Open-water swim kit list and tips

Published by kellypuffer on

So you’ve found a safe lake or you’re taking a trip to the sea, it’s time to grab that wetsuit and remember how it feels to be a fish once again.

We don’t all have a lake, river or sea within a 10 minutes drive, so it’s quite necessary to be 100% sure that when you jump in the car, you’ll have everything you need for the open-water swim and after. That’s why we have written a fully-encompassed list, so you’ll be sure that you’ll be fully prepared and enjoy the open-water experience at its MAX! Let’s go!

The Open-water Swim Kit List

Wetsuit? So it’s not impossible to swim in a sailing wetsuit, but it’s definitely very different and not designed for swimmers. The swim wetsuit is much thinner, made of neoprene, and therefore more delicate. But with this, you do feel like you are part of the sea-world! 

Plastic Bag? Yes ok, let’s explain the plastic bag trick (read our post “Put on your wetsuit quick“) A sneaky way to help pop your wetsuit on quicker and easier by placing your foot inside and then sliding the legs into the wetsuit!  Give it a try and see how much energy you’ve saved for that swim session 🙂

Neoprene hat? It’s worth checking the temperature of the water before jumping right in so you can decide 1 – if it’s safe and 2 – if you’re going to need to pop that neoprene hat on! Here is the type of neoprene hat we have.

Baby oil or anti-chafing cream? Without this lubricant you may well get friction-type burns on your neck or other areas. If you lather your forearms and bottom parts of your legs, you’ll also find the wetsuit pops off much easier too! What a sneaky trick when you have no energy left from your swim or when you’re in transition trying not to have an embarrassing transition time!

Swim buddy? That’s right, we have always got to be alert that there is always some added danger to open-water swimming, be that the current, the tide, the waves, animals, weeds, and even the lack of visibility underwater. So having a swim buddy is always the safest option, and we also feel much more confident in the water when we swim together. If you don’t have a swim buddy, it’s worth having a watcher to keep an eye on you whilst you are swimming. Don’t go too far, keep visible to them at all times.

Swim Buoy? These are simply bright orange or fluorescent floats that you attach to yourself so that you can be easily seen. Some floats also allow you to pop your valuables inside so they stay dry and with you at all times! They’re getting quite a ‘big thing’ these days and give that added safety to your swim. It can also help if you are slightly nervous swimming in open water. Here is the swim buoy Dora has.

For the Swim
  • Swim costume/Tri Suit
  • Baby oil or Anti-Chafing cream
  • Wetsuit (swim specific)
  • Goggles (x2)
  • Swim hat
  • Neroprene hat (just for those cold days!)*
  • Watch
  • Heart rate strap
  • Swim buoy/float*
  • Swim buddy/friend buddy
  • Plastic bag
triathlon wetsuit plastic bag trick
Dora's discovered the plastic bag way!

Post open-water swim

Freshwater? Oh yes, that freshwater bottle is going to be a blessing to wash away the mud, or weeds, or sea salt and sand. Take a swig.

Towels?  Have one to dry with and one to stand on! If not, stand on that plastic bag of yours to avoid getting everything dirty.

Warm clothes? You may not think you’ll be cold if it seems warm outside, but after a swim in the cold open water, you’ll really need to wrap up warm at first to bring your body temperature to the norm. Now is not the time to be a super-woman, so layer on up and get warm first! If you suffer a lot from the cold and take a while to warm up, it might be worth investing in a Dryrobe like this – it’s basically an oversized robe that is windproof, waterproof with a fleece-lined inner. You can also easily change out of your wetsuit whilst wearing it.

  • Water bottle of fresh water to rinse off
  • Water bottle to rehydrate
  • Towel x2
  • Clean underwear
  • Warm clothing & SOCKS
  • Hot drink (if it's cold!)
  • Snack bar
  • Hair brush & band
  • Plastic Bag

So you’ve found a safe lake or you’re taking a trip to the sea, it’s time to grab that wetsuit and remember how it feels to be a fish once again.

