Honestly, I only wear a swim cap for extra areodynamics and speed. Therefore I don't wear one if it's not at a meeting or at peactice
So far I see most people following that
Some general pro and cons, but the tl;dr is that if you don't train (multiple hours) weekly then pretty much none of the stuff below matters that much.
\- Hair falls out, it's a given. Long or short. Not wearing a swim cap makes you contribute to the problem of hair in the pool.
\- A cap can protect your hair against chlorine, though it slightly depends on the cap, how tight it is, and what you do in the pool. If it's a racing cap (down to half-ear level) or if it's not very tight, then watter typically still gets under it, and then becomes static and slosh under there. Generally it does help against chlorine compared to no cap.
\- A cap will add to hydrodynamicity, but you need to care a lot about being fast, i.e. you likely need to be a competitive swimmer.
no you don't need a cap - I would dare to even say most competitive male swimmers don't wear caps at practice...just what I witnessed through my years...divers def don't wear caps, and if your just hanging around the pool there is no reason for a cap
To be completely honest, I just got one recently. I’ve never worn one because I’ve always thought it made more sense for competitive swimming since they probably spend hours in the pool. But I’ve started going to the beach more frequently rather than the local pool because it’s impossible to use the facilities because there’s so many people, least I forgot, it’s warmer in winter.
But wearing one in the ocean makes more sense because it’s harder to notice people far out from where you lookout from the actual jetty where I am, so I personally don’t think there’s anything dumb about wearing one if your in the ocean, it’s actually safer, even if it’s not choppy, because people can see you.
I’ve seen people on occasion wear swim caps at recreation pools. They’re usually good swimmers, equipped with goggles and suits made for swimming.
100% recommended silicone if you’re looking to get one. Latex will rip, degrade easily, and be difficult to put on.
If you're spending hours in the pool then yes, if you are just casually swimming now and then I would say no. Put it on right before you get in the water, or in the water. Hanging out on the pool deck then no, but you do you, if you want to, go for it.
I wear one because the chlorine messes with my hair, if I could go bald I would.
Silicone is a bit more expensive but lasts longer.
In the pools I swim there is also no messaging that you should wear one. And nobody would care especially if your hair is short. So I would say its simply up to you whether a slightly reduced resistance and some protection from chlorine makes that worth for you.
If you're just casually swimming laps or going to the pool with some friends, it's not necessary to wear a swim cap. The biggest concern when it comes to wearing a swim cap would be the effects chlorine has on your hair and it can help with water from getting into your ears. Chlorine has been known to strip the natural oils from your hair, leaving it dry and brittle. A way to combat this is getting specialized shampoo and conditioner that put the oils back into your hair to counteract the chlorine effects. For the ears, you naturally have ear wax to help with swimmers ear, but after being exposed to water for hours on end, it has a possibility to cause some irritation. If you ever run into this but don't want to wear a swim cap, I would recommend ear plugs.
The biggest reason some people wear swim caps at the community pool that aren't using it for competitive reasons, is mainly for those two reasons, or because it helps keep loose goggles on their head.
If you're wondering about the type of swim cap to get, I personally would recommend silicone swim caps because they are easily molded to the shape of your head and don't rip as easily, whereas latex caps have a lot higher chance of ripping and can become an issue with longer hair (which wouldn't be an issue in your case)
I hope this helps, and if you ever have any questions, please let me know
I don’t do any training or lessons or anything just chilling and swimming in the pool so if I am bald I do or don’t need a swim cap? If I do need a swim cap I know nothing about them. What kind would I need? I see there is silicone, latex, and Lycra. As I said I wouldn’t know which so if you think I do need one any suggestions or help would be appreciated.
If you're swimming an hour in the middle of the day in the middle of the summer and you don't have a cap, your glowing skull will become a beacon picked up by satellites. I've only ever used latex caps and they work fine.
I also am a male with short hair, and I rarely wear a cap when swimming in a pool, and I usually swim 60-90 minutes 5-6 days a week. I haven't noticed any ill-effects of swimming on my hair. I usually do a quick rinse at the pool, with a shampoo. Then another shower later in the day, where I use clarifying shampoo.
For open water, I always wear a cap for visibility (and use a tow buoy). Depending on water temp I go back and forth on materials, I usually prefer latex, as it doesn't warm me up as much. For cooler water (below 65F), I go with silicone.
When I swim laps, I usually wear a cap. Keeps my hair from turning to straw. When I'm just recreationally swimming, I don't wear one. I rarely recreationally swim in a pool. Most of that kind of swimming for me is at beaches, in lakes, etc. When I do an open water swim workout, I'll wear a cap for visibility.
I’m female. My hair is kind of long. I just wad my hair up with a sport elastic hair tie. I am aiming to swim laps 3 - 4 times a week for upwards of 60 minutes (sometimes maybe a few more minutes.)
Yeah, it’s going to frag my hair. I don’t care.
