsuits so you can choose the best.

Arena Swimwear

When you are considering your swimsuit for competition purposes, the Arena swimwear line is one of the best in the business. From the unique compression points and sleek design to the material, you will find just the right suit to meet your needs. For men, the Carbon Pro, XP and R-Evo+ are great options to provide you with optimal performance. For women, there are even more options among the Carbon Pro, XP and R-Evo+. Find the one that best suits your needs.

Speedo Swimwear

Speedo isn’t just a big name with your leisure swimwear; they are also one of the biggest names in competitive swimwear. When you choose a Speedo suit, you will know you have a top-quality suit that provides you with every advantage in the water. Some of the top suits in from this brand for both men and women include the Fastskin, LZR Elite and Aquablade.

TYR Swimwear

Another of the big names in competitive swimwear is the TYR line of suits for men and women. When it comes to the TYR line, you will be able to combine the design you need to do well in the water with great colors that will have you standing out from the rest of the crowd. The best TYR swimwear for your competition needs include the AP12 Compression and Tracer.

When you have a need for competitive swimwear, it is important to know which brands you can trust. You want swimwear that will provide you with the streamlining you need to cut through the water with the least resistance. No matter how good of a swimmer you are, too much resistance can be detrimental to your ability to win. When you choose a swimsuit from Arena, Speedo or TYR, you know you have one that will last and provide you with the features you need to be the best you can be in the water. The best swimsuits allow you to best showcase your own talents.

Training with Kickboards

Training with Kickboards

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Swim Training Kickboards
Kickboards can help with swim training on all levels.

Kickboards used to be used strictly for new swimmers to teach them how to float and kick in the water. Today, they have become well known as one of the best swim training aids for adults as well. Competitive swimmers can use kickboards to enhance their cardiovascular workouts, as well as use them as a training aid to enhance their swimming skills. There are various different types of kickboards available, each with their own unique benefits. Training with kickboards is done to isolate certain movements to aid the instructor or coach to better help the swimmer. They also help swimmers isolate specific muscles, such as legs, hips or stomach muscles, to enhance the workout, allowing swimmers to focus on particular body parts that need more strength.

Combined Swim Training Aids

There are various swim training aids, such as the Arena Pull Kick, that offer several different workouts, reducing the need to carry many bulky tools to and from the pool. The Pull Kick gives swimmers the ability to work on upper and lower body maneuvers in the water with one tool.

Perfecting the Butterfly Kick

When swimmers undergo training with kickboards, they can keep their head above the water, listening to the direction from their coach, while isolating the movement in their legs. This allows swimmers to truly focus on the kick, which is the essential part of this type of swimming. With the kickboard supporting the upper body, swimmers can simply relax their upper body, while focusing 100 percent of their attention on their lower body. The Arena Swim Kickboard Pro offers the versatility and strength competitive swimmers need to perfect kicks, such as the butterfly kick. With its ergonomic design, swimmers have a variety of choices on the placement of their hands to give them the most comfort while they train.

General Training

For general training or cardiovascular workouts, the Speedo Adult Kickboard offers exactly what swimmers need. Training with kickboards is easy with the Speedo kickboard. Because of its large size, competitive swimmers can focus on intense kicking drills in the pool or simply focus on cardiovascular workouts to strengthen the muscles in the lower half of their body. This allows swimmers to have the extreme strength required to be a competitive swimmer. If there is an area in which a swimmer does not excel, they can use the benefits of swimming training aids, such as the kickboard, to enhance their swimming skills.

The Importance of Hair Care for Swimmers

The Importance of Hair Care for Swimmers

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Swimmer Hair Care
Taking care of your hair is important to swimmers.

