If you’re a competitive swimmer, we’re sure you’re familiar with the fact that you have to bring lots of equipment to swim. Although to the average person it may appear that you don’t need much to swim, just some goggles and a swimsuit, professional swimmers know otherwise. The list can go on and on for items that you have to bring with you when you swim.

However, we understand that your gym bag can only hold so much. You don’t have unlimited room, which means that you only want to take what you are positive you need.

This is why we collected a list of the seven gym bag essentials and listed them for you below. These are only the necessities so you won’t be wasting any room in your gym bag.

7 Gym Bag Essentials for Swimming

The mesh bag

Although your gym bag will hold everything you need overall, your mesh bag, tucked inside your gym bag, will keep everything you’ll take to your lane. This is everything that you’ll use during your workout, including your swimmers snorkel, fins, and everything else you’ll be bringing to your lane.

Micro-fiber towel

Believe it or not, when you’re a swimmer, there are lots of options for something as simple as a towel. It can be difficult, with so many options, to know which one is the best to use. Micro-fiber towels, although they may not feel as nice a regular towel, will fit into your bag without taking up too much space and help you to dry off quickly. If you forget, we always have complimentary towels available poolside and in the locker room.

Logbook

Although this isn’t anything new, tracking and logging your swim practices can be incredibly helpful. Journaling your swim practices, although you may find it a little tedious and boring, can, in the long run, be extremely beneficial. Once you have it journaled, you can look back and see what you need to improve and what you’ve learned in your swim practices.

A snack

Even if you’re not hungry before going, you can be sure after a long swim practice, you’ll be grateful for a post-workout snack. Those long hours of swimming can have swimmers devouring huge bowls full of food. However, if you don’t want to wait it out until you reach home, you should bring that post-workout snack along. Even something simple that will keep you refueled until you arrive home.

Water bottle

You’d be surprised at just how many competitive swimmers forget water bottles. Swimmers sweat too, and although it may not be as apparent as when you go and workout in the gym, they do sweat a lot. Often swimmers will forget this and not get their water bottle. But if there’s one thing that is undoubtedly a necessity in your gym bag, it’s your water bottle.

Fins

You should never underestimate the power of a good pair of fins. Although it may take time, you want to do your research and find a pair that won’t blister and get the highest quality pair. Fins will allow you to reach race-like speeds, which you can’t always accomplish in your regular workouts.

Earplugs

The internet is filled with places where you can buy earplugs to keep the water out of your ears as you swim. If you search hard enough, you’ll be shocked at the excellent quality you can find. Now, these may not be a must-have for all swimmers, but they certainly are helpful.

Using these items, you’ll be all set when you go swimming!