Welcome! We are really looking forward to working with you at this year’s swim camp.
- Camp dates: 4/14/23 – 4/16/23
The following athlete guide will help you prepare for the camp, and find your way around town.
Please review this guide prior to attendance to the camp. Registrants will be invited to an Information Webinar prior to the camp to answer any questions you may have. You should have received an invite to this session as part of your registration. Please notify the Camp Director Phelling@startlinecoaching.com if you do not receive this invitation.
- Camp – Athlete briefing – Webinar Date/Time: 3/28/2023 @6:00 PM.
Camp itinerary:
A mix of open water and pool swimming with a strong focus on technique and skill development. All levels are welcome to the camp. This is not a high-volume training camp – this is a skills camp. Open Water Swims will be scheduled based on weather conditions. Bring your wetsuit.
The first session begins at 5:30 PM on Friday. Please make sure your travel plans allow you plenty of time to arrive well ahead of the first session so you can settle in & then make your way to the pool.
Friday Evening Session (5:30 PM – 8:30 PM)
Location: North Shore Aquatic Center – 901 N. Shore Drive NE, St. Petersburg FL, 33701
- Welcome swim at NSAC (North Shore Aquatic Center)
- Introduction to coaches
- Dryland warm up session
- Standard swim warm up, & drill sets
Equipment Needs:
- Cap, goggles, pull buoy, fins, snorkel, towel, cap, swim suit, drinks & snacks
Saturday Morning Session (8:00AM – 11:00)
Location: North Shore Aquatic Center – 901 N. Shore Drive NE, St. Petersburg FL, 33701
- Yoga/strength session
- Swim technique pool session
- Video capture
Equipment Needs:
- Paddles, pull buoy, fins, snorkel, towel, cap, swim suit, drinks & snacks
Saturday Afternoon Session (2:00PM – 5:00 PM)
Location: North Shore Aquatic Center – 901 N. Shore Drive NE, St. Petersburg FL, 33701
- Swim technique instruction
- Open water technique
- Class room video review
Equipment Needs:
- Paddles, pull buoy, fins, snorkel, towel, cap, swim suit, drinks & snacks
Saturday Evening Get together (6:00 PM+)
Location: 5108 Horseshoe PL NE, St. Petersburg FL. 33703
- Dinner At Coach Earl’s
- Bring drinks
- Fun & relaxation
Sunday Morning Session (8:30 AM – 11:30 AM)
Location: Spa Beach – 615 2nd Ave NE, St. Petersburg FL, 33701
Spa Beach is approx. 10 min walk from the North Shore Aquatic Center.
- Beach yoga
- Open water session
Equipment Needs:
- Wetsuit, swim buoy, goggles, towel, cap, swim suit, drinks & snacks
Equipment to bring to camp:
- The average high-temperature, in April, is 82°F, while the average low-temperature is 70°F.
- Average sea temperature in May: 73°F. Open water sessions will be held if weather & water temperature conditions permit. Wetsuits are optional. Open water conditions should be fantastic.
The basics:
Comfortable clothes & shoes: St. Petersburg is a walking city. Be prepared to walk around to see the sights, walk to restaurants & shops, and even go for a run. Light clothing is recommended for the Florida weather.
Sunscreen: You can expect to spend a considerable amount of time in the sun. A high quality waterproof, mineral based sunscreen is recommended. These block UVA & UVB rays most effectively and are effective immediately upon application.
Athletic Swimsuit: You will be swimming a lot. A swimsuit suitable for competition is required. Tri suits are also suitable, if you are looking for more coverage and sun protection. Fashion swim suits, or baggy trunks should not be worn to swim sessions.
Goggles: We recommend that you bring two pairs of googles to the camp. A tinted pair for daytime use and a clear pair for evening use.
Towel: Don’t forget that! Self explanatory really. Something that you can take to the pool & the beach.
Water bottle & snacks: Please bring sufficient fueling for swim sessions. A light electrolyte product & snack foods for sessions. This will keep you happy and productive during the long sessions in the warm weather.
Training tools:
Note: We will not be able to use pool facility equipment. Each athlete must bring their own gear. No sharing of equipment will be permitted.
Required:
Swim Buddy – To maximize safety, we ask all campers to bring a Swim buddy. Swim buddy will be mandatory for all open water swim sessions. They can also hold your valuables while you are in the water as opposed to keeping your keys and wallet in your shoe (not that anyone does that).
Pull Buoy – Bring an adult size Pull buoy. Pull buoys will be used in training sets & will also double as a kickboard during kick sets.
Swim Snorkel – At times, it is useful to work on your stroke without the distraction of taking a specific breath stroke. Breathing tends to knock you off balance. During the camp, we will reach into our drill bag and call upon you to work with a snorkel if you have one. Snorkels will allow you to keep a head down position and focus. We recommend the Finis stability snorkel.
Fins – Fins will be used to provide support during drill sets so you can focus on the drill. If you have a strong kick, you need not bring fins at all. Here are couple of recommendations for swim fins: Finis Floating Fins (less experienced swimmers who require much more support) & TYR Burner Fins (more competitive pool swimmers). The longer fins will promote more ankle flexibility and require less effort for propulsion. The shorter fins will mimic the freestyle stroke more accurately and give your legs more of a swim specific leg workout.
Recommended:
Wetsuit – We expect to be able to swim not only at the pool facility but also in the open water. You can bring either a short sleeve wetsuit or long sleeve wetsuit for open water sessions. You may also swim in open water without a wet suit.
Paddles (only if injury free) – We will be working with paddles during the camp. We have recommended Strokemaker swim paddles. Our focus will be on technique and these paddles will give excellent feedback on your technique and will be something you can continue to use after the camp.
Be sure to select a size appropriate for your hand size. We recommend paddles that are slightly longer than the distance from your wrist to end of your middle finger (yes that finger).
Most campers will need a small paddle. Please don’t show up to camp with paddles the size of dinner plates. If you have shoulder injuries, past or present, please consult your physician before working with paddles.
Join our Discord Server:
Join our discord server channel here to connect to fellow swim campers. Looking for accommodation shares? This would be great place to post & connect. The channel will be used for coach communications and we encourage you to use the channel to coordinate with each other for travel, dinner, etc. (Note: You can tune your discord settings to listen to only specific channels)
Accommodation:
We are not offering a room block at a hotel. We strongly recommend that you find accommodation in or near Downtown St. Petersburg, close to the North Shore Aquatic Center so that it is easy to get to/from swim practice.
Hotels close to the North Shore Aquatic Center:
In addition, there are many AirBNB or VRBO options in St. Petersburg. Note: Do not confuse St. Petersburg with St. Petersburg Beach.
Restaurants, shops, & things to do:
Downtown St. Petersburg is a active, walking downtown with many shops and outdoor restaurants. If you wish to cook at home, there are convenient supermarkets in the immediate area.
Restaurants:
- Restaurants (lots of them)
Food shopping:
- Saturday Farmers Market:
- Publix Grocery (w/ curbside pickup & delivery)
Other things to do:
- The Dali Museum is an unforgettable stop
- The Museum of Fine Arts St. Pete
Covid-19 safety protocols:
Arrival, departure, & class room & on deck protocols
- Swimmers must be vaccinated against COVID-19 & symptom free to attend
- Swimmers are asked not to share food/drink
Looking forward to working together! Let’s do this!