Proper hair care for swimmers can mean the difference between smooth, silky hair and dry or damaged hair. Whether you are a competitive swimmer or simply a leisure swimmer, the chlorine wreaks the same havoc on any hair without the proper hair care. The chlorine and various other chemicals used in pools build up on the swimmer’s hair, leaving behind a residue that breaks hair down and causes it to become unmanageable. With the proper hair care, swimmers can still have gorgeous hair and spend as much time as they want in the pool. After swimming, swimmers should immediately rinse their hair out, but a proper shampoo and conditioner are also required to deliver beautiful hair.

The Best Shampoo for Swimmers

Malibu C’s Swimmers Water Action Shampoo is the best shampoo on the market for swimmers. It offers gentle, daily cleaning that removes the harmful chemicals, residue buildup and hard water minerals that leave hair dry and damaged. It might seem logical to use a harsh shampoo after exposing your hair to the chemicals and minerals of a pool, but the harsh detergent would simply damage the hair further. After swimming, your hair needs a gentle nurturing from a moisturizing shampoo.

Swimmers Water Action Shampoo offers the ultimate protection for swimmer’s hair. Made with all-natural vitamins and botanicals, there are no harsh chemicals or damaging ingredients that could further harm your hair. Green hair, itchy scalp and hair that will not process will be a thing of the past with this exceptional swimmers’ shampoo.

The Best Conditioner for Swimmers

Once you wash your hair with Swimmers Water Action Shampoo, you should follow it with Malibu C’s Swimmers Water Action Conditioner. Conditioning your hair is just as important as washing it after swimming. Conditioners give your hair a chance to regain the moisture it lost from the harmful chemicals and minerals in the water. The Swimmers Water Action Conditioner can be used safely on a daily basis and even provides your hair with a protective sunscreen to prevent further damage to your hair.

Protecting Swimmers’ Hair

If you follow the proper regimen for hair care for swimmers, you will have gorgeous, shiny, manageable hair without the worry of chemical buildup or harmful mineral damage. This will allow you to partake in competitive swimming or swimming for exercise or leisure without running the risk of sacrificing the beauty of your hair.

Swimming Pool Backstroke Flags

Swimming Pool Backstroke Flags

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Plastic Backstroke Flags
Backstroke flags let swimmers know where the end of the pool is.

The backstroke is one of the most difficult strokes in the pool because you aren’t able to see where the edge of the pool is while you are swimming. Unless you know exactly how many strokes it takes to get across the pool and count your strokes as you swim, you can easily become disoriented and run into the side of the pool or attempt your turn too early. The best way to avoid this is by using swimming pool backstroke flags to let swimmers know they are approaching the end of the pool.

Backstroke Flag Options

When you are outfitting your pool, you will find there are many options for backstroke flags. If you don’t want to spend a lot of money, your best option is the generic plastic backstroke flags that are available in 100 foot lengths. These plastic flags come in a variety of color pairings so you can pick your team’s colors or any other color that fits your pool. If you prefer something that is more customized, you can build your own backstroke flags in any length, color and design. All you need is to purchase your customized pennants with logos, letters or pictures, rope and swivel hooks.

Uses for Backstroke Flags

The backstroke flags have a primary purpose of letting swimmers know they are approaching the end of the pool so they don’t become injured and can finish the race or make a turn if necessary. The flags must be suspended from the ceiling across the end of the pool at a regulation five meters from the end of the pool. All swimmers will know that they will need to prepare for the wall when they see these flags over their heads as they swim along on their backs. This provides a visual clue so swimmers can focus on technique, rather than a fear of the end of the pool.

Buying swimming pool backstroke flags that match your swim team or the colors of the event you are hosting is important any time you will hold a backstroke race. Using these flags during practices will also help you swimmers learn what to look for. As long as you place these flags at the regulation length from the edge of the pool — five meters — your swimmers will know just what to do when they see these flags above, no matter where they are. Whether you purchase a premade string or create your own, these flags are a great addition to your pool.

Arena Carbon Pro Swimsuits Give You the Speed You Need

Arena Carbon Pro Swimsuits Give You the Speed You Need

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Arena Carbon Pro Kneeskin
The Arena Carbon Pro now also comes in red and blue.

