How to Put on a Swim Cap

Co-authored by Hayley Church

Last Updated: March 19, 2023 References Approved

Wearing a swim (or swimming) cap has various advantages, such as helping to keep some of the heavily chlorinated pool water off your hair, helping to keep your hair out of your face while you swim, and helping to lessen resistance as you swim. From the point of view of the pool owner, it also helps to keep your hair out of the pool filters. Swim caps are simple in design, but they can be fairly tricky to put on. With a few easy tips, you'll be able to put on your swim cap on quickly and painlessly.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Putting on a Swim Cap by Yourself

1
Tie back your hair. If you have long hair, use a hair tie to put your hair in a ponytail or bun (depending on the length of your hair).^{[1]
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Research source} Be sure that your hair is tied firmly so that it is secure.
- The swim cap may force your hair to shift and pull your hair down, so you may wish to tie your hair a little higher than you would expect it to be positioned in the cap.
2
Wet your hair with water from the bathroom or change-rooms. Dunk your head into the water in a basin, or run your hair under a shower for a couple of seconds. Wetting your hair makes it easier for the cap material to slide over your hair. Caps tend to stick to and pull dry hair strands.
- Consider coating your hair with a thin layer of conditioner. This will make putting the cap on a lot easier.
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3
Open the swim cap. Open the swim cap with your hands, and consider wetting the inside of the cap. Wetting the inside of the cap isn't necessary, but some people have found that wetting the inside makes the cap easier to put on. Hold the sides of the swim cap with your two hands.
- Wetting the cap may also make it harder to put on––it depends on the type of cap used.
4
Pull the swim cap onto your head. Tilt your head down and place the front of the swim cap at your forehead in between your hairline and eyebrows.^{[2]
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Research source} Allow the swim cap to catch at your forehead, and use your hands to pull the swim cap down and back to cover the rest of your head.
5
Adjust the swim cap. Once the swim cap is on your head, make any necessary adjustments. Tuck stray hairs into the cap, reposition the front of the cap so that it covers your hairline but isn't over your eyebrows. Then position the cap around your ears.^{[3]
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Research source} Pull the back of the cap to make sure it is as secure as possible, and put on your goggles.
- Positioning the cap near your ears is mostly based on personal preference. Some people like to cover their ears completely with the cap, especially if they are racing. Others like to cover half of their ears, while some don't cover their ears at all.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Putting on a Swim Cap With a Partner

1
Tie back your hair. If you have longer hair, use a hair tie to pull back your hair and secure it in a ponytail or bun.^{[4]
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Research source} The swim cap may move your hair around so be sure your hair is tied up tight and high.
2
Wet your hair. Dip your head in the pool or run it underneath a shower before putting on your cap. Since the cap material tends to stick to and pull on dry hair, wetting your hair may make the cap easier to put on (although this will depend on the material of the cap).
3
Put on the swim cap. Ask a friend to help you put on your swim cap. Open up the swim cap with your hands, and tilt your head downward. Hold the front of the cap securely at your forehead while your friend takes the back of the swim cap and stretches it over to the back of your head.^{[5]
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4
Make adjustments, as needed. Once the cap is on your head, make any necessary adjustments. Pull the cap down further, adjust its positioning on your forehead, and tuck in any loose hairs.^{[6]
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- Remember that you can position the cap around your ears in whatever way is most comfortable for you. You can tuck your ears in, leave your ears out, or cover only a portion of your ears.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Dropping on a Swim Cap With a Friend

1
Tie back your hair. If you have longer hair, use a hair tie to tie back your hair in either a ponytail or a bun.^{[7]
X
Research source} Make sure that your hair is secured tightly, because it may shift when putting on the swim cap.
2
Fill the cap up with water. Have a friend turn the swim cap inside out and fill it up with water. You can scoop up water from the pool, or fill it up from any other kind of water source.^{[8]
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- Your friend should be holding the cap on the sides, with the water inside the cap.
3
Drop the swim cap. Sit down on the ground and have your friend stand over you, holding the swim cap directly above your head.^{[9]
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Research source} Your friend can hold the swim cap near her face or even higher, to give the drop added height. Have your friend let go of the swim cap evenly, so it falls squarely on your head.
- The velocity from the drop will cause the cap to fall on your head (because of the weight of the water) and the cap consequently will fold over onto your head.
- Be aware that this method doesn't always work on the first try, and the results can be rather inconsistent. More often than not, adjustments are necessary.
4
Adjust the swim cap. Make any needed adjustments to the swim cap. Reposition the cap on your head, tuck in any stray hairs, and position the cap around your ears.^{[10]
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Expert Q&A

Question

Can wearing earplugs or a swim cap help keep water out of your ears while you're swimming?

Hayley Church
Aquatic Manager
Hayley Church is an owner at Cooksey's Lifeguard & Swim Academy, LLC in Southern California. Hayley has been a lifeguard and swim instructor since 2007 and has dedicated her time to teaching people of all ages how to swim. Hayley and her team offer lifeguards and programming such as swim camp counselors, swim lessons, and water aerobics classes to clients of all sizes from large organizations to private homes. She received her Master’s degree in Recreation Management.

Hayley Church

Aquatic Manager

Expert Answer

Definitely. Anything that is covering your ears will help to keep water out of them.
Question

How do I put on a swimming cap so I cover my ears?

Community Answer

You can buy swim caps that have ear flaps to better cover them. That's probably your best bet.
Question

Do I put my goggles on before or after I put on the swim cap?

Community Answer

When to put on your goggles is mostly a matter of preference. Some people put their goggles on first, but this can cause unnecessary damage to the cap material. It fairly common to put goggles on after the swim cap. It is much easier to adjust the positioning of the goggles when they are placed outside of the cap, something that may need to be done several times if diving and swimming a lot of laps.

Warnings

Never put your fingernails directly on the cap material. You could possibly poke a hole in the cap.

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Helpful 31 Not Helpful 4
Latex caps are really not as resistant as silicon ones. Experiment with different caps to find the cap that works best for you.

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Helpful 25 Not Helpful 3
If there's a tear or a hole, as small as it can seem, stop using the cap; it will surely break the next time you use it.

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Helpful 21 Not Helpful 5
Some swim caps contain latex, which may cause allergic reactions. Be sure to find out if you have any allergies to latex, and if you do, always check the cap you're putting on.

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Helpful 2 Not Helpful 0