The two pieces of equipment that are absolutely needed are a pair of goggles and a swim suit.

 Goggles- There is countless numbers of goggle brands. Whichever goggles you use, make sure they fit fairly comfortably around your eyes. Make sure the cord is tight enough so the goggles will not come off when you dive in or leak while swimming. Goggles are necessary because they enable you to see were you are going.

Swim Suits

Meet Suits- Meet suits should fit tightly. The tighter the suit, the less drag the suit will cause and it will make it easier to swim faster. However the suit should not be too tight.

Practice Suits- Practice suits should be a size or two larger than your meet suit. Practice suits will stretch an fade quickly over time.

Drag Suits- Drag suits are extra suits put over your practice suit to cause extra drag or resistance.

Caps- Swim caps are used to keep long hair out of a swimmer’s eyes and to create less drag from long hair. There are three types of material that caps are made out of. Latex caps are made out of the same material as balloons, they are easier to break. Silicone Caps are made out of a thicker rubber and are textured on the inside. They are harder to rip and some people prefer them to latex caps. Lycra caps are made of fabric and can be more comfortable.

Blocks- The blocks are at one end of the pool. The swimmers start off the blocks for the race. Blocks can be higher or lower at different pools.

Kickboards and Fins- Kickboards are used to keep your head above the water while kicking. Fins make you go faster while using them and can help build up your leg muscles. Monofins are connected to each other so that it makes just one fin. The are used for butterfly kicking. Normal fins can be used to kick any stroke except breaststroke.

Pull buoys and Paddles- Pull buoys are floatation devices that are put between your legs to keep them afloat while you are arm stroking and not kicking. Paddles are put onto your hands to help with your strokes form as well as building up your arm muscles.