Check Out the Best Nike Swimming Kickboard — and How to Use It

If you’re looking to improve your swimming technique and get stronger in the pool, using a swimming kickboard is an effective way to up your swim game. Kickboards are available at a range of price points, so you can find one that works with your budget. And they’re easy to pack in your swim bag before you hit the pool.

1. Tombstone Kickboard: The tombstone kickboard is the most common version. It resembles a rectangular shape with a curved, semicircle top.
2. Arrowhead Kickboard: Arrowhead kickboards are designed to be more hydrodynamic and speedy. They’re often smaller than tombstone kickboards and provide less buoyancy in the water.
3. Pull-Kick Buoy: This type of kickboard offers two benefits: A pull-kick buoy doubles as a kickboard and pull buoy, which you place between your legs to keep them afloat while you focus on your form and upper body.

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Swimming kickboards are designed to help improve kicking and swimming skills in the water. For new swimmers, kickboards can be used as a flotation device to stay buoyed while learning swim skills.

For swimmers looking to hone their technique and build lower-body strength, kickboards offer more benefits than buoyancy. As you hold onto the kickboard with your arms, you can focus on the power, efficiency and technique of your kick — whether you’re practicing flutter kicks, breaststroke kicks, dolphin kicks for butterfly or wall push-offs.

1. To practice your kick using a kickboard, start by getting in the water and holding the front of the kickboard with your arms stretched out in front of you. Place your hands over the curved edges at the top, with your elbows resting on the board and the bottom of the kickboard near your armpits.
2. Push off the wall in the pool, leading with the kickboard stretched out in front of you, and start kicking.
3. While you’re moving forward, keep your body horizontal with your legs just under the surface of the water.

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To help swimmers practice and improve their skills, Nike offers a top-quality swim kickboard made with recycled materials and high-performance designs. The Nike Pull-Kick Swim Accessory is a piece of swim equipment that can be used either as a kickboard or pull buoy.

When used as a kickboard, it emphasizes the strength in your core and legs as you kick in the water and hold your arms steady. When it’s used as a pull buoy and placed between the legs, this swim gear focuses on upper-body strength and form as you keep your legs afloat. This versatile training aid has a streamlined shape that encourages proper body position. Plus, it comes in a compact size that's easy to transport to and from the pool.

Words by Claire Tak