Updated: Sep 23, 2024
When teaching swimming, having the right gear is essential for both you and your students. Here’s our list of recommended swim lesson equipment we couldn’t live without, along with budget-friendly places to find each item.
Table of contents
- Waterproof watch
- Digital thermometer
- Swimming goggles
- Kick boards
- Diving toys
- Equipment or mesh bag
- Wetsuit
- Storage clipboard
- Waterproof worksheets
Waterproof watch
A simple wrist watch or fitness tracker can help you manage your time during lessons and ensure you’re on time at the start and end of each session. If you go for a watch, almost any “sport watch” is waterproof but some brands we’d recommend are Casio and G-Shock. Activity trackers from Fitbit or Xiaomi are also good options. If you have a fancy apple watch though, consider buying a case to prevent it from getting scratched by textured pool liners.
Where to shop for a waterproof watch
Digital thermometer
When swimmers are cold, it’s harder for them to learn. Since pool temperatures can feel different to everyone, it can be tough to know if the water is actually cold or if something else is going on. That’s why having a thermometer in your swim gear is so helpful. It gives you an accurate temperature reading in Celsius or Fahrenheit, which you can share with pool maintenance. For easy and consistent results, we suggest using an infrared thermometer. It lets you check the temperature without getting wet, and you can find great options on Amazon for around $20.
Where to shop for thermometers
Swimming goggles
If you’re doing your job as a swimming instructor, you’ll be closely observing your students and fixing incorrect skills before they become bad habits. If you’re only watching things above the water, you’re more likely to miss things happening below the surface. It also doesn’t hurt to keep a few extra pairs around, in case one of your students forgets to bring them.
Where to shop for swim goggles
Dollarama • Amazon • Alltides
Kick boards (adult & kid sized)
The swiss army knife in every swim instructor’s back pocket, the kick board is a versatile tool that can be used to provide varying levels of buoyancy support in nearly any drill or activity. Yes, you could opt for noodles or dumbbells but neither are as easy to pack (or as iconic) as the classic and quintessential foam kickboard.
Where to shop for kickboards
Dollarama • Amazon • Sportchek • AllTides • Canadian Tire
Diving toys
Nothing helps kids submerge beneath the surface like a colorful toy that’s just out of reach! The best sinking toys are durable and large enough that small children can’t swallow them. You’ll want to avoid squishy sprayers or fabric toys that contain water or won’t dry easily. These types of toys can start to smell funky if they are left wet for too long.
Where to shop for diving toys
Equipment or mesh bag
A great equipment bag does two things: #1 it provides ventilation so that your stuff can dry and #2 it fits all of your awkwardly shaped swim gear. And when it comes to selecting bag types, there are a few different categories worth considering. Basic mesh sacks are cheap and can easily be found at the dollar store for a few bucks. Competition swim bags cost a little more but may also have pockets for your swimwear and goggles. And lastly scuba equipment bags while most expensive, are usually the most spacious and durable.
Where to shop for swim equipment bags
Dollarama • Amazon • Alltides
Wetsuit
If you’re going to be in the water for any period of time, consider getting a wetsuit. If you’ve never used one before, it’s meant to be filled with water that, once warmed from the heat of your body, will keep you comfortable for hours.
Protip: In the summer months, Costco carries very affordable wetsuits. Any other time of year, consider grabbing these secondhand off your local listing marketplace where you’ll often find surfing or triathlon suits that have only been used once or twice at great prices.
Where to shop for wet suits
Costco • FB Marketplace • Craigslist • Kijiji • Amazon
Storage clipboard
A swim instructor’s best friend, the handy plastic clipboard is great for storing worksheets, report cards, and even a granola bar or two to chomp on between lessons!
Where to shop for storage clipboards
Amazon •Walmart • Staples
Waterproof worksheets
Sometimes it can be helpful to show students or parents exactly the skills or progressions you are working on right in the lesson worksheet. In this case, having a set of worksheets that has been laminated or printed on waterproof paper is amazing!
Where to shop for waterproof worksheets
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