If you have ever wondered how dolphins swim so fast and graceful, the secret is in their skin. It is not porous like human skin. This is what causes humans to naturally slow down in the water. For humans to mimic the speed and style of these gracious mammals, they need a racing swimsuit that reduces the amount of friction the body creates when they swim. Competitive swimmers everywhere strive to find the delicate balance between friction restriction and fluid movement.

Today, swimmers can find that perfection in the Arena Carbon Pro Kneeskin for women and the Arena Carbon Pro Jammer for men. A swimmer’s movements will become incredibly fluid and their speed like lightning, just like a beautiful dolphin, thanks to the latest technology involved in the Carbon Pro line.

Compression without Restriction

The Arena Carbon Pro racing suit is designed to give swimmers the ultimate speed in the water. This intellectual suit is the first suit to deliver the perfect amount of compression without restricting movement. Using its latest technology to lock down in the areas that most need the compression, this racing suit gives swimmers a fast, fluid movement with its perfectly balanced ratio of strength to weight. Swimmers require a suit that is light enough to go fast but strong enough to compress them in areas of their body that could slow them down.

A competition swimsuit needs to deliver power and strength but cannot restrict the necessary movement to make a swimmer go faster. This can be found in the Arena Carbon Pro line. With critical carbon fibers in the right places to compress the right areas of the body and elastic bonding tape covering the interior of the legs to perfect a swimmer’s kicks and dives, this racing swimsuit offers a swimmer the way to perfect their next race.

Competition Suits for Men and Women

Men and women who compete on swim teams need powerful swimsuits that are going to aid them in their races, not work against them. The good news is the answer is in the Arena Carbon Pro line. The even better news is that both the Arena Carbon Kneeskin and the Arena Carbon Jammer are available in new colors. The two latest colors include red and green. The classic black and royal blue are still available as well. Now swimmers can have the perfect suit for their big race in the color that coordinates with their team colors.

The Best Swim Hand Paddles

The Best Swim Hand Paddles

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Swim Hand Paddles
Using swim hand paddles will strengthen your swim stroke and improve distance and propulsion.

Becoming a competitive swimmer means conditioning your body to swim in the most efficient manner possible. This means you will have to do far more than swim in the pool on a daily basis and perfect your technique. You will also need to use special swim gear to provide you with the training you need to become a stronger swimmer. One of these important tools is swim hand paddles. When you choose the best paddles, you will be able to enjoy all the benefits as you improve your swimming times.

Strokemaker Paddle

The Strokemaker paddles are the oldest and still the best swim hand paddles you can use to help strengthen your arms so you can strengthen your stroke and swim faster. With the holes in the design, your hands will still get the feel for the water as you swim, while providing you with the resistance you need to strengthen the muscles that are responsible for distance and propulsion. The colors of the paddles will also help the coach to see the swimmer’s hands to provide additional tips for improving technique.

TYR Catalyst Hand Paddle

Created by the inventor of the Strokemaker, these translucent color-coded paddles will provide the strengthening qualities you need from your swim hand paddles, while causing less strain on your shoulders. When you use hand paddles, your goal is to strengthen your muscles, not strain them. The multi-hole strap design allows you to best center your hand for the best results. The TYR Catalyst is available in several sizes for beginners up to the professional swimmer.

Speedo I.M. Tech Paddles

The Speedo I.M. Tech Paddles allow swimmers to use the paddles to train with all four main strokes, including the breast stroke. You will be able to interchange the paddles between your right and left hands for a different feel. With the tube straps, you will experience the greatest comfort while using these paddles to train and increase your strength. The I.M. Tech Paddles provide pronounced edges that will give you a good feel for the catch of your stroke so you can improve.

