Open Water Safety: Why You Should Always Wear a Swim Hat
Going for an open water dip requires proper swimming gear to ensure safety. Besides a wetsuit and goggles, a swim cap is necessary. Unfortunately, many open water swimmers prefer not to wear it since it can be uncomfortable. Additionally, other people mistakenly believe that it is only used to keep hair completely dry. To learn more about its importance, here are some reasons why a swim hat should be a part of your open water swimming kit:
Protects the Hair and Ears
If you decide to swim in the sea or the ocean, expect your hair to be prone to dryness and brittleness. This is because sea salt contains various elements that can damage your locks, including chloride, magnesium, and sodium. Additionally, the salt is hygroscopic, which means it attracts more water to your hair. As it forms more salt crystals to your crowning glory and reduces the crosslinks between cysteine bonds, it makes your hair more fragile.
For those with bleached or dyed hair, seawater can worsen their hair’s condition if the hair structure has already been chemically altered. Saltwater contains hygroscopic properties that take away moisture from the hair.
While a swim hat won’t keep the hair completely dry, it can protect the locks from chemical and sun damage. It can also prevent water from getting stuck in the ears by keeping earplugs in place while swimming.
Maintains a Healthy Body Temperature
Unlike the swimming pool with a more reasonable temperature, the temperature of the open water can get influenced by different factors. This is why maintaining a warmer body temperature while open water swimming is essential. Thankfully, containing body heat is possible by wearing a swim cap. This swimming accessory keeps the head and ears warm in colder water, especially swim caps made of latex or silicon.
Promotes Faster Swimming
Racing against the clock and other open water swimmers means every hundredth of a second count. To swim faster, wear a swim hat. It keeps the hair out of the water, reducing drag and preventing the hair strands from weighing you down. It also makes the head hydrodynamic when moving through the water.
Choose a dome cap that reduces wrinkles in the swim caps to further reduce drag. Additionally, make sure to wear a swim hat that fits you properly to avoid wrinkling and prevent it from sliding off.
Improves Safety
Almost everyone looks the same once swimmers get in the open water. Since there are more risks in open water swimming than swimming in a pool, it’s important to take more safety precautions. To do this, consider wearing a swim cap to make it easier for lifeguards and other swimmers to spot you. Choose a brightly coloured swim hat to ensure you stand out against the backgrounds of blues, greens, and browns.
Conclusion
Swimming without a swim cap is acceptable if you are at the pool or other controlled environments. However, this is not always the case in the open waters. When worn properly, a brightly coloured swim cap can be the difference between getting into accidents or saving your life. To stay visible and safe during open water swimming sessions, buy a swim hat today.
Make a swim hat part of your swimming essentials. At Swim Secure, we offer swim caps made of silicone. It comes in a bubble design that provides better comfort and an added layer of insulation. Order now!