Caring for Rashguards

Just like other items of clothing, we simply think of setting a rashguard aside to get washed with other articles of clothing. It’s often left in a wet, bundled mess and then tossed in the laundry with other clothes. This is NOT how you want to take care of your swim gear. If you want to preserve the life of your rashguards, it needs to be properly washed and cared for.

When you are washing your rashguard, be sure not to use hot water. Hot water can damage the material that rashguards are made out of, resulting in a shorter life span. As a matter of fact, it’s best if you wash your rashguards by hand in cold water. When it’s time to dry your rashguards, never put them in the dryer. It’s recommended to turn your rashguard inside out and let them hang dry away from direct sun or heat.

When your rashguard is dry, it’s time to put it away until your next use. Refrain from using a cheap wire hanger, and opt for a padded hanger instead. In hopes to not weaken the fabric, rashguards should not be folded.

If you want to get the most out of your rashguards, taking proper maintenance can significantly increase its life. By following the tips above, your rashguard will still look new months after it’s been used.

Maximizing Energy

With the stresses that happen in everyday life, our energy levels can slump. Whether its school, work, or personal issues, everyone has times when they have absolutely no motivation. By managing your energy effectively, you will be able to conquer and move forward with your goals and aspirations.

1.       Listen to Music. It has been proven that listening to music has positive effects such as easing pain, increase workout endurance, reduce stress, etc. Creating a playlist to accompany your swimming can keep you energized as well as increasing your speed.

2.       Think Positive. It’s so easy to get overwhelmed and be consumed by stress. Instead of focusing on your hardships, try concentrating on your strengths and the ability to make your future better.

3.       Positive Environment. You tend to be most like the 5 people you spend the most time with. Do you want to be surrounded by negative individuals who do not support your goals in life? Absolutely not. Be around those who want to see you succeed and will help you do so. These are the people you need in your life.

Incorporate these into your daily life and watch your energy increase!

Choosing a Bag

In order for swimmers to compete and go to swim matches, they must carry all of their gear with them. Depending on the event, this could mean a lot of items or just a couple of things. You don’t want to waste your money, so you need to choose a bag that will suit your needs best. There are three types of bags: Mesh Bags, Backpacks, and duffle bags. Each offers different benefits – let’s begin.

Mesh Bags

As you can infer from the name, these bags are made with mesh fabric. The mesh fabric allows the contents in the bag to breathe which offers better ventilation. This is great for swimmers because usually everything gets wet. You don’t want to have your items smelling like mildew! Some mesh bags even include compartments that are enclosed by zippers, keeping your items organized! The TYR Big Mesh Dummy Bag or Speedo’s Deluxe Mesh Equipment Bag are great choices!

Backpacks

If having a see-through mesh bag isn’t your thing, maybe a backpack is! Backpacks like the Speedo Large 35L Teamster Backpack or the RISE Pro Team Backpack offer lots of room for your items. Different bags offer different options such as a wet pocket and ventilated end caps f or wet items. Other bags may even include a goggle saver pocket, suit hanger carabineers, or an iPod zipper! Take the time to see which bag offers the best options for you.

Duffle Bags

If you have a lot of items to carry between practice and swim meets, the duffle bag is the bag for you! With large compartments, wet pocket organizers, and ventilated end caps, you have plenty of room to put your wet items. Most swimming duffle bags have a separate area to store your dry items without getting them wet. Because it’s a bigger bag, you get all of the benefits including a cell phone and goggle pouch! 

To help keep your bags smelling great, toss in a Bagball! The bagball is designed to eliminate athletic bag odor. Natural oil compounds act as the odor neutralizer which release dry vapor in the air. These are so small and compact they won’t leave you fighting for space! Check them out at The Lifeguard Store!

Choosing a Snorkel

Are you planning your next vacation to a tropical destination? Snorkeling is a great activity for both adults and children to do in clear water! Snorkels use a clear plastic mask as well as a tube to breathe through while floating on the water. Snorkeling equipment is typically using them to see beautiful tropical fish and to observe coral reef. With so many options, there are some things to consider before purchasing.

Since you will be face down into water, it’s important to find snorkeling equipment that best fits! Masks that leak do not work well in water. Seal is one of the most important aspects of choosing snorkeling equipment. After firmly pressing the mask onto your face, the mask should remain unsupported.  Once you have found a mask that properly seals, be sure to check out the field of vision. Some masks allow more to be seen to the sides than others. The better the vision, the more costly the mask will be.

There are some options with the snorkel tube as well. There are typically 3 different designs: Purge snorkels, Semi-dry snorkels, and dry snorkels. Purge snorkels are the generic tubes for snorkeling which may leave you with a mouth full of water. Inferred by the name, you may be purging the snorkel often. Semi-dry snorkels still need the occasional purging, but have a deflector cap at the end to discourage water from entering. The more costly snorkel, dry snorkels, have a cap that automatically closes when submerged. Upon breaking the surface, the cap will reopen as well. These snorkels should not need purged.

