Open Water Swimming Kit - The Essentials, Optional Extras and Post-Swim Gear
New to open water swimming? Unsure about what type of gear you’ll need to ensure you’re fully prepared to take on your ocean swims? We’re here to help you find the best equipment and options for your open water swimming needs. Read on to discover different types of equipment and what features you should be looking for, depending on where you’re swimming and the type of swimming you want to do.
Essential Open Water Swimming Equipment
The most important swimming equipment essentials that open water swimmers need to invest in are the following:
Exposure Protection
The type of exposure protection that you choose completely depends on where you’ll be swimming. If you’re swimming in warm waters, a rash vest might just do the trick. If you tend to become colder quicker when you’re in the water, then a 2-3mm wetsuit might be the style for you.
For those who are swimming in temperate to cool waters, or for those who get cold much quicker in the ocean, then we suggest a 3mm or 5mm wetsuit.
Goggles
We recommend that you buy goggles if you’re someone who likes to do full exercise and go full-on with their open water swims. If you’re open water swimming as a leisurely activity and you like to keep your head above water, then you may not need goggles.
Wearing goggles is beneficial when open water swimming. Not only so that it keeps stingy saltwater away from your eyes, but it improves visibility when swimming and keeps you motivated for longer. So if you’re someone that wants to use open water swimming as a form of exercise, we highly recommend investing in swim goggles.
Stay focused in the pool and clock your personal best comfortably choosing from our wide range swimming goggles available at Mike's Dive Store online!
Swim Buoy
Swim buoys, I believe, are one of the most essential items that you need to invest in for your open water swims. Taking a swim buoy is vital for many reasons, most importantly so others, especially boats, know your location. Taking a buoy could save your life if you get into trouble, this is because others can spot your location easier.
Some buoys can even be used as a dry bag, so you can take your phone, keys, shoes and other personal belongings so you don’t leave your valuables on the beach. I always use my buoy and dry bag on all my open water swims so it gives me peace of mind and I don't have to be checking my belongings every few minutes.
Additional Open Water Swimming Equipment
Now you know more about the most essential items, here are some optional extras you might want to take, depending on the type of swimming you’re doing. The optional extra open water swimming gear we recommend are the following.
Gloves, Hood and Socks
I’ll categorise gloves, caps and socks together as they’re for those who want to swim in cooler waters. Keeping these essential parts of your body protected is another way of prolonging your open water swims. It’s just another added protection to keep warmer for longer.
Fins
Fins are great for those who want to travel longer distances quicker as it adds velocity to the stroke and teaches the body how to swim faster on top of the water. Using fins also gives you a great leg workout, this is because there is an increased load and greater resistance in the water. This leads to a much more challenging workout with even more fitness benefits. I recommend a fin with a shorter blade that’s designed for snorkelling and open water swimming.
Swimming Cap
I'd recommend using a swimming cap if you’re not already wearing an insulating hood. Swim caps are great for those who want to swim faster and reduce drag from their hair. I know that swim caps can be uncomfortable, but using a swim cap far outweighs the negatives.
Not only does it protect your hair, keep hair away from your face and increase speed, but it’s also another added safety feature as you’re then easier to spot in the water.
So cover your hair with style while doing your laps. We got a swimming cap for every shape and size of head at Mike's Dive Store - come and have a look!
Post-Swim Essentials
Finally, let’s discover those items you might need post-swim. My number one recommendation as it’s something that I now can’t live without is a changing robe or fleece. I use the Fourth Element Tidal robe after all my ocean adventures. I cannot live without this nifty invention as it warms me up and dries me off so quickly after swimming.
Another thing that you should bring with you is a warm flask of hot water or soup so that it can warm you up quickly after swimming.
We’re Here to Help
If you have any questions about open water swimming or any of the products mentioned, please email us at support@mikesdivestore.com where we have a team of snorkelling professionals here to help you with any questions that you may have. Or if you live locally or in the surrounding areas of London, pop in and come visit us in-store where you can try out different open water swimming equipment for yourself and get a feel to find the gear that you’re looking for.
