Its fast approaching the end of competition season – the days are getting longer, our Otters are looking forwards to the end of school, and parents to perhaps a week or two of summer holiday.
But before reaching for the sun cream and suitcases, there’s one thing that our Otters should be doing ahead of the Summer break….
..clearing out that kit bag!!
Admittedly this is something that the Otters in this den are encouraged to do on a weekly, if not termly basis. There’s the obvious benefits, such as retrieving numerous damp (and possibly quite smelly) towels, restoring the family’s collection of waterbottles back into the kitchen cupboards (the record currently being held by our No. 2 Otter is four… unopened (no wonder the kit bag was so heavy)), but also its a chance to have a look at the kit too.
Threadbare jammers are something of a regular occurrence for the larger Otter, and without going in to too much detail, would become an issue when on the blocks. Particularly for the poor unfortunate STO behind the blocks… So its a chance to peruse the internet for last seasons discounted jammers, without the pressure of needing them for a meet tomorrow!
This is also the time to clean and dry the kit to be stored for the next few weeks. The post on the ‘Kit-Bag of Doom’ highlights what happens to goggles when left to their own devices – so a thorough washing in hot water and a good drying before storage is a good idea. This also goes for snorkels – careful application of hot water around the mouthpiece especially (deconstructing and reconstructing if the snorkel allows!).
Swimming hats can be a particular issue. Our otters are encouraged to dig out the hats (note the plural….) from their kit bags, give them a thorough wash, inspection and pat dry, inside and out with a kitchen towel. Advice received years ago has served us well – so its then in to a large ziplock sandwich bag with a slug of talcum powder, which is then squidged around to completely coat the swimming hats, inside and out. This talc prevents the insides of the hat sticking together over the next few weeks, and also keeps the moisture down so that the dreaded black mould cannot ruin the hat. They’re kept flat in the bag with the talc until next required, when a quick shake down brings them back to life.
Talc’d and Sealed – ready for storage
Of course at the other end of the Summer break, theres another issue – one of outgrowing the swimming cozzies and fins. But will save that for another day…!