Ark Sports Keel + Pull Buoy Review

<p>Welcome to Gear Talk: The <a href="https://lowtideboyz.com/">Löw Tide Böyz</a> and <a href="https://swimrunlabs.com/">Swimrun Labs</a> swimrun gear review show!</p><p>In this episode we discuss one of our favorite topics: Pull Buoys. We do a deep dive into the new <a href="https://www.arksports.com/en-int/ark-keel-plus/">Ark Sports Keel +</a> and break it all down.</p><p>Before we get into that, we have some gear updates.</p><p><strong>Gear Updates</strong></p><p>Annie dusted the cobwebs off of her old <a href="https://amzn.to/390dJBt">Finis Swim Snorkel</a> and has started using it in the pool again to mixed results. Speaking about swim snorkels...Chris ended up copying Chipper and got the <a href="https://amzn.to/3cE52NU">Aqua Sphere/Michael Phelps Focus Swim Snorkel</a> and thinks that it is a vast improvement from his old Finis one but is still getting used to it. </p><p>Brooke is 100% sold on the <a href="https://amzn.to/3qRsMTM">NRS Maxim gloves</a>. She used them in open water in the ocean for the first time and they were amazing. She has since ordered the <a href="https://amzn.to/2Qbei4R">NRS Booties</a> to complete her cold open water situation.</p><p>Chipper is still in love with his <a href="https://amzn.to/3eNWOWt">Red Original Dry Robe</a> and hasn’t been stopped by the neighborhood watch yet so all’s good there.</p><p><strong>Keel + Pull Buoy Review</strong></p><p>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, <a href="https://otilloswimrun.com/">ÖTILLÖ</a> 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. </p><p><strong>Swimming Impressions</strong></p><p>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 fast