Figure 8

Pulls buoys are designed to improve your upper body strength and also improve your body position in the water by adding buoyancy. Because the legs are supported, you can focus all your attention onto isolated areas of your body such as working your upper body, practising breathing pattern or correcting your head position.

Types

Pull buoys are mostly made with a foam material and come in two different designs:

1. Figure 8 design – This is the most common type of pull buoy used as a training aid. This design is a single construction that fits comfortably between the legs.
2. 2 Piece design – This design is made with 2 pieces of foam that are joined by rubber or elastic.

2 Piece

Neither pull buoy type is better than the other, it is purely down to personal preference which one you choose.

Benefits of Using a Pull Buoy

Pulls buoys have a number of great benefits in training. Firstly, they lift your lower body higher in the water and so reduce drag. This makes swimming much easier as well as putting your body into the correct body position.

The whole upper body is supported in the water and so you can focus all your attention to other areas of your stroke. This could be concentrating on your breathing pattern, arm position or head position.

As you don’t use your legs when using a pull buoy, your upper body gets the maximum strength workout.

Top Tips for Using Pull Buoys

• Place the pull buoy as high as possible between the legs, this is the correct position as the added buoyancy is in the right place. It’s also much more comfortable than placing your pull buoy further down you leg!

• If you are known for dropping your hips a bit too low in backstroke then definitely try using a pull buoy to correct this. Try alternating every 50/100 metres with and without your pull buoy so you will really feel the difference then be able to correct this on your own without a training aid.

• If you use a figure 8 design pull buoy and one end is noticeably larger than then other then place the bigger end facing the ceiling as it gives even more support and stability

• Don’t use a pull buoy every training session as it may prevent you from developing excellent technique or building up your stamina

• If you’re just beginning to use a pull buoy then keep front crawl as your primary stroke, then as you develop your swimming skills you can add in backstroke

Click to see our full range of pull buoys.