Preparing for swim lessons can feel overwhelming. Knowing the right swim school essentials for parents—from swim diapers to goggles—helps your child feel comfortable and confident in the water.
As activities go, the equipment needs for swimming are fortunately simple and affordable. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t something to learn about choosing and using pool essentials. For every parent who has had a goggle strap break in their hand, struggled to stuff hair into a cap, or watched a child’s swimsuit migrate around their body, this is for you!
Our Swim Shops carry an assortment of swim essentials that meet our standards for quality and utility, and our staff will be happy to help you explore the offerings. Before you shop with us or elsewhere, here are some things to consider and look for in essential gear – and how to use them.
Swim Diapers for Swim Lessons
These are required at FOSS for any child under three years of age, or who is over three but still has accidents. An “incident” caused by bodily waste requires us to close the pool while the water is cleaned and made sanitary – which can disrupt lessons for scores or hundreds of families.
How to Choose
Reusable swim diapers need to be snug. Each is rated by age (in months) and weight; start with the age range (this will be right for most children), but if your child’s weight falls outside what is listed, choose by weight. We recommend Green Sprouts Swim Diapers.
How to Use
When putting it on, the elastic needs to be snug around the waist and legs, but not constrict or dig into the skin. Look for a string at the waist (it can be easy to miss) to fine-tune the fit. If you select a swim diaper with snaps, make sure all are fully engaged.
Swimsuits for Swim School
All swimsuits are not created equal. The material used, the cut, and the presence of a lining – all can affect the fit and durability of a suit. Also – remember that swimsuits are the rare clothing item that grow over time, as they stretch and chlorine affects the material – so don’t try to buy big hoping a child will grow into it!
How to Choose
We recommend double-lined suits for durability and comfort, and either 100% polyester or poly-blend suits, which tend to hold up a bit better to chlorine than Lycra. (Lycra is still a good option if you like how it looks or feels, but be aware it may age faster.)
For girls, we recommend one-piece suits for swim school – with the constant motion, one-piece suits tend to stay in place better.
How to Use
Boys’ suits can be adjusted with the waist string. Go snug but not too tight and ensure your knot can be undone.
For girls’ suits, try the strap test: pull up on the straps at the shoulders; if they come above the earlobes, the suit is likely too big.
Avoid washing and drying suits in machines, as this can degrade them. Instead, rinse with clean water and sometimes wash with a mild detergent by hand, wring out, and lay flat to dry.
Goggles
Goggles make it fun to look around underwater and protect the eyes from chlorine. We recommend goggles with double straps that grip the head both high and low, and with non-adjustable nose pieces, as they are more secure.
We also strongly recommend (and carry) goggles with a side-button adjustment. Friction adjustments can be frustrating to get just right.
How to Choose
Because people have different nose and face shapes, take time finding the model that fits. The suction test is a good place to start – without using straps, place the eye cups over the eyes and press gently, then release. If they stay on for a few seconds through suction alone, that’s a good fit.
How to Use
Have the swimmer hold the eye-pieces to their eyes, then an adult can pull straps up and back in one quick motion. Adjust the two straps for position on the head, then adjust tightness by pressing the side button and pulling the strap near where it meets the button (not from the far end, which will keep stretching.)
Swim Caps
Contrary to popular belief, the goal of a swim cap is not to keep the hair completely dry, but to reduce the impact of chlorine. While not required, many swimmers like to wear them, and they help keep goggles in place and long hair out of the way.
How to Choose
First, consider the material. There are latex and silicone options. Silicone is more durable and is what FOSS carries, but personal preference will dictate material. Size and shape is important, especially for students with long or high-volume hair.
How to Use
Putting on a swim cap can be a challenge for youngsters. First, putting long hair in a ponytail or bun helps simplify matters. While older kids can learn the technique to put it on themselves (spreading both hands inside the cap, pulling them apart, and pulling it on in one move), we encourage adults to help their swimmers. Have kids hold the front of the cap to their forehead, then flip it up and over their heads.
Bonus: Ear Wraps and Earplugs
For students who are sensitive to water in their ears, or who have tubes in their ears to prevent infection, there are ear wraps and earplugs to keep the water out.
With the right gear, properly fitted, your student will be ready to learn and love being in the water!
Having the right swim gear helps your child feel comfortable, confident, and ready to learn. By understanding these swim school essentials for parents, you can focus less on logistics and more on watching your swimmer grow.
Explore more parent tips on our Stories & Tips from the Pool blog.
