Hi everyone! As a casual swimmer, I’ve noticed that after finishing their races, competitive swimmers take off their caps and goggles right away. Is there a reason for this? I usually forget mine and only take them off in the shower. Does going fast change this?
Racing goggles and caps are very tight. It’s hot and uncomfortable after exerting yourself completely.
Carter said:
Racing goggles and caps are very tight. It’s hot and uncomfortable after exerting yourself completely.
Plus, it looks cool!
Racing goggles dig into your skin, and the cap can feel unbearably hot after a max effort. Taking them off makes immediate sense.
Vernon said:
Racing goggles dig into your skin, and the cap can feel unbearably hot after a max effort. Taking them off makes immediate sense.
Exactly. They’re designed for speed, not comfort. Caps can be very hot and the goggles aren’t super comfortable. You need to see the results!
@Tariq
Lose or loose?
Don’t lose your loose change. I remembered the o’s trick from childhood.
@Tariq
The triathlon dilemma: ditching the cap vs. putting it in your suit.
Tilden said:
@Tariq
The triathlon dilemma: ditching the cap vs. putting it in your suit.
I never intentionally discard a cap, but the cheap ones handed out during open water and triathlon events tend to come off.
Vernon said:
Racing goggles dig into your skin, and the cap can feel unbearably hot after a max effort. Taking them off makes immediate sense.
When your head is hot after racing, taking off the cap to cool it off feels amazing.
As an amateur competing for fun, I see three main reasons:
- Swimmers want to instantly check the results. Taking off goggles and caps all at once for convenience.
- They know photographers are capturing their moment, and caps obscure their faces.
- Immediately after finishing, there’s a rush of energy; taking off the cap and goggles signifies the race is over, allowing for a dopamine release.
When I raced in high school, I always tore them off immediately. It gets so hot, and I found dunking my head after a hard effort feels incredible. I always thought it was strange when someone didn’t do that.
@Flor
I agree! It feels final, like it’s the last thing I do before stepping out of the pool.
@Flor
I literally thought you said you tore your SHIRT off and was like, ‘That must be really hot!’
-
The caps and goggles feel too warm right after racing.
-
They are being filmed. Caps and goggles make everyone look the same, and they want to stand out as professional athletes.
- The caps and goggles feel too warm right after racing.
- They are being filmed. Caps and goggles make everyone look the same, and they want to stand out as professional athletes.
I thought the second point was significant too. They want to show their hair, etc.
With goggles on, it’s hard to see the leaderboard, and that’s where they look right after removing them.
Zyler said:
With goggles on, it’s hard to see the leaderboard, and that’s where they look right after removing them.
Seems like a design flaw that you can’t see through those goggles.
@Arin
They’re engineered for underwater visibility (to avoid fogging) rather than to see clearly above water.