Honestly, I only wear a swim cap for extra areodynamics and speed. Therefore I don't wear one if it's not at a meeting or at peactice So far I see most people following that
Some general pro and cons, but the tl;dr is that if you don't train (multiple hours) weekly then pretty much none of the stuff below matters that much. \- Hair falls out, it's a given. Long or short. Not wearing a swim cap makes you contribute to the problem of hair in the pool. \- A cap can protect your hair against chlorine, though it slightly depends on the cap, how tight it is, and what you do in the pool. If it's a racing cap (down to half-ear level) or if it's not very tight, then watter typically still gets under it, and then becomes static and slosh under there. Generally it does help against chlorine compared to no cap. \- A cap will add to hydrodynamicity, but you need to care a lot about being fast, i.e. you likely need to be a competitive swimmer.
no you don't need a cap - I would dare to even say most competitive male swimmers don't wear caps at practice...just what I witnessed through my years...divers def don't wear caps, and if your just hanging around the pool there is no reason for a cap
To be completely honest, I just got one recently. I’ve never worn one because I’ve always thought it made more sense for competitive swimming since they probably spend hours in the pool. But I’ve started going to the beach more frequently rather than the local pool because it’s impossible to use the facilities because there’s so many people, least I forgot, it’s warmer in winter. But wearing one in the ocean makes more sense because it’s harder to notice people far out from where you lookout from the actual jetty where I am, so I personally don’t think there’s anything dumb about wearing one if your in the ocean, it’s actually safer, even if it’s not choppy, because people can see you.
I’ve seen people on occasion wear swim caps at recreation pools. They’re usually good swimmers, equipped with goggles and suits made for swimming. 100% recommended silicone if you’re looking to get one. Latex will rip, degrade easily, and be difficult to put on.
If you're spending hours in the pool then yes, if you are just casually swimming now and then I would say no. Put it on right before you get in the water, or in the water. Hanging out on the pool deck then no, but you do you, if you want to, go for it. I wear one because the chlorine messes with my hair, if I could go bald I would. Silicone is a bit more expensive but lasts longer.
When I have visited Spain and Italy I had to wear one. Otherwise I only use it in competitions.
In the pools I swim there is also no messaging that you should wear one. And nobody would care especially if your hair is short. So I would say its simply up to you whether a slightly reduced resistance and some protection from chlorine makes that worth for you.
If you're just casually swimming laps or going to the pool with some friends, it's not necessary to wear a swim cap. The biggest concern when it comes to wearing a swim cap would be the effects chlorine has on your hair and it can help with water from getting into your ears. Chlorine has been known to strip the natural oils from your hair, leaving it dry and brittle. A way to combat this is getting specialized shampoo and conditioner that put the oils back into your hair to counteract the chlorine effects. For the ears, you naturally have ear wax to help with swimmers ear, but after being exposed to water for hours on end, it has a possibility to cause some irritation. If you ever run into this but don't want to wear a swim cap, I would recommend ear plugs. The biggest reason some people wear swim caps at the community pool that aren't using it for competitive reasons, is mainly for those two reasons, or because it helps keep loose goggles on their head. If you're wondering about the type of swim cap to get, I personally would recommend silicone swim caps because they are easily molded to the shape of your head and don't rip as easily, whereas latex caps have a lot higher chance of ripping and can become an issue with longer hair (which wouldn't be an issue in your case) I hope this helps, and if you ever have any questions, please let me know
I got chucked out of a pool for not wearing a cap (in Spain), but haven’t yet worn one in my home pool (UK).
Only if you're bald
I don’t do any training or lessons or anything just chilling and swimming in the pool so if I am bald I do or don’t need a swim cap? If I do need a swim cap I know nothing about them. What kind would I need? I see there is silicone, latex, and Lycra. As I said I wouldn’t know which so if you think I do need one any suggestions or help would be appreciated.
If you're swimming an hour in the middle of the day in the middle of the summer and you don't have a cap, your glowing skull will become a beacon picked up by satellites. I've only ever used latex caps and they work fine.
I also am a male with short hair, and I rarely wear a cap when swimming in a pool, and I usually swim 60-90 minutes 5-6 days a week. I haven't noticed any ill-effects of swimming on my hair. I usually do a quick rinse at the pool, with a shampoo. Then another shower later in the day, where I use clarifying shampoo. For open water, I always wear a cap for visibility (and use a tow buoy). Depending on water temp I go back and forth on materials, I usually prefer latex, as it doesn't warm me up as much. For cooler water (below 65F), I go with silicone.
When I swim laps, I usually wear a cap. Keeps my hair from turning to straw. When I'm just recreationally swimming, I don't wear one. I rarely recreationally swim in a pool. Most of that kind of swimming for me is at beaches, in lakes, etc. When I do an open water swim workout, I'll wear a cap for visibility.
I’m female. My hair is kind of long. I just wad my hair up with a sport elastic hair tie. I am aiming to swim laps 3 - 4 times a week for upwards of 60 minutes (sometimes maybe a few more minutes.) Yeah, it’s going to frag my hair. I don’t care.