Ive never bought pull buoys, kick board or paddles etc.
Any recommendations or just get the cheapest available?
Get a Huub big buoy - Big Buoy 4 ā HUUB Design
Gets you arse and legs right up into a good position if youāre a lazy swimmer like me.
Cheers - what makes it better than say, this āSeniorā pull buoy from Finis? Or is bigger/more elevation always better?
I donāt know the Finis but it looks like a standard size one - the Huub is about 2x the size of a standard PB, so if you have heavy legs and are a sinker, it will keep you more buoyant. some will argue that itās defeating the object of learning to kick properly but my view is that because I only do OW events in wetsuits it mimics that better
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@Poet recommended these to me. I had never used paddles before and really like them. Cheap and cheerful
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Iām being thick here I know. But whatās the purpose of a paddle?
Well youāre essentially increasing the size of your hand
You pull with more power, getting a better workout. Iāve also found when you get your catch āwrongā you really bloody know about it
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Depends on the paddle. I have finger paddles and full hand paddles. Both of mine are speedo ones.
The finger ones are great for feeling the water. You get just a little bit of extra resistance, so you can better feel the catch and pull. I did a freebie clinic once led by Cassie Patten (Olympic bronze medallist) and she said they were her favourite training tool. But she made us only use the single middle finger attachment. So any flaws in your hand entry or initiation of the catch and the paddle will fall off. I still use them that way.
Full hand paddles are mainly about adding extra resistance to stress the big swim muscles as far as I understand.
I have a whole collection of toys now. Thereās still a lot to be said for just getting in and swimming, and thatās largely what I do, but to mix things up every now and again, it does add some flavour.
Fins definitely make certain drills a lot more productive for me, as my kick is so crap. I maintain better position with a bit more propulsion. And on kick only stuff, like paddles, the extra resistance gives you a better feel for what your legs are doing.
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The freestyle hand paddles are great for helping with your catch and pull - theyāll spin off if you donāt get it right (although thereās quite a large margin of error)
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Also good for arm position while doing kick-on-side.
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@joex ā Enjoy your new toys, I have variations of all of those, apart from the snorkel.
But the sight of the snorkel did make me smile, as it reminded me of a session a few years ago.
It was only my second club swim after over a year out of the pool.
I was sharing a āMastersā lane with a new guy who had a snorkel.
He was in his 30s, say 6 feet tall, six pack, tanned, tattooād and possible USA accent.
Whereas, I was in my 50s, 5ā 7ā, pasty white, bald and desperately out of shape (read fat).
He looked around and was convinced he was the Alpha Male, making made sure he started first.
Off he went and it quickly became apparent that he couldnāt swim for toffee. 
So, I just tucked in behind, as I had no stamina whatsoever and didnāt want to blow up too soon.
Eventually his slow pace and the fact his toes always pointed at the bottom of the pool got to me.
I suggested that pointing his toes backwards would avoid dragging his legs down and speed him up.
I offered to demonstrate by going first, but then he couldnāt keep up with the old, fat, bald guy. 
My favourite club session with equipment is kicking with kick board and fins. 
As my application of brute force and ignorance allows me to keep up with the real swimmers.
Looking forward to getting back to club sessions next month (only running under 18s now).
Good Luck, Paul. 
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If you are a crap swimmer, I would say just get an ankle band (use an old inner tube) and swim a lot concentrating on rotation and trying to get your legs as high and streamlined as possible. Using a pullbuoy will just lock in poor leg position.
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Top tip: check your pool allows them before throwing away Ā£63ā¦
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Theyāll be allowed again in the future. Our pool has a no toys rule at the moment.