Swim Training: The Pull Buoy

A pull buoy is a “figure 8” shaped piece of foam that is typically held between the upper thighs to float the hips and legs at the surface of the water. They are one size fits all but different brands may have slightly different designs, so do your research and find the one that works for you. It is called “pulling” when you swim with a buoy because all of your forward movement is from your arms.

Help with proper positioning

The pull buoy is positioned between the thighs causing the butt and legs to float to a more proper position. When your butt drops and your legs are further underwater you are creating more drag and less efficient swimming. The pull buoy helps show us what the proper body position should feel like so that we can work on transferring this to our regular swimming.

Focus on Technique

Swimming with the pull buoy also requires less effort so you are able to swim longer and increase your upper body fitness. Also with kicking your legs out of the mix, you can really focus on your arm form. Practice different drills, watch where your arm enters the water and the timing of how you rotate your body in response.

Help with Breathing

Pull sets are a great time to work on breath control and breathing technique. Kick can cause elevated heart rates, leaving you feeling winded and without the energy to focus on when and how you are breathing. By lessening the effort you can set up a breath pattern and work on your breath timing with each stroke. Swimming with a pull buoy is also a good time to practice bilateral breathing, which can come in super handy during open water swims.

Important Notes

Don’t become addicted to your buoy and use it as a crutch. The ease of gliding through the water may leave your regular laps feeling less than ideal but remember that the buoy is a tool to help you and won’t be there on race day. The best way to do this is by having planned sets and only use the pull buoy during those designated times.