Swimming Equipment - Learning To Swim, Keeping Fit, Training Or Just Having Fun

Swimming is a fun activity for all the family, but what equipment do you need for different swimming activities? Safety is a must for children and adults who can't swim, but safety need not mean boring. There are plenty of safety products and leaning aids that are fun as well as functional for the swimming pool.

If you are serious about swimming and do it to either keep fit or compete, there is a vast array of different swimming equipment to aid in training and progression. Same for people who do aqua aerobics or who want to get into it. Keeping fit in a swimming pool is one of the easiest ways of maintaining fitness and toning the body.

If you just want to dive in and have fun, then there's plenty of swimming equipment for that too. No matter what type of swimming equipment you are looking for, there is something for all the family.

Equipment for learning how to swim has never been so advanced. Gone are the days of those bright orange arm bands that were not only uncomfortable, but made learning how to swim more difficult due to the position of the arms when wearing them. Sure, they kept you afloat, but the seams would sometimes rub against the side of the chest and be irritating when trying to maintain swim strokes.

These days those horrid arm bands have been replaced by back floats and buoyancy belts, and they make a lot more sense for someone who is trying to learn how to swim.

The great thing about these new learning to swim devices is that you can remove the flotation pads one by one, as your child becomes more confident in that pool. This gives less buoyancy and means that the child is learning how to swim at his or her own pace. Children should be supervised at all times around the swimming pool, but it's a great to know that this equipment will keep them safe from going underwater, becoming scared and potentially putting them off of learning how to swim.

If you're someone who doesn't enjoy jogging, going to the gym or generally working out to keep fit, exercising in a swimming pool is an excellent way to maintain fitness. You don't need to be swimming continuous laps to burn calories and tone the body, you could do aqua aerobics or just generally have fun with toys for the swimming pool.

Not only is aqua aerobics great for general fitness levels, but it's also great for heart and lung health too. Aqua aerobics is great for anyone who would find general exercise difficult, such as older people, pregnant women, people who suffer with back or joint pain. 90% of the body is supported in water, making aqua aerobics a much safer alternative to conventional exercise, with far less risk of injury.

For toning the body, a work out in the pool is excellent because water has 12 times the density of air, so exercising in the pool is 12 times more difficult than on land. Yet it doesn't feel that way due to the body only feeling 10% of what it would weight outside of the pool. This is due to 90% of the body being supported by the water.

Swimming is a fun pastime, but for some it is an activity to keep fit, to compete or to be the best swimmer you can be. There is lots of different swimming equipment for the serious swimmer, some performance enhancing, some for training purposes.

What kinds of swimming equipment will help me to be a better swimmer?

Training Fins: These increase swimming speed and encourage better leg motions for a more even swimming stroke. They also work the leg muscles for resistance training.

Goggles: The new goggles are designed to be a cross between goggles and a mask. The large frames give the comfort and view of a swimming mask, but with the ease of flow through the water of goggles.

Training Gloves: These help with the upper body muscles, giving resistance training and also a faster swim stroke. Used in conjunction with the training fins, you will get an intense full body workout.

Swimming Cap: These help to create flow through the water, giving a more streamlined swim. They're also useful for protecting the hair from chlorine, which can be very damaging to the hair. Swimmers with dyed hair should always use a swimming cap as the chlorine can sometimes change the colour of the hair due to a chemical reaction with the dye.

Fastskin Suits: These are an amazing invention for swimmers. Fastsuits are made from material that is akin to that of sharks, the most hydrodynamic of water dwellers. The material enables the swimmer to glide more freely through the water with less resistance, just like a shark!

For those who just want to dive in and have some fun there is plenty of fun swimming pool equipment to enjoy.

Why not grab some friends and leisurely float around on a paradise lounge, you don't even need to move to get a drink as there are beverage holders built in. A great way to spend a relaxing day in the pool.

Have you seen Joe and The Volcano? If so, you'll probably remember the scene when Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan are stranded on those cool luggage boxes in the middle of the ocean and Tom Hanks practices his putting skills. You too can now play golf on water with the Pro Chip Island Golf set. I don't think I'd have very high expectations of getting a hole in one, standing afloat may prove a task in itself. But it would be fun trying though.

Ever had to choose between two activities such as spending time in the pool verses playing Ping Pong? Now you never need to choose again as you can do both at exactly the same time!

Everyone must have played fortresses at one time or another and now you can do so in the pool too. No need for a sheet and some cleverly placed chairs to make a fortress, now you can have your very own floating one. Perfect for lying back and relaxing, or launching ice cubes at people!

Diving and finding pretend treasure is fun whether you're an adult or a kid. It's also good exercise. Throw the items to the bottom of the pool and see who can claim the most 'treasure'.