Ark Sports Keel + Pull Buoy Review

Welcome to Gear Talk: The Löw Tide Böyz and Swimrun Labs swimrun gear review show!

In this episode we discuss one of our favorite topics: Pull Buoys. We do a deep dive into the new Ark Sports Keel + and break it all down.

Before we get into that, we have some gear updates.

Gear Updates

Annie dusted the cobwebs off of her old Finis Swim Snorkel and has started using it in the pool again to mixed results. Speaking about swim snorkels...Chris ended up copying Chipper and got the Aqua Sphere/Michael Phelps Focus Swim Snorkel and thinks that it is a vast improvement from his old Finis one but is still getting used to it.

Brooke is 100% sold on the NRS Maxim gloves. She used them in open water in the ocean for the first time and they were amazing. She has since ordered the NRS Booties to complete her cold open water situation.

Chipper is still in love with his Red Original Dry Robe and hasn’t been stopped by the neighborhood watch yet so all’s good there.

Keel + Pull Buoy Review

The Keel + is the largest pull buoy available from Ark Sports. With the following dimensions: Length 28 cm, Height 31 cm, and Width 12 cm. For reference, ÖTILLÖ has limit on the maximum pull buoy size of Length 30 cm, Height 32 cm, and Width 15 cm. We think that Ark Sports didn’t take it to the limit because it didn’t need to. The Keel + is super buoyant at 55 Newtons and any more might just be too much.

Swimming Impressions

Annie and Brooke did some scientific testing in the pool comparing the Keel to the Keel +. For Brooke, the Keel + was 2 seconds per hundred faster than the regular Keel. She also thought that the pull buoy was a bit “too much” in terms of buoyancy. She also felt that the Keel + was a bit too long and she couldn’t keep it nice and snug between her legs. Annie was disappointed in her swim test. She tested the NU ORZA, Swimrunner’s Piraya, and the Keel pull buoys and was fully expecting that the Keel + would make her faster but instead she was about 2 seconds per hundred slower than with the regular Keel. She felt that the Keel + was too big and challenging to wield. It felt thick between the thighs and it went below the joint line of her knees and couldn’t get comfortable with it.

Chris and Chipper also tried to do “science.” For Chris, the Keel + was definitely faster in the water than the normal Keel. He felt that the fit was a bit tough because the pull buoy felt fine in the groin but it was hard to keep between the legs towards the knees and it felt like it was popping out a bit. Chipper tested the Keel + just using the buoy with no paddles and felt that it was faster in the pool and in open water. He thought it was too big for the pool.

Chipper and Chris did use the Keel + in training and raced with it in Ödyssey Swimrun Austin and it was a non-issue in the water.

Transition and Running Impressions

Brooke practiced transitioning with the Keel + and found that tucking it into the loop was only possible by using Chris’s method of tucking the buoy in the front and then moving it to the back. Chipper also had to use Chris’s method for the Keel +. Everyone thought that a thigh mount pull buoy method might be tough to pull off. There’s just a lot of pull buoy that will stick out while on the run.

Speaking of the run, Chipper and Chris practiced with the Keel + before Swimrun Austin and felt that it was fine. The Keel + wasn’t so wide that elbows would hit the thing during a normal stride but it did take up the whole back.

Pull Buoy Rankings

(By way of reminder from our Ark Sports Keel review Gear Talk Episode: Annie, Chipper, and Chris gave the Keel 4.5 pull buoys each and Brooke gave it 4 pull buoys.)

Chris’s Pull Buoy Ranking

Chris gave the Keel + 4.5 pull buoys. The Keel + has a very specific application and it works really well if you’re tall enough and strong enough to wield it. He docked it .5 for the lack of universal applicability. He plans on continuing to race with the Keel +.

Brooke’s Pull Buoy Ranking

Brooke gave it 4 pull buoys. She docked some points for it being over-designed and she didn’t feel that the Keel + gave a distinct advantage but it is a great option for people that come in different shapes and sizes.

Chipper’s Pull Buoy Ranking

Chipper gave it 4 pull buoys. He docked some points because the Keel + didn’t have universal applicability and not something that you could use for all aspects of Swimrun training and racing like one could with the Keel.

Annie’s Pull Buoy Ranking

Annie gave the Keel + 3 pull buoys. She felt that it was over-designed and sort of sets up an arms race of having multiple pieces of gear. She also felt that this wasn’t the only pull buoy that you have in your quiver.

Overall Impressions

We all felt that the Keel + isn’t for everyone. It’s a great piece of tech for those who feel that they can wield it but it might pose a challenge for shorter athletes or those that don’t want to be engaging their adductor muscles for an entire Swimrun. It’s a great option to have but we would recommend that if you’re just going to have one mondo pull buoy, that one the size of the regular Keel is way more versatile.

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