Swim Cap Advantage?

RE: Swim Cap Advantage?

mjtyson — Fri, 31 May 2019 10:11:41 GMT

Popov shaved his head, so I don't think that is a fair comparison...... Two things not mentioned: 1. Protect your hair. My hair is a LOT less brittle and stiff when I wear a cap. 2. Probably (i.e. I am speculating) keeps your hair out of the pool, and helps alleviate strain on the pool filtration system. I mentioned #2 in my snide comment way above! Can't express in writing how annoyed I get when I partially ingest a long hair and then see swimmers in the pool with long hair (males and females) not wearing caps. This is pool pet peeve #2 after those who don't shower before jumping in the pool. Yuck!

RE: Swim Cap Advantage?

__steve__ — Fri, 31 May 2019 02:42:33 GMT

I highly doubt any elite swimmer is going to do a tapered 50 free in a brief anymore, so that makes it a bit of a moot point.In a brief without a cap

RE: Swim Cap Advantage?

Former Member — Thu, 23 May 2019 09:46:31 GMT

I always wear one for racing because I feel faster & know that they do reduce drag especially on my underwater breaststroke pullouts & starts. Plus this: Popov shaved his head, so I don't think that is a fair comparison...... Two things not mentioned: 1. Protect your hair. My hair is a LOT less brittle and stiff when I wear a cap. 2. Probably (i.e. I am speculating) keeps your hair out of the pool, and helps alleviate strain on the pool filtration system. Yes! Also to keep my hair on my head. My last regular pool's chlorine levels fluctuated a lot & having a cap helped me not lose hair on my head. Plus, yeah, less hair falling into the water.

RE: Swim Cap Advantage?

Former Member — Tue, 21 May 2019 09:23:46 GMT

Well, today was my first swimcap experience. It took a little bit of warmup time to get used to, but I really enjoyed the way it felt. My 50m effort will come later, but today I pushed 200m: My PR was 3:11, and I've struggled with a couple of 3:12s lately. But today I swam 3:08!!! :) I am now a Believer.

RE: Swim Cap Advantage?

67King — Tue, 21 May 2019 07:24:22 GMT

RE: Swim Cap Advantage?

Jeff Enge — Tue, 21 May 2019 07:18:02 GMT

The great Popov never wore caps, even though he may have been a tenth or so faster with one. He is still the fastest non-techsuit swimmer after 2 decades. Unless you're counting jammers as tech suits, he's not anymore. If you are counting jammers... I highly doubt any elite swimmer is going to do a tapered 50 free in a brief anymore, so that makes it a bit of a moot point.

RE: Swim Cap Advantage?

__steve__ — Tue, 21 May 2019 06:07:50 GMT

The great Popov never wore caps, even though he may have been a tenth or so faster with one. He is still the fastest non-techsuit swimmer after 2 decades.

RE: Swim Cap Advantage?

orca1946 — Mon, 20 May 2019 12:09:08 GMT

For most of us --- it is for big time meets and we might get some time improvement but it might be mental as well??!! You might get under 40 with a cap and a better start and a good turn.

RE: Swim Cap Advantage?

mjtyson — Mon, 20 May 2019 12:07:29 GMT

The biggest advantage of wearing a cap is no hair in the pool to get in your mouth. /pet peeve/ :D

RE: Swim Cap Advantage?

flystorms — Mon, 20 May 2019 11:47:09 GMT

Every once in a while I'll try to swim without one and it feels so strange to have the ears out.

RE: Swim Cap Advantage?

Calvin S — Mon, 20 May 2019 11:16:53 GMT

Think it also depends upon how you wear your hair. Short hair? Buzz cut? Bald? Cap probably won't do as much good for you (or it might be less noticeable). Have hair like Fabio? You are probably going to want to stuff that mane up under a swim cap.

RE: Swim Cap Advantage?

ForceDJ — Mon, 20 May 2019 09:04:25 GMT

For longer distances I would suppose the drag reduction would be even more noticeable. Maybe not in increased speed, but in reduced energy to go a certain distance. Coincidently, last week just for giggles, I put on one of those old lady swim caps with rubber flowers glued to it and swam a few hundred meters. The drag was really noticable. Obviously your natural hair probably wouldn't cause THAT much drag. But it is something. I kind of think of it like moss growing on the hull of a boat. If you keep the hull nice and clean you get better gas mileage. Found this cute swim cap science fair projected results: www.all-science-fair-projects.com/print_project_1116_140 Dan

RE: Swim Cap Advantage?

Patrick W. Brundage — Mon, 20 May 2019 07:54:33 GMT

Another advantage for a cap - if you wear your goggle strap underneath the cap, it is one extra preventive measure (besides tucking your chin) to prevent your goggles falling off when you dive in. And, then there's the fashion statements that you can make with a cap ...

RE: Swim Cap Advantage?

Former Member — Mon, 20 May 2019 05:51:42 GMT

RE: Swim Cap Advantage?

Sumorunner — Mon, 20 May 2019 04:20:59 GMT

Never noticed a difference. I wear one only for open water, and then only because they are required by the club for visibility. I'm partially bald, besides I buzz the hair, so there is nothing there to create drag except for the ears projecting a bit. I suspect the goggles create as much drag as that.