Necessary Gear
All swimmers on the regular swim team need to have a suit, goggles and fins. They will receive a complimentary latex swim cap as part of registration. (Mini Ospreys do not use fins.)
Team Suits
The 2026 Team Suit will be the TYR Hexa.
Suit Up will be stocking the suit for purchase you can go in store to purchase.
Suit Up is located at 10627 Braddock Rd, Fairfax, VA 22032
Note: The most common error when buying suits for competitive swimming is going too large. The suits will stretch and sag over time, and it’s best if they’re snug — so don’t buy a “suit to grow into”!
Notes on Trunks/Shirts:
(a) Boys are allowed to wear baggy shorts or "trunks" but they are definitely not helpful for fast swimming. Some boys used to be self-conscious about wearing a "Speedo" or briefs-cut suit, but the vast majority of boys now wear a "jammers" suit, which look like cycling shorts. Even for practice, we much prefer that boys wear jammers rather than baggy trunks.
(b) Sun shirts are great for blocking the sun at the pool, but they are not great for competitive swimming because they cause resistance and weight. In addition, shirts are actually not allowed in swim meets unless the swimmer has sought a special exemption. Unless your swimmer insists on them, please save them for play time.
Goggles
All swimmers need to have goggles for practices and meets. Goggles break and are lost regularly, so please don’t expect your swimmer to make it through the summer on one pair! Find an inexpensive option that works well, and buy some backups. We recommend goggles with a double-strap that helps the strap stay positioned on the crown of the head (when the back strap slips down to the neck, the goggles will become loose and fall off).
- For approximately 9-and-older swimmers, these Sporti Antifog S2 Jr. goggles are great — many color options and just $7.
- For 8-Under swimmers — these are some good options that are inexpensive: Sporti Cabo Jr. // TYR Qualifier Youth goggles
Swim Caps
Swimmers who have hair that will cover their face need to always
wear a cap or put their hair in a tight ponytail. Caps are not
required for meets, but the vast majority of OKM swimmers, including boys, will wear a cap
when racing.
Note: It’s a team rule that if a child wears a cap in meets, it has to be a red OKM team cap.
It’s the only part of a “uniform” that we have, so please save your funky caps for practice!
All swimmers will receive a complimentary latex team cap with registration. We also sell silicone caps, which are thicker, last longer, and are easier to work with (but they're also far more expensive). Replacement caps and silicone caps are for sale in the OKM snack bar. We also put in an order for silicone "name caps" before every season, where your swimmer can purchase two team caps with their name - these help with not losing caps (and they help our timers too!).
Two notes on wearing caps: (a) the OKM lettering goes on the side of the head (not the forehead); (b) drying out the inside of the cap and sprinkling with powder or corn starch will make it much easier to put on the next time.
Fins
All swimmers on the regular team need to have their own pair of rubber fins because we use them regularly in practice. Please mark your name on them! SuitUp sells fins if you need to try them on; otherwise, these Sporti Floating Swim Fins on Swimoutlet are a good option. Please use the OKM referral site. Sizing: They need to be snug enough to not fall off, but slightly big is better than too small, which can be uncomfortable.
