THE BARE ESSENTIALS

Before you take your first stroke, you will need to get outfitted. Fortunately, that will be easy. Swimming is an inexpensive sport. In fact, you can easily equip yourself for a year or longer for less than fifty dollars. You do not need expensive shoes, tights, or other paraphernalia. The only equipment you really need is a swimsuit (and even that can be optional at times).

Swimsuits

Nowadays, racing suits are made of two basic materials: nylon and Lycra. (Actually, “Lycra” suits contain only about 23 percent Lycra.) The nylon suits are sturdier and last longer, but they absorb more water. The Lycra suits mold themselves to your body’s contours and do not absorb water. Because they reduce resistance, Lycra suits allow you to swim faster, but they tend to lose their elastic quality with frequent use. So most swimmers prefer to use nylon suits in practice and Lycra suits in competition. (Among the avant-garde, the latest and “fastest” swimsuit material is paper. That’s right, paper. As you might expect, paper suits tend not to last very long.)

Your swimsuit should fit snugly to minimize resistance. Men’s sizes are based on waist measurement. During workouts, I wear a size 32 nylon suit, the same as my waist size. But when I don my Lycra suit for a meet, I squeeze into a size 30.

For women, choosing the proper size is a bit more problematic. Women’s sizes are based on bust measurement. If your bust is 34 inches, you will probably wear a size 34 nylon suit and a 32 Lycra. But your best fit may differ depending on your shape. And, as with other items of clothing, swimsuit sizes vary by manufacturer. A friend of mine, one of the top female swimmers in the country, advises: “Start with your bust size, but then try on different sizes to see which one fits you best. Find a size you can squeeze into, but make sure it’s not too short or too tight.” You should just be able to squeeze yourself into your suit.

Several manufacturers produce high-quality racing suits: Speedo, TYR, The Finals, Hind, Arena, the Victor, Ocean Pool, and Jantzen, among others. Men’s nylon suits run about ten to fifteen dollars; Lycra ones cost thirteen to twenty-four dollars, depending on style and manufacturer. Women’s nylon suits range from about fifteen to twenty-five dollars; Lycra suits go for twenty-five to fifty-five dollars, again depending on style and manufacturer. Children’s and youths’ swimsuits cost a little less. You can buy a racing suit at most sporting goods stores. But you often can get discounts from some of the larger mail-order suppliers. Appendix B lists several of the leading mail-order houses along with their 800 numbers.

Many swimmers wear two or more suits when training. This practice has a dual purpose: (1) It increases the resistance or drag, so that when you take the extra suits off your body feels much lighter; and (2) it allows you to continue using worn-out suits, which if worn alone might create a scandal.

Goggles

I would add goggles to the very short list of swimming essentials. In my opinion, this piece of equipment ranks as the second greatest invention of the twentieth century—right after the microwave oven! Like many Masters swimmers, I remember well what my son likes to call “the olden days”—before the 1970s—when goggles were worn only by airplane pilots and steelworkers. Many were the evenings I would come home from practice, my eyes painful and red from chlorine, unable to do my homework.

All that is changed now. These days virtually all swimmers wear goggles. Not only do they protect your eyes but they allow you to see clearly underwater. You make fewer blown turns, and you can check out your stroke as you swim. You can also observe that heavenly body in the lane next to you as she (or he) swims by.

There are hundreds of styles of goggles made by many of the companies that manufacture swimsuits: Speedo, Arena, Competitor, TYR, Leader, The Finals, Hind, Barracuda, and Speed. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and feature different-colored lenses and gaskets, adjustable nosepieces, antifog coatings, UV protection … just about anything you could imagine. There are goggles designed to rest on the bony structure of the eye socket, goggles designed especially for women, and even custom-made prescription goggles.

Prices for goggles range from less than four to over thirty dollars. The goggles I use cost about eleven dollars.

A good pair of goggles fits comfortably and snugly and does not come off on starts or turns. I wear contact lenses. When I swim, I keep my lenses on under my goggles—even when I do racing dives in meets. I have not lost a lens while swimming in over ten years.

The best style of goggles for you is the one that fits the contours of your face. Test several varieties before making a decision. Other swimmers will let you try their goggles on and offer advice on which styles they have found best.

Other Equipment

Although it definitely does not qualify as an essential, like many swimmers, I like to wear a swim cap. Caps are cheap ($1.50 to $3.00 apiece), and they help protect your hair. Just massage a little cream rinse into your hair before putting on your cap, and you’re ready to go. I also find that swim caps are decorative and fun to trade or give as presents. Many swimmers who are prone to the sniffles also wear nose clips ($1.50 to $2.50 each). 

That just about covers it: a swimsuit, goggles, cap, and maybe some nose clips. There is other equipment you may want to use in your workouts—kick boards and pull buoys, for example. But these items are usually supplied by the pool at which you swim. Chapter 14 will discuss training equipment and how it should be used.