GEAR FAQ

What is a Competitive Suit?

In general: A tight fitting suit without any 'extras'

Off limits: Shirts, baggy shorts, rash guards, pants, skirts, tech suits (for 12&U), transparent fabrics, anything 'indecent', sports tape, extra flotation, wetsuits, zippers, frills / folds / loose material.

Exemption: The only exception to the rule is a religious, medical or other significant reason for wearing the clothing. Swimmers can wear garments for these reasons, but must apply for the exemption well in advance of the meet.

Even if it were legal to wear shirts and baggy shorts, it is a bad idea, because they slow a swimmer down significantly! If you do decide to get an exemption, it is still a good idea to get a shirt that fits tightly.

Why Wear a Cap?

• DRAG: Even very short hair, an inch or less even, will benefit from wearing a cap! Water can act like a weak glue. Just like water can 'stick' to a wall, it can stick to every surface of every hair on your head, creating unneeded drag!

• Hair Protection: Caps can sometimes keep hair dry, but they will reduce the amount of chlorinated water that hair is exposed to (and the chlorine smell!)

• Goggle Keeper: Caps can help lock goggles on your head, making them less likely to come off in dives.

• All the Cool Kids Do It: If you watched the Olympics, you know.

Leak-Proofing Goggles

• Get Competitive Goggles: Most kids’ goggles aren’t made for competitive swimming and will reliably come off in a good dive. Competitive swimming goggles fit inside the eye socket, not around the eye, and have a much lower profile. Speedo Vanquisher Jr. and TYR Blackhawsks have the universal fit that I have seen. Speedo Vanquisher Jr. TYR Blackhawk

• Get the Right Nose Bridge: Most competitive goggles will come with several ‘bridges’ that accommodate a wide range of eye spacing. if you have a narrow nose, swap out the nose bridge for the narrow option.

• Open Eyes WIDE to Put Them On: Fit the top of the goggle in first, under the eyebrow, then the bottom. When relaxed, the eyebrow should slightly bulge over the top of the goggle. The top of the goggle will bear more pressure in a dive, so it needs to have a very low profile.

• Make Sure They ‘Burp’: Push them into the eye socket gently. They should ‘burp’ air, and seal.

• Suction Test: The seal should be good enough to hold them on your eye without the strap. If they fit well, you can even look down and try to shake them off without them falling off!

• Split the Strap: If the strap is rolled into one, it often has a higher profile and can be pulled off by the water.

• Dive Chin in the ‘Notch’: Technically, it's the ‘suprasternal notch’, but it's effectively the chin parking spot for dives and so much else.

• Nothing Gets Between the Goggle and Skin: Common offenders include cap, eyebrows, hair, and goggle straps. If it is still not tight, try another model!

• Tighten the Strap: If you have a goggle strap that can be easily tightened. A bungee strap is excellent for quick fixes.

• Put Cap OVER the Goggle Strap: You can also pull it over the top of goggles.

• Goggles Fogging? A drop of tear free baby shampoo, like Johnson & Johnson prevents goggle fog! (gog fog?) Swish it around and rinse once, and you’ll be gog fog free! If you can’t afford $2 of baby shampoo, spit works too (it's what I do), but it's slightly grosser.

• Learn how not to care: Goggles have been leaking since they were invented, and no one has yet died from it. Even Olympians’ goggles leak. Coach Jay did not even have goggles available when he started swimming! Michael Phelps set a world record in the 200 Fly with leaky goggles. Don’t let a piece of plastic get between you and greatness!

Technical difficulties? Solutions to common problems: