How to Prepare a Swimsuit (For Women)

Whether you’re going to the pool, the beach, or the lake, you’ll need to bring a few essentials for swimming, such as sunscreen, drinking water, and a towel. To make the trip more fun, you can bring a water toy or a book. Besides, do not forget to bring clothes to change after swimming and necessary personal hygiene items to help keep the body clean and refreshed.

Table of Contents

Prepare the necessary equipment

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Find a bag big enough to hold all of your gear. You can use a backpack or tote bag. If you want to bring food or water, you should choose a thermal bag to keep everything cold and fresh. ^{[1] X Research Source}

You should choose a bag that is waterproof or can be easily washed if it gets wet or dirty.

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Choose swimwear. You can change into your swimsuit before you leave the house or leave it in your bag and change at the swimming site. Choose swimwear that fits and is suitable for swimming purposes. ^{[2] X Research Source}

For example, if you are going to a swimming competition, you should choose a one-piece swimsuit, if you are relaxing at the pool or beach, wearing a two-piece swimsuit will be great.

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Bring clothing over your swimwear. You can choose a swimwear top, shorts and t-shirt or a dress that can be put on and taken off easily. Don’t forget to bring water footwear, such as flip flops, sandals or flip flops. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

Choose clothes and shoes that you don’t mind getting wet.

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Bring your phone, wallet and keys. If you need ID or money, don’t forget to bring your wallet. You can put your wallet in a glossy bag to prevent it from getting wet. Remember to bring your phone and house/car keys too. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

If your phone does not have a waterproof case, you should also put it in a bubble bag to prevent it from getting wet.
Put all valuables in a locker if you have one.
If you don’t have a safe place to store your things, you can hide them under a towel or at the bottom of your bag.

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Bring sunscreen and insect repellent if you’re playing outside. You can choose a sunscreen for your face and a spray or a body sunscreen, remember to bring enough cream to use all over your body before you go. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

Insect repellent spray will be useful when the place you go to has a lot of insects.
Be sure to wait for the sunscreen to absorb into your skin before swimming outdoors.

READ More: Tracee Ellis Ross

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Bring a towel to lie on or wipe off with. You should choose towels that are large enough to fit on or wrap around your body, such as thin beach towels or pool towels because you can easily fold them and put them in your bag. ^{[6] X Research Sources}

Beach towels or specialized swimming pool towels will have less sand and better sun protection.

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Bring sunglasses and a hat to protect your body from the sun. Sunglasses do a great job of protecting your eyes from harmful UV rays, and hats will protect your face and eyes from the sun. Bring sunglasses and a hat that you don’t mind getting wet. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

You can choose a cap, a wide-brimmed hat, or a beanie to protect your face and neck.

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Wear swimming goggles or a swim cap. Bring a suitable swimming goggles, if you are going to a competition or serious training, wear a swimming cap to protect your hair. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

You can buy swimming goggles or swim caps at a swimwear or sporting goods store or online.

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Bring plenty of water to hydrate your body. Bring bottled water or water bottles when you go swimming. If you want to keep the water cold, you can use a thermos or bring an extra ice pack. ^{[9] X Cleveland Clinic Trusted Source Go to Source}

You can also bring other drinks, such as lemonade or juice.
Bring at least two bottles of water if you plan to swim for many hours.

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Bring snacks in case you get hungry. Choose foods that provide a lot of energy for the body and are easy to carry. If you’re bringing cold foods, keep them in a small cooler or bubble bag with ice packs around to keep them cold. ^{[10] X Research Source}

Check and make sure your destination allows food.
You can choose some snacks like nuts and dried fruit, granpa bars, berries or bananas.
Peanut butter or butter and popcorn cookies are also great options.

Prepare for bathing after swimming

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Bring a change of clothes. If you want to change into other clothes after swimming, bring a skirt or shorts and a t-shirt. Don’t forget to bring underwear, such as underwear or socks. ^{[11] X Research Source}

Please put these clothes in a separate bag before putting them in large bags so they don’t get wet or dirty,

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Bring shampoo, lotion, shower gel and face towel for bathing. If the swimming site has a bathroom, you should shower to remove chlorine or salt water from your body. Shower gel, shampoo and conditioner will make it easy to wash off. ^{[12] X Research Source}

Choose a travel-sized shampoo and shower gel that’s easier to carry.

