We require swim caps. I’ve lost count of the number of swim caps I’ve applied. I know I’ve put on my own swim cap between one and two thousand times. I use four distinct methods: the ponytail hook, the eyebrow flip, the waterbomb, and the catch and scoop.
The ponytail hook is my preferred method for myself. I gather my hair into a ponytail or bun somewhere on the back of my head, and stick two splayed hands into my cap. This method works best with silicone caps. I’ve had new latex caps rarely shoot themselves off into the distance instead of smoothly roll onto my head. The back gets hooked on and below my ponytail and I pull the entire thing forwards over my head. This is also when I gather any stray hair into the crown of the cap. I make sure the front of the cap is touching skin on my forehead so it won’t slide off. God help me if I over condition my hair or attempt a leave in conditioner, the cap will never stay put. If I’m actually going to swim laps, I pull the cap over my ears.
The eyebrow flip is the fastest. On the kids, I usually have the child hold the cap with two fists tightly to his or her eyebrows. I pull the cap straight towards me, like a rubber band, and then swoop it over the child’s head. This is also when I will gather any hair possible up to the crown of the head. With our school age swimmers, I frequently am able to preform this maneuver one handed. This method is the one to most frequently cover a child’s head along with nose, ears, and all possible hair.
If you don’t mind the flying water, don’t mind getting wet, and do want swim cap entertainment, there is the waterbomb method. The swim cap is filled near to the bursting point with water. It is balanced lightly on the victim’s head. We count to three, the child shuts its eyes, and I forcibly invert the swim cap. About a pint of water flies over the child and the cap nicely snaps down over the forehead, hair, and ears. Please note, this is a technique to only be used on swimmers actually comfortable getting their faces wet.
Finally, there is the catch and scoop method. This is the method when my swim cap expertise is actually useful. I have the child stand in front of me and push all hair away from the forehead. I catch the front of the cap on the child’s forehead, and use all eight fingers to stuff the squirming head into the cap still held open with my thumps. This method is the most likely to require remedial hair stuffing.
The advantages of swim caps include keeping us free of hair balls, large chunks of floating hair, and allowing us to write the name of each child on his or her head. It makes it a lot easier to learn a kid’s name when he or she always wears a name tag. The disadvantages include a few hundred a year spent in swim caps, informing people, usually men, that they must indeed where a swim cap, and dealing with high turnover groups. In total, I really prefer wearing, enforcing, and using swim caps.
0 Responses to “Swim Caps”