Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Shopping for a Sport You've Never Played (Part 2)


Swim Suit: Let’s just say that trying on Speedos might not be the best confidence building exercise, but it sure is motivating! If you are not an avid swimmer who knows exactly what size you are looking for, it probably would be helpful to suck it up and head out to your local sport store to try some on. Even if you don’t find exactly what you want, you can at least get an accurate idea of what size you should order online.

Goggles: pretty easy to find, and one of the few things that are usually honest when they say “one size fits all”. Plus all come with different size nose separators – check!

Swim cap: ladies – DO NOT believe what the packaging tells you. The lycra (cloth) caps that swear they are specifically made for long hair… not so much. I honestly couldn’t even get it over my head! Yes, the latex might pull a bit, but it will hold in place and keep way more chlorine out. Another helpful hint is to slather some conditioner on your hair before dawning the cap. A) Think of it as a conditioning treatment B) Since you’re hair is absorbing the conditioner it will be able to absorb less chlorine. If you’d rather skip the conditioner, sticking your head under the shower and getting your hair soaked with non-chlorinated water helps avoid chlorine absorption too. After each swim shake some baby powder in your cap to help minimize pinching next swim.

Also, if you plan on swimming on a pretty regular basis, it might not hurt to invest in some chlorine removing shampoo & conditioner. Winter’s already giving my locks a run for their money, so why not.

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