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Fins

Full foot, short-blade, rounded, official SKWIM fins. Available for sale at eLifeguard.com.

These fins are soft and comfortable, but have good propulsion. The fins add 20-to-30-percent to your overall swimming speed, maneuverability and safety in the water. SKWIM Fins are designed for everyone, especially the fin-swimming beginner.

Available in eight (8) sizes. The colors of the blade (blue in this example) vary according to the various sizes. The heel color, yellow, is the same for all the sizes.

Bottom of full foot fins. The size of the fins are imprinted / embossed within the underside of the fin. Click image for larger view.

These SKWIM fins float, so taking them out of the pool into open water conditions is okay. It is a drag to drop the other brands of fins that sink and have them lost and gone to the bottom of a lake, river or ocean.

The full foot fins are designed for pool and for calmer open-water use.

In surf conditions, it is better to use the adjustable strap Life Rescue and Surf Rescue Fins by eLifeguard. Fins offer great benefits in navigating open-water surges, beach-break currents and surf rip-streams.

Question: I’m assuming you’ve tried long and short blade ones as well. Any insight on how you reached the conclusion that PDFs are the best for learn to swimmers.

Lots of reasons. Can’t swim breastroke nor can one do egg beater kicking with long fins. We want to play games and being able to turn, twist, change directions and use the core in the water is necessary. Long fins would even make bad habits for transitioning to water polo and egg beater.

I love coaching the I.M.

Kids are going to walk on the deck with the fins, or step on the block. Short fins are not ideal, but long fins are face-plant in one step.

Likewise, kids need to get to vertical and walk on the bottom of the pool. With short fins, it is hard, but possible.

Fins need to float. These do.

Size by color is necessary for easier grab and go.

The fins with the strap are forgiving with different foot sizes. We can always get a pair for the kids to work as we can untie and retie the strap as needed.
The gains with short fins in propulsion are significant, but not over-powering.

Pads

Relaxation pad. Ideal for coaches, captains, or best performers after the monster workout.

Timing System

Suits

• https://www.cbsnews.com/videos/backlash-grows-against-high-tech-swimsuits/

Goals! The truck is another wonderful tool and resource too.

The BGC truck hauls water polo goals around town. Here it is in the Pittsburgh Hill District outside the Thelma Lovette YMCA.

Paddles

Don’t find yourself up the creek without one of these.

Paddles ready for the water. What are the things that help make you move?

Big teams and big dreams come by the dozen

Boats in an organized fleet.

Share and tell us:

What tools do you value? How, when and where did you get or build them? How do you care for them? What other tools are your thinking about getting?