Speedo Power Paddle

The final of the best swim hand paddles is the Speedo Power Paddle. This paddle is intended to strengthen the muscles for those who swim for fitness purposes, rather than competition. The broad blades are intended to give you the most resistance for a better workout. However, the water will still be able to channel through with the holes, which can also increase the pull of the water so you can strengthen your arm muscles.

Speedo Swim Fins Are an Asset

Speedo Swim Fins Are an Asset

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Speedo Swim Fins
Using Speedo swim fins increases your leg strength.

If you want to become the strongest swimmer you can be, simply perfecting your technique isn’t enough. You need to strengthen many of the muscle groups in your body. One of the ways you can do this is with the help of Speedo swim fins. When you wear these fins, you will be able to work your muscles in ways you can’t do when you are simply swimming at practice. If you use these fins, you will see your swimming improve as you strength increases.

Speedo Rubber Swim Fins

The Speedo rubber swim fins offer a longer, curved fin blade that creates a greater resistance in the water. When you have greater resistance, you will need to kick harder to experience the same propulsion you get when you are swimming without the fins. This increases the muscle tone in your legs, improving your kicks for when you aren’t wearing them. These swim fins come in a wide range of sizes so you can outfit even the smallest members of your team for training. Each size is color coded so you can easily tell which size fin is right for you. The Speedo rubber swim fins are designed with orthopedic foot pockets so you can wear them for longer periods of time without discomfort.

Speedo Biofuse Training Swim Fins

The Speedo Biofuse Training swim fins offer a short, wide blade that gives you the perfect blend of both hard and soft silicone for the greatest impact in the water. The soft silicone will give you all the comfort you need to wear the swim fins, with the hard silicone offering the best resistance for your training needs. Just like the other Speedo swim fins, these fins are color coded for easy size separation so everyone can find the right size quickly. When you wear these swim fins as part of your training, you will experience all the benefits as you improve your swim times.

Seeing improvements in your swimming will show you how well these Speedo swim fins work. Building up the strength in your legs will help you get more distance for your kick without having to exert more energy into your kicks. This makes using swim fins as part of our regular training a great asset.

Keeping Time at the Pool is Made Easy with Pace Clocks

Keeping Time at the Pool is Made Easy with Pace Clocks

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Swim Pace Clocks
Swim pace clocks make keeping track of your swim time easier.

When you are in the pool, it can often be important to keep track of time. Whether you are timing your laps or you need to keep track of the length of a water aerobics, swim pace clocks can be just the thing you need. If you were to use a typical clock on the side of your pool, the numbers may be too small to read from the pool and aren’t geared toward this purpose. Instead, you need pace clocks that are designed with the swimmer in mind, as well as the conditions of the pool.

Pace Clocks

Some people prefer to have the old-fashioned clocks with pace clock parts that move like a real clock. These swim pace clocks are equipped with hands, similar to a typical clock. However, there are only two hands: one that signifies the seconds and another to signify the minutes. Because of the size and color of these pace clocks, the swimmers will be able to see the clock more easily from the pool, helping them keep track of their lap times. These clocks are manufactured so they are resistant to water and moisture so you don’t need to worry about keeping them near the pool. You can choose from a 31 inch electric clock or a 15 inch battery-operated clock.

Digital Swim Pace Clock

Another great option for keeping track of any time in the pool, the digital swim pace clock from IST is a four-digit time clock that will keep track of minutes and seconds up to an hour before reverting back to zero. This is a great option for any time you need to keep track of a specific period of time in the pool, such as during a water polo match or water aerobics. If you need to keep track of the amount of time a swimmer is spending in the pool swimming laps, this pace clock can help keep track of total time. This clock is capable of running as a stop watch for timing laps or a game timer for longer running time.

The ability to track your swim times in the pool is made easier with pace clocks. Whether you want a clock with hands or a digital one, you will be able to see the time clearly from the pool so you can easily keep track without someone else nearby. Having a swim pace clock to use at the poolside can be a great convenience for swimmers and those who use the pool for a specified period of time.