We don’t all have a lake, river or sea within a 10 minutes drive, so it’s quite necessary to be 100% sure that when you jump in the car, you’ll have everything you need for the open-water swim and after. That’s why we have written a fully-encompassed list, so you’ll be sure that you’ll be fully prepared and enjoy the open-water experience at its MAX! Let’s go!

The Open-water Swim Kit List

Wetsuit? So it’s not impossible to swim in a sailing wetsuit, but it’s definitely very different and not designed for swimmers. The swim wetsuit is much thinner, made of neoprene, and therefore more delicate. But with this, you do feel like you are part of the sea-world! 

Plastic Bag? Yes ok, let’s explain the plastic bag trick (read our post “Put on your wetsuit quick“) A sneaky way to help pop your wetsuit on quicker and easier by placing your foot inside and then sliding the legs into the wetsuit!  Give it a try and see how much energy you’ve saved for that swim session 🙂

Neoprene hat? It’s worth checking the temperature of the water before jumping right in so you can decide 1 – if it’s safe and 2 – if you’re going to need to pop that neoprene hat on! Here is the type of neoprene hat we have.

Baby oil or anti-chafing cream? Without this lubricant you may well get friction-type burns on your neck or other areas. If you lather your forearms and bottom parts of your legs, you’ll also find the wetsuit pops off much easier too! What a sneaky trick when you have no energy left from your swim or when you’re in transition trying not to have an embarrassing transition time!

Swim buddy? That’s right, we have always got to be alert that there is always some added danger to open-water swimming, be that the current, the tide, the waves, animals, weeds, and even the lack of visibility underwater. So having a swim buddy is always the safest option, and we also feel much more confident in the water when we swim together. If you don’t have a swim buddy, it’s worth having a watcher to keep an eye on you whilst you are swimming. Don’t go too far, keep visible to them at all times.

Swim Buoy? These are simply bright orange or fluorescent floats that you attach to yourself so that you can be easily seen. Some floats also allow you to pop your valuables inside so they stay dry and with you at all times! They’re getting quite a ‘big thing’ these days and give that added safety to your swim. It can also help if you are slightly nervous swimming in open water. Here is the swim buoy Dora has.

For the Swim
  • Swim costume/Tri Suit
  • Baby oil or Anti-Chafing cream
  • Wetsuit (swim specific)
  • Goggles (x2)
  • Swim hat
  • Neroprene hat (just for those cold days!)*
  • Watch
  • Heart rate strap
  • Swim buoy/float*
  • Swim buddy/friend buddy
  • Plastic bag
triathlon wetsuit plastic bag trick
Dora's discovered the plastic bag way!

Post open-water swim

Freshwater? Oh yes, that freshwater bottle is going to be a blessing to wash away the mud, or weeds, or sea salt and sand. Take a swig.

Towels?  Have one to dry with and one to stand on! If not, stand on that plastic bag of yours to avoid getting everything dirty.

Warm clothes? You may not think you’ll be cold if it seems warm outside, but after a swim in the cold open water, you’ll really need to wrap up warm at first to bring your body temperature to the norm. Now is not the time to be a super-woman, so layer on up and get warm first! If you suffer a lot from the cold and take a while to warm up, it might be worth investing in a Dryrobe like this – it’s basically an oversized robe that is windproof, waterproof with a fleece-lined inner. You can also easily change out of your wetsuit whilst wearing it.

  • Water bottle of fresh water to rinse off
  • Water bottle to rehydrate
  • Towel x2
  • Clean underwear
  • Warm clothing & SOCKS
  • Hot drink (if it's cold!)
  • Snack bar
  • Hair brush & band
  • Plastic Bag

Open water kit list and a few of our favorite sneaky wetsuit tricks!

