Weatherstone Dolphins Swim Team

Many summer team swim parents are new to swimming and may not know much about the equipment your coach requires. Consider listing the equipment needed and where to buy it.

This blog on summer league swim gear can be a handy reference for the brand new swim parent.

What they’re for: keeping water out of the eyes (duh).

How to use them: The straps should go directly around the head in line with the eye area. Don’t pull the straps down around the base of the scull, have them too high, or put them over the ears.
How to choose them: Every decent pair of goggles easily come out of the packaging, always try them on BEFORE buying! They need to fit the swimmer’s face. Ensure they feel suction around the eyes when the goggles are pressed to the eye sockets. Leave them on for a minute and turn from side to side, make sure there is no air moving into the goggles, in the pool this will be water coming in! Goggles that have an adjustable nosepiece are helpful for correct fit. Mirrored lenses block the sun’s glare, helpful for outdoor swimming.
Other tips: Goggles should not need to be super tight to keep the water out. They should be worn as loosely as possible for comfort. If goggles are leaking and you have tried tightening them and adjusting the nosepiece to no effect, throw them away and try another pair! They will not magically start fitting better! If your goggles tend to fog up you can purchase anti-fog solution.

What it’s for: to keep hair out of the eyes and face and to make the swimmer more streamlined.

How to use it: hold the center fold of the cap in the middle of the forehead and pull the cap from the front of the head to the back (the fold is not meant to go ear-to-ear, but little kids sure look cute with it that way!). Swimmers with long hair should put it in a low pony tail first then wind their hair into a bun and tuck it into the cap, keeping the bulk of their hair closer to the base of the head rather than the top.
How to choose it: your team likely has a team cap but they might give you a choice between silicon and latex. Silicon caps generally last longer and are more comfortable (they don’t pull the hair). They are also warmer. If it gets too hot try a latex cap. Latex are perfectly good, and are cheaper. Dry them out after use and keep them flat to make them last longer.

Female swimmers are encouraged to wear one-piece competition suits. The younger age groups tend to prefer a thick strap suit. Older swimmers usually prefer the style and cuts of a thin strap suit.

Men’s options are a straightforward brief, square leg, or jammer style. Jammers are preferable for high school age and younger swimmers, but the old school brief style might suit the seasoned swimmer best.

Swimmers spend hours both in and out of the pool. Chlorine can slowly wear down the fabrics of the suits over the course of the season, so choosing the right fabric will help your suits withstand the test of time, especially if your swimmers wear their team suits to practice. Below are the most common types of fabrics that swim suits are made of:

Nylon

Ideal for drag suits and training suits. Nylon is often blended with Spandex for elasticity. This provides the swimmers with a lightweight, smooth fit that is quick-drying and has low-water absorbency. Plus, these suits tend to be offered at a low price point.

Spandex/LYCRA®

Ideal for competition suits.These suits tend to be form-fitting and are about mid-range for cost. Commonly used because of durable elasticity.

Xtra Life LYCRA®

Ideal for competition suits and is often blended with other fabrics like nylon. Suits made with this fabric tend to last longer than LYCRA® Spandex suits. It also know for being a comfortable material and form fitting. Suits containing this fabric tend to cost more.

PBT

PBT stands for polybutylene terephthalate, a texturized polyester. These suits are often blended with Polyester. Which make it an Ideal suit for fitness and competition suits. These suits are chlorine- and heat-resistant and known for being durable. Due to their longevity they tend to be more expensive however.

Polyester

Durable alternative to Spandex. It is form fitting and is chlorine-resistant and colorfast. It will hold up 2-3 times longer lasting than Spandex, but does not offer as much stretch. The feel is not as comfortable as Spandex. The suits made of polyester tend to be Higher cost.

Spandex Vs. Polyester

If your team has a short season and wants to keep it cost effective, Spandex may be the best option. These lightweight, smooth fitting suits are quick drying and lower in cost. If your team puts their suits through their paces or has a long season, choosing a polyester suit is best. The suit will keep its color and shape throughout the season and hold up through the most rigorous of events. 

1. The Racerback Style

This suit style features wider straps for extra comfort. The wider straps have the bonus of providing support for larger chests.

It also has a smaller to moderately sized opening (or keyhole) in the back. Allowing for an easier range of mobility without feeling as though the back is too exposed. This cut-out may be higher on the back or more near the middle.

This style is considered a more moderate design, as it typically features full bottom coverage and may not come up very high on the hip. And based on the size of the back opening, it may not show much back.

2. V Back (or Keyhole Back) Style

The main feature of this suit style though is the circular key-hole that typically rests in the middle of the back. Hence, key-hole style.

This style is very similar to the racerback style. Only the straps over the shoulders shift from wide to thin. While still maintaining a small to moderately sized back opening. 

The key-hole style is one of the more popular cuts amongst most swimmers due to its comfortable cut and functionality. This style of suit can be conservative, but not as much as a racerback.

3. The Crossback Style

Crossback suits are as the name implies. It’s a suit whose straps cross over the back in an ‘X’ shape.

Like the other suits on this list, the styles come in a wide variety. Making it so that each brand has its own designs.

Most of the straps are thin for competitive and training suits. However, you can find recreational suits that have wider straps.

You’ll find that a lot of cross-back styles also feature a tie-back style. In which the straps aren’t fixed and you have to tie them yourself. 

With the cross-back style, the key-holes typically run a bit larger than what you’d find on the racerback or V back.

The size of the keyhole varies by brand and some will border just on the edge of an open back suit. Depending on how it’s cut.

4. Tie Back Style

It’s basically any suit that has straps that need to be tied. This can be something as simple as a halter top to one a bit more complex with straps that criss-cross before tying. They’re typically in the same style as a cross back suit, too.

Tie-back swimsuits usually have thin straps for lap and training swimsuits. And thicker straps for recreational suits.

One benefit of tie-back straps is that it allows you to control the comfort and tightness of the straps. You can loosen them for comfort or tighten them for working out.

These suits come in a wide range of back and bottom coverage, from moderate coverage to barely there.

5. Scoop Backs

Made more for leisure and recreational swimming, scoop backs are as the name implies. A back style that scoops down. The shape can range from a U shape to an H-shape.

A U-Back style scoops down the back in the shape of a U. Some can cut down into a short V, too.

H-Back styles fall into a scoop back, because the back does dip and scoop. But this style back features an additional strap up behind the neck. And the back is a straight line compared to a curved dip

Nearly all scoop backs have wider straps for comfort and support.

The degree of back coverage varies by brand and style. Some scoop backs will dip minimally, providing more support and the straps will be less likely to slip off.

6. Minimalist or Open Back Styles

The keyhole is removed from the suit so that the only fabric on the back is for the straps and to cover the bottom. This leaves the back open for maximum flexibility and comfort.

The straps on an open-back style are thin. For both the straps that go over the shoulder and along the back.

Some suits offer full coverage on the bottom, while others may show a bit more cheek. Additionally, the dip or curve of the fabric that covers the bottom will usually come a bit lower than most suits. 

One negative of the open-back style is that water does catch easier on the sides of the suit. Typically as the suit gets older and stretches out more.

Because of the cut and style, this is the least conservative back style on the list. And some swimmers may not like having their back exposed so much.