The Importance of Lifeguard Suits

The Importance of Lifeguard Suits

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Lifeguard Swimsuits
Lifeguard swimsuits are important to your performance.

Practical swimwear is not just for competitive swimmers. Lifeguard suits need to be just as functional and flexible as those competitive swimmers require. A lifeguard has one of the most important jobs at the pool – saving lives. A restrictive swimsuit cannot get in the way of the lifeguard’s job. Lifeguards have a variety of suits to choose from to find the perfect suit that fits their needs.

The Various Types of Lifeguard Swim Suits

The Speedo Lifeguard Flyback Swimsuit for women is made from Xtra Life LYCRA to give you incredible durability and longevity when you wear life guard swim suits. The LYCRA repels sunscreen and chlorine, which helps prevent premature fading and staining on your suit. The LYCRA also resists the dreaded sagging most suits experience after wearing it a few times. With thin straps to allow freedom of movement and a low amount of drag, this lifeguard suit is ideal for any lifeguard.

The Nike Guard Sport Top 2 Piece Bikini offers function and style all in one for lifeguards. Some people are more comfortable in a lifeguard two piece, especially when they have to sit in the guard chair all day. Featuring a lifeguard logo on the front, a thin strap in the back to reduce your tan lines and perfect splice to flatter your body, this lifeguard suit offers style and function all in one.

The Speedo Lifeguard Super Pro Swim Suit offers lifeguards a classic style, along with exceptional features for the times they have to go in the water. Made of LYCRA for a perfect fit that it is flattering and comfortable, this lifeguard suit offers many features to increase the comfort of the guards. The wide straps reduce slipping, the bar tack reinforcement increases the longevity of the suit and the flat-locked stitching reduces the occurrence of chafing after a long day of working as a guard.

Improve Your Performance with Lifeguard Swim Suits

Lifeguard suits have come a long way in recent years. What used to be the same one-piece suit worn by every lifeguard country-wide has changed into a wide variety of suits that include a lifeguard two piece to meet the style and functions every guard needs. If you are a guard, choose your suit wisely to ensure you have maximum comfort for a long day at the pool, as well as maximum functionality when your skills are put to the test.

The Importance of Choosing the Best Swim Caps

The Importance of Choosing the Best Swim Caps

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Best Swim Caps
Finding the best swim caps will enhance your performance.

Anyone who swims competitively knows you need to wear a swim cap for a variety of reasons. However, when it comes to the best swim caps, you will have many to choose from, allowing you to find the right one for your needs. There is no right swim cap for everyone. Instead, it is up to each individual swimmer to seek out the one that works the best for him or her. All swim caps will provide the same streamlining. It is the other options you need to consider.

Best Swim Caps Purposes

One of the first things you need to consider as you choose the best swim cap is to understand the purposes of the swim cap. When you know what it is supposed to do, you will be able to find the one that works best for you. In general, your swim cap is meant to keep your hair out of the water to reduce the resistance. However, your swim cap will also protect your hair from the chlorine and keep hair from clogging the pool drains. Some swimmers even use an extra swim cap to keep their goggles in place.

The Best Fit

As you consider the best swim caps on the market, the most important thing is to choose one that has the best fit for you. While swim caps are generally the same, some fit in different ways depending on several factors. For instance, if you have longer hair, you will need a swim cap designed to accommodate more hair so you can have the same advantages as someone with short hair.

The Look

Though not as important as the fit and functionality of your swim cap, the best swim caps can have any look you want for them. Some companies will allow you to choose the best swim cap for you and then customize it. Whether you want to choose a color that will match your suit or you want your team logo on the side, a customized swim cap is a great option to give your whole team a uniform look.

Finding the best swim caps will help you make the most of your swimming skills. As you select the right swim cap for you, it will be important for you to understand its purpose so you can choose the one that has the best fit and the customized look you want. Your swim cap needs to make an impact in the water, as well as provide you with the coverage you want as you swim.