Many triathlon races are open water swims and although we often train in a pool, it is a different kettle of fish swimming in the open water (excuse the pun). It’s vital to practice swimming in open water, with the right kit, before the race. 

So you’ve found a safe lake or you’re taking a trip to the sea, it’s time to grab that wetsuit and remember how it feels to be a fish once again.

We don’t all have a lake, river or sea within a 10 minutes drive, so it’s quite necessary to be 100% sure that when you jump in the car, you’ll have everything you need for the open-water swim and after. That’s why we have written a fully-encompassed list, so you’ll be sure that you’ll be fully prepared and enjoy the open-water experience at its MAX! Let’s go!

The Open-water Swim Kit List

Wetsuit? So it’s not impossible to swim in a sailing wetsuit, but it’s definitely very different and not designed for swimmers. The swim wetsuit is much thinner, made of neoprene, and therefore more delicate. But with this, you do feel like you are part of the sea-world! 

Plastic Bag? Yes ok, let’s explain the plastic bag trick (read our post “Put on your wetsuit quick“) A sneaky way to help pop your wetsuit on quicker and easier by placing your foot inside and then sliding the legs into the wetsuit!  Give it a try and see how much energy you’ve saved for that swim session 🙂

Neoprene hat? It’s worth checking the temperature of the water before jumping right in so you can decide 1 – if it’s safe and 2 – if you’re going to need to pop that neoprene hat on! Here is the type of neoprene hat we have.

Baby oil or anti-chafing cream? Without this lubricant you may well get friction-type burns on your neck or other areas. If you lather your forearms and bottom parts of your legs, you’ll also find the wetsuit pops off much easier too! What a sneaky trick when you have no energy left from your swim or when you’re in transition trying not to have an embarrassing transition time!

Swim buddy? That’s right, we have always got to be alert that there is always some added danger to open-water swimming, be that the current, the tide, the waves, animals, weeds, and even the lack of visibility underwater. So having a swim buddy is always the safest option, and we also feel much more confident in the water when we swim together. If you don’t have a swim buddy, it’s worth having a watcher to keep an eye on you whilst you are swimming. Don’t go too far, keep visible to them at all times.

Swim Buoy? These are simply bright orange or fluorescent floats that you attach to yourself so that you can be easily seen. Some floats also allow you to pop your valuables inside so they stay dry and with you at all times! They’re getting quite a ‘big thing’ these days and give that added safety to your swim. It can also help if you are slightly nervous swimming in open water. Here is the swim buoy Dora has.

For the Swim
  • Swim costume/Tri Suit
  • Baby oil or Anti-Chafing cream
  • Wetsuit (swim specific)
  • Goggles (x2)
  • Swim hat
  • Neroprene hat (just for those cold days!)*
  • Watch
  • Heart rate strap
  • Swim buoy/float*
  • Swim buddy/friend buddy
  • Plastic bag
triathlon wetsuit plastic bag trick
Dora's discovered the plastic bag way!

Post open-water swim

Freshwater? Oh yes, that freshwater bottle is going to be a blessing to wash away the mud, or weeds, or sea salt and sand. Take a swig.

Towels?  Have one to dry with and one to stand on! If not, stand on that plastic bag of yours to avoid getting everything dirty.

Warm clothes? You may not think you’ll be cold if it seems warm outside, but after a swim in the cold open water, you’ll really need to wrap up warm at first to bring your body temperature to the norm. Now is not the time to be a super-woman, so layer on up and get warm first! If you suffer a lot from the cold and take a while to warm up, it might be worth investing in a Dryrobe like this – it’s basically an oversized robe that is windproof, waterproof with a fleece-lined inner. You can also easily change out of your wetsuit whilst wearing it.

  • Water bottle of fresh water to rinse off
  • Water bottle to rehydrate
  • Towel x2
  • Clean underwear
  • Warm clothing & SOCKS
  • Hot drink (if it's cold!)
  • Snack bar
  • Hair brush & band
  • Plastic Bag

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