January 25, 2023
Swim For a Mile (SFAM) is excited to be partnering up with our friends at Intersport Elverys for this year’s challenge!
Anyone booked into a 2023 SFAM event will receive a 20% discount code from Intersport Elverys to use on swimwear products. Check your inbox for your discount code and treat yourself to a new swim suit, goggles or whatever catches your eye! New entrants can find this discount code within their SFAM event confirmation email.
Whether you’re a seasoned pro that is in need of a new hat or goggles, or maybe you have been out of the pool for a long time and need to start fresh for your SFAM challenge, Intersport Elverys have an extensive range of swimwear to get you SFAM ready!
To celebrate our partnership with Intersport Elverys, we have put together an introduction to Swimming equipment that will help you put your best stroke forward and allow you to rediscover your love of swimming!
Training equipment can be useful in swimming to help with stamina, strength, breathing alignment, kicking technique, pulling technique and finally it can make sessions more interesting!
The Essentials;
Swimsuits:
Picking the right swimsuit / trunks can be tricky, so many options! You want your suit to last longer than a few months in the harsh chlorine waters, so make sure to check the description for long lasting / endurance wear materials, otherwise you could experience a fasion disaster, as material starts to disintegrate!
Women choose from scoop back, open back or closed back and high or low rise swim suits. Take a good look of the model pictures of swim suits to see which you think you’ll find most comfortable!
Men Choose your length from the classic briefs, shorts or jammers!
Goggles:
A good pair of goggles make all the difference while swimming, it is important that they are well fitted and provide lasting comfort, while remaining watertight! For this product it can be tempting to go for a cheaper pair, however we recommend investing in a good pair that can last you years! Top tip when cleaning goggles, avoid using your fingers and thumbs on the lens, instead clean them with water and air dry, this means the anti-fog will last longer and you will avoid any nasty bumps into that pesky lane rope or other swimmers!
Swim Hat:
Silicone Hats are the material that we provide on SFAM event days, these are a thicker, more durable material and are much better for training, compared to their cheaper predecessor latex hats, which are much thinner, easier to rip and slip off the head. Although latex hats are better and more streamlined than their predecessor, the material cap! Material caps do not keep longer hair in very well and often create drag while swimming.
Top tip when using a new swimming hat (like on the SFAM event day! Make sure to rinse a new hat thoroughly, as they can come brand new with a thin layer of talcum powder, to keep the moisture out. The powder can cause hats to slip right off your head in the first few metres. Avoid this, by rinsing new hats with the pool water, dry them off with hands or a towel and repeat until satisfied.
Water Bottle:
Hydration is key during exercise and a water bottle while swimming is as important as a swimsuit! You won’t notice how much you are sweating while in the water, so don’t wait until you are thirsty to drink., keep sipping throughout your sessions! Hydrate before, during and after your swims! Good hydration impacts your physical and mental skills during training.
Fun Extras;
Fins: helps build the strength of your leg muscles as well as allowing for better kicking technique due to better hip and body alignment. Fins also offer a great opportunity to work on your speed and they can liven up a lengthy kick set! Don’t opt for the long, deep sea diving type, you will want a shorter length to give your kick some power!
Pull Buoy: helps correct your body alignment, by raising your hips towards the water surface, allowing you to work on the stroke technique in isolation. Pull Buoy’s also help build your upper body muscles as it prevents you from kicking. You must squeeze your legs and bum lightly to avoid the pull buoy slipping out. You can also do full stroke with a pull buoy if you are struggling to hold the correct body alignment, but don’t become dependent on it!