When you are ready to use your equipment, you will need to prep your mask. You don’t want your mask fogging up, so you will need to spit on the inside of your mask and smear it around the optical surface. Give the mask a plunge into the water before putting it on, and your set!

Fins are also a great add-on for any snorkeling adventure! Fins cover more area, allowing you to push more water to move quickly in the water. In return, you will see more of the breathtaking underwater life! While large fins have a larger fin area, they are also heavier and harder to maneuver. Keep this in mind when shopping for fins!

The Lifeguard Store has many great options for Snorkels including this Adult Combo Set! This set is equipped with a non-return purge valve for quick expulsion, large barrel for easy breathing and clearing, double-feathered silicone seal, and a PVC mouthpiece. For Fins, check out the MAO Elite Power Fins, which has shorter blades, no-slip footpad, and ergonomic foot pockets.

Choosing the Right Fin

Have you heard that swimmers can improve their kick strength and speed by swimming with fins? Who wouldn’t want that? That could be the difference between winning and losing a race. With so many colors, styles, and shapes on the market, it may be a bit overwhelming.

Short Bladed

If you are looking for something to help with kick strength, this may be the fin for you. Because of its short blades, it may feel like you’re not wearing a fin at all! If you are just starting out, this is the perfect fin for you as it doesn’t affect kick speed!

Medium – Long Bladed

The Medium to Long Bladed fins offer even more kick strength; however, since they are longer it can affect your kick speed. These fins also allow you to feel each kick, emphasizing your motion. These fins are a great choice when working on dolphin kicks and butterfly.

Monofin

With mono meaning one, these fins are single bladed! If you are focusing on your butterfly stroke, this will help your form. Not only will you perfect your form, but you will also get a great full body workout (legs, core, and back). With using a monofin, you can gain improved ankle flexibility which result in a better flutter kick.

 

There is an official sport called Fin Swimming!

How to Properly Clean your Whistle

No matter the type of whistle you choose to own, it probably benefits from a cleaning. Whistles that are metal and have peas even require cleaning. If you are unsure how to clean your whistle properly, let us help!

There are a couple ways to clean your metal whistle. One way we recommend is to boil it. First, fill a pot with enough water to cover the whistle. Place the pot on the stove and wait until the water comes to a boil. Insert the whistle into the boiling water for about 5-10 minutes, and then turn off the stove. Once the water cools, remove the whistle from the water and let it dry.

For plastic whistles, you need to be more careful because they are not as durable as the metal alternative. Try using mouthwash to clean your whistle. Simply place enough antiseptic mouthwash into a bowl deep enough so the whistle will be fully covered. Place the whistle into the bowl and soak for about 30 minutes to remove germs. Once you have done this, run water over the whistle for roughly a minute and let it dry overnight.

Be sure to try these methods out and let us know how they work!

5 Ways to Conserve Water

We all know you LOVE the water so in honor of Earth Day, we have complied a list of tips to help you conserve water. Whether you are a facility owner, lifeguard, swimmer, or just like to swim for recreation- do your best to do your part!

An 18' x 36' pool loses about 1 inch of water per week which adds up to 7,000 gallons each year!

1. Avoid games that involve splashing water. This is quite the task as kids love to play games and splash one another, but just do your best!
2. Be sure to keep the water level low. This not only reduces water use in general, but it also refrains from excess water loss from excessive splashing. It's recommended to keep the water level at about 1 inch above the bottom of the pool tile.
3. Use a pool heater. Once it hits the warmer summer months, be sure to reduce the temperature. This will significantly reduce water loss due to evaporation.
4. Use shrubbery. To really cut down on evaporation, place shrubs and other plants around the pool area. These not only add privacy, but also block the wind which reduces wind evaporation.
5. Cover your pool. Covering your pool when it’s not in use can also diminish evaporation especially during the nighttime hours.

Protecting your Suit

Your suit can take quite the beating during the summer, after wearing it day in and day out. You may think that staying out of the pool will help, but that’s not true. It’s not just chlorine that can affect the lifetime of your suit, but also UV rays. As you know UV rays can be harmful to your skin, they can do damage to your clothing too. If you have ever left clothing in your car or outside in direct sunlight for a while, you noticed that the color faded. In addition to this, chemicals from sunscreen, tanning oils and deodorant can affect the life of your swimsuit as well. 

 

By rinsing your suit with water first, it will not absorb as much oil or lotion.

Is your favorite swim suit no longer that bright, radiant color it once was? Is the elasticity been shot? If this happens to your recreational swimsuit, just think what will happen to your competitive suit which costs double to triple the amount! There is a solution for that! Swimwear Protector!

This product help protect swimwear from both chlorine and UV damage. It helps preserve the color and elasticity too. All you need to do is add two capfuls and your suit into water and the chlorine will be neutralized! Just soak, swirl, and let it dry! It’s a good idea to not dry your swim suit in the dryer, as they get to extreme high temperatures which can break down the material.