What if my swim cap comes off during a race? and cap tips for big heads?

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2005-05-12 7:29 PM

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Subject: What if my swim cap comes off during a race? and cap tips for big heads?
I have been swimming recently with a latex cap. I actually have begun to like it after I got over looking like a condom. So today while I was swimming my cap came off. It's hard for me to cinch it down like I see other people do because I have a big noggin (hats never fit me I need to get special big sizes ). I just treaded water momentarily and got it back on and then kept going.

So two questions:

1) What do you do if this happens in a race? Am I required to put it back on for safety reasons or can I just keep swimming?

2) Anyone else a fathead? Any tricks? I would consider getting a special cap, but from what I understand on race day you have to race with what they give you? So that would seem pointless as the cap coming off would only really be a problem during the race.

Edited by lablover 2005-05-12 7:30 PM

2005-05-12 10:47 PM
in reply to: #156810

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Edited by Gwozdzilla 2005-05-12 10:52 PM
2005-05-12 10:56 PM
in reply to: #156810

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Subject: RE: What if my swim cap comes off during a race? and cap tips for big heads?
I'm another guy with a big melon.

When I get my race cap I spend several minutes stretching it out before I put it on. I'm not sure if this helps but it makes me feel better.

You can buy caps made of different materials for your swim training, and some of them are more stretchy. However you generally need to wear a cap of the appropriate color for your wave. Someone suggested finding a cap that you like, and then buying it in every available color, and whipping out the correctly colored one for your wave.
2005-05-13 11:14 AM
in reply to: #156810

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Madison, WI
Subject: RE: What if my swim cap comes off during a race? and cap tips for big heads?
Great. Thanks for the tips. I got a haircut yesterday so hopefully that will help as well as my hair was getting scraggly and now it is short and I don't look like I crawled out of a dumpster anymore.

So what if it comes off in a race though? This must happen sometimes. Do I need to stop and put it back on?
2005-05-13 12:49 PM
in reply to: #157118

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Subject: RE: What if my swim cap comes off during a race? and cap tips for big heads?

lablover - 2005-05-13 5:14 AM So what if it comes off in a race though? This must happen sometimes. Do I need to stop and put it back on?

i'm curious about this, too...

2005-05-13 2:19 PM
in reply to: #156810

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Subject: RE: What if my swim cap comes off during a race? and cap tips for big heads?
I can't imagine them wanting you to stop completely in the water until you have it back on again. Also, do you put your goggles on over the cap? This might help as well.

2005-05-13 2:40 PM
in reply to: #156810

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Subject: RE: What if my swim cap comes off during a race? and cap tips for big heads?
Now I'm curious too (from another big noggin guy, and one who SHOULD have tried to swim with a cap before my first tri tomorrow morning). Here's the only section from the USAT rules that seems to apply:

4.7 Official Equipment.
If provided by race management, a swimmer shall wear the proper official swim cap corresponding to his wave. The penalty for an infraction of this rule is a variable time penalty. For safety reasons if no official cap is provided, all swimmers should wear their own brightly colored swim cap.

And it seems like from this rule that even if it does fall off, it seems like you still need to bring it in with you:
Abandoned Equipment. No participant shall leave any equipment or personal gear on the race course. Any violation of this Section shall result in a variable time penalty.

Anyone with any actual experience want to chime in, so this doesn't become my new fear for the evening?

-Josh
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