The Advantages of Swim Caps

Competitive swimming requires its participants to seek every possible advantage in order to succeed. While many swimmers choose to shave their head to reduce water resistance, wearing a swim cap can provide the same benefit, as well as provide an alternative for those who prefer to maintain their hair length during the season.

  1. Hair Protection

    • Swimmers, especially those who swim competitively, can spend several hours a day in the pool while training. A swim cap will protect the hair from chlorine, which can cause discoloration or damage to the hair over time.

    Hydrodynamic Effect

    • For the competitive swimmer, a benefit of wearing a cap is that it makes swimmers more "hydrodynamic," meaning they are able to move through the water more rapidly and with less resistance.

    Reducing Drag

    • Closely related to the hydrodynamic principle, swim caps can reduce the drag in the water that is caused by free-flowing hair. This prevents swimmers who prefer to wear their long from needing to have it cut during the swimming season.

    Visibility

    • Not only can long hair result in drag due to increased resistance, it also can result in visibility problems while in the pool. This is important in a competitive environment, since swimming multiple laps requires being able to see the edge of the pool in order to make a quick and accurate turn.

    Cold Water

    • Depending on the environment, especially when swimming outdoors, the swimmer could be faced with having to maneuver through uncomfortably cold water. For those swimmers with closely cropped hair, a cap can help them maintain body warmth at an area of the body where heat escapes.