What to Buy for a Swimming Competition

A swimming competition needs more than lane equipment and stopwatches. Plan supplies for registration, officials, volunteers, swimmers and spectators, including drinks, snacks, printed forms and medals. Buy or collect consumables early enough to chill drinks and prepare the registration table before the first heat. Use participant numbers to calculate cups, plates, food and swim caps, then add a small buffer for damaged or missing items.

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What to bring

Grouped the way you'd shop for it, with quantities.

Furniture

Tablesqty 10
Chairsqty 80
Judges' tableqty 2
Registration deskqty 2
Waste binsqty 8

Tableware

Reusable cupsqty 250
Coffee cupsqty 80
Platesqty 120
Cutlery setsqty 120
Serving plattersqty 12
Serving spoonsqty 12

Equipment

Laptopqty 2
Printer
Sound system
Microphoneqty 2
Extension cordsqty 4
Power stripsqty 4
Stopwatchesqty 10
Megaphone

Sports equipment

Starting blocksqty 8
Competition lanesqty 8
Field linesqty 8
Turnaround markersqty 16
Competition whistlesqty 8
Swim capsqty 120
Swimming kickboardsqty 16
Pull buoysqty 16
Timekeeping boardsqty 8
Medal binsqty 4
Medal ribbonsqty 120
Cupsqty 24
Medalsqty 120
Diplomasqty 120

Catering

Thermos flasksqty 6
Coffee machinesqty 2
Water jugsqty 8
Coolersqty 6
Ice cube traysqty 4
Serving spoonsqty 12
Corkscrewqty 2
Bottle openersqty 3
Coffee traysqty 4
Drink dispensersqty 4
Groceries
- Coffee - 3 packs
- Tea - 4 boxes
- Sugar - 2 kilos
- Sweeteners - 2 boxes
- Milk - 12 liters
- Oat milk - 4 liters
- Cola - 12 bottles
- Cola Zero - 12 bottles
- Orange soda - 8 bottles
- Iced tea - 8 bottles
- Spa Blauw - 20 bottles
- Spa Rood - 8 bottles
- Apple juice - 6 packs
- Orange juice - 6 cartons
- Hot chocolate - 6 packs
- Lemonade syrup - 4 bottles
- Paper straws - 250 pieces
- Coffee filters - 2 packs
- Stir sticks - 250 pieces
- Napkins - 500 pieces
- Whole grain bread - 8 loaves
- White bread - 8 loaves
- Currant buns - 120 pieces
- Bread rolls - 100 pieces
- Young cheese - 4 kilos
- Ham - 3 kilos
- Chicken breast slices - 2 kilos
- Hummus - 2 kilos
- Cream cheese - 2 kilo
- Peanut butter - 3 jars
- Chocolate spread - 3 jars
- Jam - 3 jars
- Butter - 2 kilos
- Cucumber - 12 pieces
- Tomatoes - 5 kilos
- Lettuce - 8 heads
- Apples - 12 kilos
- Bananas - 10 kilo
- Grapes - 8 kilos
- Mandarins - 8 kilos
- Paprika chips - 8 bags
- Plain chips - 8 bags
- Snacks - 6 bags
- Rice cakes - 8 packs
- Muesli bars - 150 pieces
- Currant buns - 120 pieces
- Mini cookies - 8 packs
- Filled cookies - 100 pieces
- Gluten-free crackers - 4 packs
- Gluten-free rolls - 20 pieces
- Vegan sandwiches - 20 pieces
- Mayonnaise - 2 bottles
- Ketchup - 2 bottles
- Mustard - 2 jars
- Squeeze honey packets - 100 pieces
- Aluminum foil - 2 rolls
- Cling film - 2 rolls
- Baking paper - 2 rolls
- Paper towels - 12 rolls
- Toilet paper - 48 rolls
- Trash bags - 100 pieces
- Dish soap - 3 bottles
- All-purpose cleaner - 3 bottles
- Disinfectant wipes - 6 packs
- Hand soap - 8 bottles
- Hand sanitizer - 6 bottles
- Paper towels - 12 packs
- Bandages - 4 boxes
- Wound gauze - 4 packs
- Bandage rolls - 4 pieces
- Disposable gloves - 100 pieces
- Ice packs - 20 pieces
- Drinking cups - 250 pieces
- Coffee cups - 150 pieces
- Teaspoons - 150 pieces

Decorations

Competition postersqty 8
Directional signsqty 12
Name badgesqty 140
Tableclothsqty 12
Stage backdrop

Cleaning

Bucketsqty 4
Spongesqty 12
Cleaning clothsqty 20
Broomqty 2
Dustpan and brushqty 3
Mopsqty 3
First aid kit
Rubber glovesqty 8

Tips

Plan two to three drinks per person for the first hour, then one drink per person for each additional hour. Chill them before setup and keep reusable cups at the serving area.
Prepare one printed starting list for each official who needs one, plus at least 10% spare copies. Print result forms before race day so a printer problem does not delay the heats.
Allow one swim cap per swimmer who needs one, with at least five spare caps for forgotten or damaged caps. Keep them near registration rather than with the prizes.
Buy or prepare snacks for every participant, official and volunteer, not only registered swimmers. Provide serving platters, serving spoons, plates and cutlery before the first break.
Count medals and medal ribbons against the number of planned awards, then add two or three spare sets. Store them in separate medal bins so they can be handed out quickly after results are confirmed.

Frequently asked questions

What do I need to buy for a swimming competition?: Plan drinks, snacks, reusable cups, coffee cups, plates, cutlery and serving equipment, plus printing supplies for starting lists and result forms. You may also need swim caps, medals, ribbons, whistles, stopwatches and other lane equipment.
How many drinks do I need for a swimming competition?: Budget two to three drinks per person for the first hour and one additional drink per person for every later hour. Count swimmers, officials, volunteers and spectators you will serve, then add about 10% extra.
How many swim caps should I buy?: Start with one cap per swimmer who needs one and add five spare caps for a small competition. For larger groups, add roughly 10% above the confirmed swimmer count to cover forgotten or damaged caps.
When should I prepare the shopping list for a swim meet?: Make the first list at least 7 days before the competition, once registrations and dietary requirements are mostly known. Complete the shopping 1 to 2 days before race day, leaving only fresh snacks and chilled drinks for the final setup.

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