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Bring a hairbrush or comb. After swimming, your hair will probably be a little tangled. Bring a comb to re-groom after a shower or towel to keep your hair shiny. ^{[13] X Research Source}

You can use a regular hair brush, but using a comb to comb wet hair will be easier.

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Bring a waterproof bag for wet items. You can choose from a dedicated waterproof bag or a ziplock bag for wet bathing suits, such as towels and other items. ^{[14] X Research Source}

Lock/tie the wet bag to prevent other items from getting wet.

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Bring an extra dry towel. You can use this towel to wipe your body after bathing or use it as a backup when the other towel is too wet. Choose a thin, light towel that’s easy to slip into your bag. ^{[15] X Research Source}

If you do not want to bring a large towel, you can bring a smaller towel to dry your hair.

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Bring essential bathroom supplies. These items include lotions, deodorants, and balms. Don’t forget to bring tampons or tampons when away from home. You can put these items separately in a small bag or put them all together in a large bag.

Carry a small bottle of lotion to apply to your feet or hands when the skin is dry.
Lip balm will help prevent lips from drying out due to the sun.
Bring makeup or makeup remover to use before or after swimming if needed.

Bring more entertainment

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Underwater diving toys. When swimming to relax in the pool, you can prepare some toys in your bag to entertain. Underwater diving toys will be useful for you to practice diving to the bottom of the tank; they are also quite interesting in a variety of shapes and sizes. ^{[16] X Research Source}

You can choose a stick-shaped diving toy that looks like a large marker that is heavy enough to sink to the bottom of the tank.
If you don’t want to buy a diving toy, you can compress the coins to the bottom of the tank and dive to get it.
Make sure you are allowed to use diving toys in the pool.

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Pick a book to read by the pool, sea, or lake. Reading is a great leisure time swim activity, so be sure to keep a book or magazine in your bag for fun when you need it. ^{[17] X Research Source}

Don’t expect this to happen, but chances are you’ll get your books wet while reading by the pool, so choose books that you don’t mind getting a little wet.
You can bring a diary and a pen to write instead of reading.

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Bring headphones or speakers to listen to music. You can plug a headset into your phone or music player to listen to music alone, or use the speaker to play music for everyone to hear. Remember that you are in a place with water, so choose devices that can be waterproof. ^{[18] X Research Sources}

Use headphones to listen to music when you lie by the public pool, or bring a small speaker to listen to music on the beach.
Be aware of the people around you and don’t play music too loud in public.

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Bring a swim float to hang on and relax on the water. Using a swimming float will be great for you to play with your friends in the pool. Bring a float that can be easily inflated and deflated when you’re done swimming so you can keep it neatly in your bag. ^{[19] X Research Source}

Some public swimming pools do not allow swimming floats, so be sure to ask the manager before bringing them.
Using a float in the sea or lake can be dangerous when the waves are high, so you need to be careful.

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Bring a game or toy you like. If it’s a fairly long swim, you can bring a deck of cards or other mini-games to play while you wait. If you’re relaxing at the pool, you can bring some water toys, a noodle float or a propeller. There are also many other toys you can choose and carry in your bag. ^{[20] X Research Source}

You should only bring one or two toys, carrying a lot will be very heavy.
Remember to only bring games or toys that can be used underwater or next to water.

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Place items that need to be used first. When you put things in the bag, think about the items you will need to use right away, such as sunscreen and towels, and stack them on top for easy access. ^{[21] X Research Source}

Items that need to be used later, such as a change of clothes, can be stacked at the bottom.
Gathering all your belongings in one place before you put them in your bag will help you put them in the right order.

Advice

Remember to apply sunscreen every few hours to your face, shoulders, and entire back.
If you wear contact lenses, bring along a case and eye drops.
Bring money if you want to buy something at the snack bar.
Bringing a hair tie is also helpful if you want to tie your hair up to prevent it from getting wet.

Warning

If you do not know how to swim, wear a life jacket or other protective equipment to ensure safety.

Steps

Prepare the necessary equipment

Prepare for bathing after swimming

Bring more entertainment

Advice

Warning

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