It can get really annoying if you swim with your hair tugging in the water and in your face, right? If you’re new to swimming and even have long hair, we definitely understand you. Maybe you’re thinking of buying a swim cap, to answer the question if you should wear one, you first need to think about why you are swimming and what the purpose would the cap be to you. So, what’s the reason why you swim? 

It’s not that necessary to wear a swim cap if you are just out there swimming for fun or stroking from one side of the pool for a great exercise and if you have short hair. The only thing you need is some great goggles and a comfortable swimsuit. Meanwhile, if you are out there practising to become a competitive swimmer or you are preparing for a competition, then it’s beneficial for you to wear a swimming cap. Here are several reasons why you need or don’t need to wear a swim cap: 

Wear: If You Have Long Hair 

We suggest that you wear a swim cap if you have long hair as it’s harder to swim with the right technique, with the accurate head position while trying to raising your head to keep the hair out of your face. Some people love wearing one since they say that it can prevent your hair from chlorine damage, plus you can even have personalized swim caps if you want to be more stylish. Unless you spend 40hrs a week in the pool, then you probably need one! 

Do Not Wear: If You Want More Drag During Practices 

On most occasions, try not to wear a swim cap during regular swim practices if you’ll be swimming in competitions. Why? It’s because you want to spend your time in the swimming pool practising to be greater and with more powerful drag than while you are racing. Without a swimming cap, you have ears dropping and more pores so the drag is higher. If you’ll be able to work harder in practice with being okay with having more drag, your racing will feel much faster. You may want to keep your drag bigger in swim practice and stay away from swim caps. 

Wear: If You Want to Improve Speed 

On the other hand, there are occasions in swim practices wherein you should practice speed and certain things. For instance, practising starts, turns, relay starts, relay exchanges, or plain all-out sprints. Doing these activities will need a swimming cap so you’ll be able to get used to the feeling which you will have while competing. You would notice a difference when wearing one and not wearing one. Wearing a swimming cap will provide you will less drag, you can glide further in streamline positions and can go much deeper into your starts. Practising with a swimming cap sometimes is great before you proceed to your main swim competition. 

Wear: If You Are an Open Water Swimmer 

If you prefer swimming in the open water or in very cold water, it’s suggested that wearing a swim cap will help to keep your body heat. A swim cap on the head will keep you warmer for longer since most of our body’s heat normally escapes through our head. Meanwhile, you can easily become overheated in a warmer pool, so take note of this and be cautious. 

Don’t Wear: If You Find it Ugly! 

For some people, swim caps may look uncool to them. However, if you are one of these people who want to create a fashion statement by not wearing a swim cap, then you may want to reconsider wearing one since swimming caps today come in a wide variety of designs, colours, and materials, plus you can even have one that is customized. So don’t be too conscious about how the swim cap looks on you, get the stylish one that also serves your purpose.