Swimming kit

I have mentioned before that I am not a great swimmer, or even an enthusiastic one. I do, however, live with three very keen swimmers. G took O and her friend swimming this morning, and it struck me as they were getting their things ready, that there was an incredible amount of swimming stuff that they were packing to take with them. I then thought I should probably refer to it as 'kit' not 'stuff'.

While they were out I had a rummage and the extent of the 'kit' I found was astonishing. Here is a list of what G and the children have:

• a wetronome - a strange little device that the swimmer fixes to the strap of their goggles, and which then beeps in their ear at regular intervals to tell the swimmer how regular their stroke should be.
• goggles - I found seven pairs, and suspect there are more around somewhere. When I learnt to swim, goggles weren't even mandatory.
• fins - we have four pairs and G is considering buying more.
• hand mits or paddles - again something that G feels he needs more of
• pull bouy - to stick between your knees in order to practise arm technique
• goggle counter - another device to fix onto your goggles which keeps count of how many lengths you have swum
• wetsuit - for open water swimming in lakes or the sea
• wetsuit bonnet - for when its so cold that your head would get dangerously cold, but not so cold that you sensibly stay at home.
• wetsuit socks - ditto for your feet.
• pool shoes
• stopwatch - to time your lengths or long distances
• wall chart - to be stuck to the fridge to monitor your best times
• water bottle - these breed in our house. We must have nearly a dozen by now. Why do you need to take extra water swimming??
  

And of course, this list doesn't even mention trunks (or swimming knickers as my father-in-law calls them to much hilarity). I found four pairs of G's, and he said there were at least two more pairs that I hadn't managed to track down.

And in case, by any chance you are thinking "sheesh - they really must have all the swimming kit it is possible for one family to own"...take a look here.