Swimming as a hobby and as your main choice of exercise is one of the most satisfying workouts to perform. There’s simply something primal and instantly impressive about a person who can master the water element and glide though it. Since you’re here, it probably means you’re really taking your swimming training seriously, and we congratulate you for it.
A swimming parachute is indeed a crucial piece of gear for any swimmer who want to become stronger and to build more endurance. But, at the same time, it’s a type of training aid which is often misunderstood. To help clear the air and guide you on your way to becoming a better swimmer, we’ve put together this top of the best swim parachutes, as well as a few FAQs about them and the main specs to pay attention to.
OUR TOP PICK
SuperStroke Swim Parachute
- Stand Out Features - Why We Love It
- Classic model, dual function
- Comes with chute, compatible with a bucket too
- Very reliable cord strap
- 3 different sizes for the cord
- Ideal for beginners
- Affordable for its quality level
EDITORS CHOICE
T-best Strength Swim Parachute
- Stand Out Features - Why We Love It
- A favorite of most swim parachutes reviews
- Suitable for both kids and grown-ups
- Adjustable waist range
- Bright yellow color is easy to spot
- Secure but comfortable fit
- Easier to use compared to similar products
- Ideal for low impact workouts
- 3.9 feet long
BEST VALUE
Finis adjustable Swim Parachute
- Stand Out Features - Why We Love It
- Adjustable sizes
- Customized resistance level (2 levels to choose from)
- Compatible with advanced swimming moves
- Extra comfortable
- Very affordable
How To Choose A Swim Parachute – Buying Guide
Still confused? Don’t worry, we have your back. Here are the main things to watch out for when shopping for the best swim parachutes.
Size
All training parachutes come in more than one size, but sometimes it’s hard to know what the size means, especially when it’s just a number of inches. You may think this number is meant for a particular measure of your body (shoulders or waist or whatever), since that’s how most wearables are coded, but no. It actually refers to the length of the cord, and the part which needs to be strapped to your waist will be adjustable anyway.
Material
The best swim parachutes are made from a combination of textile fabric and specialized plastic designed for sports use. Neoprene, isoprene and similar types of fabric are the most common. As long as you see one of these mentioned in the product description, you can be sure that your swimming parachute is going to be extra comfortable to wear, no matter for how long your training sessions stretch.
You might also like: Stopwatch For Swim Coaches
Resistance
The resistance provided by the best swim parachutes doesn’t vary that much, at least for as long as you keep the parachute attached to them. Usually, when swimmers want to take their training up a notch, what they do is remove the chute and replace it with a small plastic bucket. This implement will provide a higher degree of resistance than the chute.
FAQs
Q: What Is A Swim Parachute?
A swimming parachute is a piece of gear designed to help improve your strength and endurance as a swimmer. There are many ways to train for swimming, including tips and tricks for how to increase your lung capacity for swimming. There’s also gear which helps, like swimming cords and many more. Out of all these, a reliable swimming parachute can help you get far in your performance. It can even help boost your muscle mass!
As for the specifics, this is how it works: the workout parachute looks like a two-part piece of wearable. You have a belt strap which you need to securely attach to your body, and longer straps which drag behind you with the second part of the contraption.
This second part of the swimming parachute is something meant to drag behind you in the water, causing you to exert more in order to move forward. Usually, it’s a special fabric small ‘parachute’, but sometimes it can also be a small bucket, for an even higher degree of in-water resistance.
Q: Does A Swim Parachute Help You Swim Faster?
Since a swimming parachute is essentially designed as a workout parachute to help strengthen your swimming muscles and boost your resistance, the answer to this is both yes and no.
Yes, swimming training parachutes do end up helping you swim faster than you were able to before, but this is a long-term effect. After at least a few months of using one of the best water parachutes in weekly sessions, you may be able to start noticing an increase in your speed.
At the same time, bear in mind that all training parachutes are designed to slow you down, making it harder for you to swim. So, while you’re strapped to a drag parachute your swimming speed will reduce, and you’ll find yourself straining more for every foot of distance you cover.
This means that no, a swim parachute will not make you swim faster while it’s still attached to you. It will in fact slow you down for strengthening purposes, but it will cause you to become a naturally faster swimmer in the end. There are several ways to track your swimming workout; use any of them and you’ll soon notice the workout boost provided by parachutes training.
Globo Surf Overview
We hope you now have a much clearer picture of what a swimming parachute is and how it can help you reach your performance goals. Hopefully, you’ve also managed to decide on which of the best swim parachutes suits your current needs best, and know what to look for in such a piece of gear. Enjoy your sessions, keep training and you’ll soon see amazing results. Happy swimming!
More Watergear Swim Guides:
- How To Choose Lap Swimming Suits
- Swim Resistance Gloves VS Swim Paddles: What Is The Difference?
- Swimming Workouts That Build Strength
- How To Increase Lung Capacity For Swimming
- Difference Between A Training Suit And Technical Race Suit
Have you ever used swim parachutes yourself? How long have you been training in swimming so far? Did an instructor recommend you to use parachutes training to perfect your technique or did you see it in professional swimmers first? Are you on your way to becoming a pro yourself? What’s your personal record using a swimming parachute? Share your thoughts with the rest of the Globo Surf community below!