Frequently Asked Questions
Here, you'll find answers to common questions about the Sea Dragons Swim Team, along with helpful resources to support your swimmer's journey.
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Equipment for Practice
Required Equipment
- Flippers– this type with a rubber heel, but doesn’t have to be this brand. TYR brand runs wider and Speedo brand runs narrower.
- Goggles that do not cover the nose (my kids like these a lot). Go ahead and get 2 pairs of goggles for each kid because they WILL lose or break them at some point, and it’s easier to have a back up ready!
- A Water Bottle- water only at practice, please!
- Swim Suit– I don’t have requirements for what their suits are like, but my suggestion is one piece suits for girls (they stay on better for diving) and no long sleeved rash guards (it’s harder to do strokes with the extra material). My daughter also likes these over her swim suit to keep her legs from rubbing out of the water.
- A Towel.
- A Post-Swim Snack. Trust me, they’ll be hungry.
Optional Equipment
- Swim Cap– Silicone ones pull long hair less!
- Mesh bag for carrying equipment.
- Paddles for 13 & ups
- Cheap Flip Flops- if you plan to have your kids shower at the pool, trust me and save yourself the doctors bills for planters warts (ew) by buying them a cheap pair of flip flops to wear in the locker room (Crocs work too). The pool staff do a good job keeping things clean, but stuff just grows on wet floors!
Pro Tip: LABEL EVERYTHING. Sharpies are great for this, especially for the flippers. You can also put beads or electric tape on goggles straps and stickers on water bottles!
Frequently Asked Questions
There may be a low-pressure optional meet with a similar sized team. We will also do timed swims here and there to allow the swimmers to see evidence of their growth! But overall the feel of the team is low pressure.
Here’s info on our payment policy and our pricing.
The address for Campus Hills Pool is 2000 S Alston Ave, Durham, NC 27707. Here is a video about the recreation center and pool!
The recreation center also has a trail, a soccer field, a playground, racquet ball courts, sitting areas, and more! Plenty of places to entertain younger kids or do school or grading while you wait. Swim passes are also available at the front desk and online.
You are welcome to leave the premises or go elsewhere in the building as long as you’re back before practice ends at 3pm!
Once upon a time I did all of the above, but with kids of my own now, that’s not the season I’m currently in. If that changes, I’ll let you all know!
We do not. I have gotten the price as low as I can for you all, so I’m simply offering the best deal possible for all.
We do not currently have scholarships or financial assistance available. However, if you have a grant that can be used for this and need me to fill out vendor paperwork to make it happen, just let me know!
As long as they are able to meet the minimum requirements and are able to participate in a group setting, we’re eager to have them! You can read more about our adaptive philosophy here.
No. Here’s more info about our recreational model.
Here is the info about absences and cancellations!
Helpful Resources
Here’s a good article that goes through some of the different factors to consider when looking for a suit for your girls. Remember this is not a high-competition team so you do *not* have to have a fancy suit- but this helps you understand what you are looking at when you’re shopping! When trying on a girls suit, you want to be able to lift the strap off her shoulder but not all the way up to her ear. If it won’t come off the shoulder, it’s too tight. If you can lift it up to her ear, it’s too loose.
Jammers reduce drag vs. swim shorts, so most boys prefer them. However, here is more information to consider when making a decision!
Here’s a video of how to put on a swim cap! I’m also happy to teach this in person, too.
Does your swimmer wear glasses? Consider getting prescription goggles so they can see in the pool, too.
Most fins are sized according to shoe size, so find the size that is closest to your swimmer’s shoe size. If on the edge of a size, size up and send them with a pair of socks to practice to wear in case the fins are a little big- but better a little big than a little small.
Don’t wear pokey items in the hair when wearing a swim cap- no bobby pins, clips, etc. After swimming, the recommendation is to rinse your swim cap and dry it and then put it in a dry compartment of your swim bag. I’ll be honest, I’ve never chosen to keep up with this discipline- I’ve opted to buy another cap or so in exchange for not having the hassle of keeping it pristine. But you can choose what is more worth it for you!
Rinse them out after practice with fresh water to keep mold from growing in the gaskets and/or give them a good scrub with soap (and rinse really really well!) every so often. Most goggles come with an anti-fog coating which will last about 0.5 seconds before it gets rubbed off by a finger…swimmers can spit in or lick their goggles to make them fog less (funny but it works) or you can buy anti-fog spray to re-coat them (not worth it in my opinion, but it’s out there!). Don’t leave goggles in a hot car or direct sun as many will melt or distort in the heat.
Rinse your suit in fresh water to stop chlorine damage and make suits last longer. DO NOT WASH YOUR SWIM SUIT IN THE WASHING MACHINE unless absolutely necessary. Soaps and detergents tend to break down the elastic and make the suits fade and tear quicker. Hang suits up to air dry- command hooks in the tub/shower are a great way to do this!
Thankfully the water at Campus Hills is pretty warm as far as indoor pools go. However, if you have a child that is easily chilled, consider these options to help:
- A swim cap. Think of it like a hat for the pool.
- Double suit- wear two suits, especially for girls. Also a great trick to get more wear out of a thinning suit!
- Wear a wetsuit. Wetsuits aren’t ideal for training since they create their own buoyancy in the water and can make it harder to move. However, if you’ve got a particularly chilly child, it is an option. Opt for one that is sleeveless for better range of motion!
First of all, somewhere during the season, someone will start their period at the pool. Whether it’s her first time or it just catches her by surprise- it will happen. I’ve been there, done that both as a swimmer and as a coach many times, so please assure your daughter that it’s no big deal, even if a mess happens. If something needs to be cleaned up, just tell her to let me know and I’ll take care of talking with the staff and moving the rest of the team elsewhere in the meantime so it’s as discreet as possible.
Also please let your daughters know that it is HIGHLY unlikely she’ll bleed in the pool- and certainly not enough to be noticeable. I don’t know all the science behind it, but something about the pressure from the water slows things down so it’s not like someone swimming behind her will notice if she starts her period while swimming.
If she needs to sit out, she’s welcome to just tell me and if she doesn’t want to say it’s her period, she can just say she isn’t feeling well and I’m not going to question that. I’ve been that girl who was totally mortified to tell anyone. 🙂
Finally- they have so many great products nowadays for periods, including period swim suits! But at the very least, if your daughter has started her periods or might start soon, I’d highly recommend purchasing a pair of period underwear and just keeping them in her bag so she can just change into them if the need arises.