For longtime swim coach Kristen Lavery, a training tool sparked an unexpected return to the pool and, eventually, an open-water race completed entirely with single-arm butterfly.
For more than 15 years, Coach Kristen Lavery dedicated her time to coaching young swimmers. Like many retired competitive swimmers, getting back in the pool was difficult. Knowing it wouldn’t feel the same as being in peak swimming shape, she stepped back from training. Since 2011, she had only hopped in the water once or twice a year to test equipment she wanted to implement in her coaching.
It wasn’t until she tried using Dual Boards that her mindset around training completely changed.
Coach Kristen Lavery and Rip Current Sports founder Jose-Luis Gallagher work together during a Dual Boards demonstration, providing instruction and feedback to swimmers.
Working on Correct Swimming Body Position and Balance
During a team demonstration led by Rip Current Sports founder Jose-Luis Gallagher, Pennsbury swimmers experimented with different Dual Boards positions to work on their body line and balance.
The Boards are two compact foam flotation boards worn on each hand, giving swimmers a full range of motion while reinforcing a more natural, race-relevant body position.
According to Lavery, the most consistent feedback was how much higher the swimmers felt on the surface.
Several athletes connected that feeling to better body position and kicking, while others noticed their strokes felt faster and cleaner after removing the Boards.
Swimmers demonstrating the Dual Boards “H” position and “I” position in the water.
Swimmer & Coach Feedback
The chest-press/butterfly-kick position (the “H”) received specific praise for improving fly press technique, while the “I” position was also well received. Two athletes even dropped time at their next meet—one in the 100 fly and another in the 100 back, beating her time from February.
Lavery saw great potential in Dual Boards as a versatile tool for coaches to incorporate into practices, noting that they were “especially valuable for swimmers who tend to sink or are earlier in their development.” The team integrated the Boards into pre-season “flex sessions”, where athletes experiment with equipment, review underwater video, and engage in peer coaching to build technique and team culture at the start of the season.
Before placing a team order for her athletes, she decided to experiment with the Boards herself.
Coach Kristen Lavery and Rip Current Sports founder Jose-Luis Gallagher work together during a Dual Boards demonstration, providing instruction and feedback to swimmers.
Rediscovering the Joy of Swimming with Dual Boards
Lavery’s decision to try the Boards led to an unexpected development: she began to enjoy being in the water again.
Recalling her first session with the Boards, she shared:
“I had a great time with vertical pulls and sculling, and somewhere in there caught myself thinking: maybe I actually like swimming and being in the water?”
After encouragement from the Pennsbury boys team coaches, she decided to wake up early one morning and swim 2,000 yards using the Boards for portions of the workout. She hopped in with no agenda other than moving and enjoying the feeling of the water.
Reflecting on that swim, she shared:
“I cried a little out of relief when I finished and felt great after getting in.”
She continued swimming, started looking into a summer pool membership, and began considering an open-water swim.
In her message to Jose-Luis, she summed up the unexpected role the equipment had played in her return:
“The Boards were part of getting me back in the water, and I didn’t see that coming.”
From Returning to the Pool to Racing in Open Water
As Lavery continued swimming, she decided to take on a new challenge: an open-water event with a unique twist.
Rather than swimming freestyle, she planned to complete the race using single-arm butterfly, alternating arms in a 3/3 pattern.
In her message to Jose-Luis, she said, “I’m going to do single arm (3/3) fly because that’s more sustainable than my free, and also more fun!”
And she followed through.
“Got it done, 6th in my age group, all single arm fly.”
Building on that success, Lavery competed in her second open water swim in mid-September in the ocean alongside Pennsbury athletes.
The Pennsbury Swim & Dive Team will celebrate its 75th anniversary this season. Their boys coach, Brian Deley, is a Pennsbury graduate, has made large efforts to cement the program’s legacy, including getting legendary local coach John “Doc” Wilson inducted into the athletic hall of fame this year. They continue to build off of last season’s momentum—highlighted by a new boys team record in the 500 free and a strong showing by the girls team at the League Championship meet—and look forward to sending more athletes to districts and state championships this year.
Dual Boards: More Than a Training Tool
The feedback from the Pennsbury swimmers offered useful observations about their experiences with Dual Boards, from feeling higher on the surface to working on body position and stroke technique.
Lavery’s experience added another dimension to that feedback.
As Jose-Luis reflected on her accomplishment, her story offered a reminder of what makes swimming special: there is always another way to enjoy the water, discover a new challenge, or pursue a personal goal.
To learn more about Dual Boards, visit Rip Current Sports.
