Have any of you had good training with swimrun pull buoys? I currently have an eneybuoy and find it to be great but want to mix it up. The feature of adding water to the EB is great for strength
One I am looking at is the super croc
Cheers
For what type of training? I guess it’s implied that it’s for swimrun training, am I right?
Hi
Training for open water swims (mix of ocean and lake) and some wetsuit open water swims. Nothing on at this point due to closures and lockdown but I want to mix up the pool training when the pools reopen. I feel I have gotten a lot fitter plus faster with just using the EB so looking for another PB (big big PB) will be good fun for training and help get in more kms.
Just wondering if anyone has used them to cross over into their swim training
Swim run might be on the cards one day but not atm
Cheers
Gotcha… that makes sense. I train/race primarily swimrun. I use the Ark Keel and the Ark Keel+ (ArkSports.com) The Ark Keel + is an enormous buoy, and I only use it in races and training when I also have shoes on. Otherwise, it’s just a little too much flotation for me (I weigh 155lbs). The rest of the time (pool and open water swims without shoes), I use the regular Keel.
If you want to pick one of these up, you can use ArkSwag10 as a discount code for 10% off at their website.
Pictures on the way.
Keel+
Keel
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Thanks for that
I did see the Keel+ and it looked enormous!
I suspect the super croc will have a bit less float in it and probably more akin to a tight wetsuit. The extra float in the keel+ seems like it would be good for shoes
I’m a bit heavier than you (around 185 currently) but i don’t think that would make much of a difference with such a big buoy as that
Do you swim train with paddles mostly and pull buoy
Yep. A loooottt of paddles and buoy in my swim sessions
I also have that big Ark buoy, and it is perfect with your shoes on. But I tried it in the pool without a couple times, and it just floats too high and messes up the body position. My everyday go to buoy is the Eney buoy, and that one is perfect for me(168lbs). You can add water in it to lower it if need be, but then you are getting around the same float as the normal sponge buoys you get at the pool…
I have been doing a lot of just buoy swimming lately, really trying to focus on my High elbow and close to the body pulling. It makes it easier to focus if you dont have to kick. Trying to lessen my frontal drag, while not losing too much power…
resurrecting this thread to ask about the Keel+, which i just got recently. how do you guys run with it? my last race i just did an elastic cord around the waist, which was fine for a small (pool-sized) buoy, but i’m not sure the keel+ would fit well against my lower back on longer runs.
i’m also conscious that it’ll take a lot of adductor pressure to keep the keel+ in place on longer swims . . . so maybe a thigh strap is better?
Is it definitely worth swimming with a pull buoy? I’d imagine I’m a good 3-5s slower per 100m with a PB.
Is it definitely worth swimming with a pull buoy? I’d imagine I’m a good 3-5s slower per 100m with a PB.
to me, swimming with running shoes on, the PB is basically mandatory.
Just a quick bit of insight in case you didn’t know . . . marcbarton is the GOAT of SwimRun in the US (in my opinion) and a GREAT guy! I’d listen to his advice.
Marcus, thank you for contributing here!
Just a quick bit of insight in case you didn’t know . . . marcbarton is the GOAT of SwimRun in the US (in my opinion) and a GREAT guy! I’d listen to his advice.
Marcus, thank you for contributing here!
and i have done exactly 1 swimrun race in my life, so i’m all ears!
gotta say, when slowtwitch is good, it’s pretty great.
Unfortunately, I have no answer. I have the keel+ and every way I have tried to strap it to my body while running has been a disappointment. It is just so big. I either have to strap it on so tight to keep it from flopping around that I get restrictive, or it flops around.
My SwimRun wetsuit has a spot for slide in float foams (Orca) and I’m tempted to abandon the buoy and go without.
interesting. i’m racing in the adriatic in september, so my guess it warm water and no wetsuit. without a wetsuit i’ll *really *need the buoyancy of a pull buoy! i will say, even though the buoyancy i got from my little sponge number in my first race was poor, i was a breeze to run with. just tucked it into the small of my back and forgot it was there.
i’ve got a leg strap and a home-made waist strap to test with the keel+; i guess i have a few weeks to start training with both and see how i go . . .
Marcus has a video on that: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZmlt9jUZGg
Most of us use a lasso mount. You can’t really tell the difference between a keel and keel+ on your back if your bungie cord is tight enough. I don’t think anyone keeps using a thigh mount, after a while you realize that you have to fiddle with it too much during a race. If you are really worried about keeping the buoy in place while swimming, look at the ‘simple mount’ which will pull the buoy up into your nether regions.