Web Page No 2892 20th March 2022😊 First Picture Pilot Cap

Second Picture: Fashion cap

Third Picture; Kids cap

Forth Picture: Competition cap

Bathing caps Being a bloke the bathing cap was never an item that really concerned but I do know that in some female circles they were reguarded as fashion statements. For most of us it was down to the seaside, change under a towel and in you went. The one thing that we had to watch is that if we were wearing a home knitted costume coming out of the water could be embarrassing. The swimming cap, swim cap or bathing cap, we remember were tightly fitted, skin-tight garments, often made from silicone, latex or lycra, but today are mainly worn by recreational and competitive swimmers. Swim caps are worn for various reasons: they can be worn to keep hair out of the swimmer's face, reduce drag, protect hair from chlorine or sun damage, keep hair dry, keep the head warm, or (sometimes in combination with earplugs) to keep water out of the ears. Originally swim caps were made of rubberized fabric during the early 20th century. By the 1920s, they were made of latex. The earliest chin strap caps were known as "aviator's style caps" as they resembled the strapped leather helmets of flyers of the day. During the 1940s, swim caps became scarce as rubber was needed for war materials. The permanent wave hairstyle for ladies took time to obtain and was expensive, so many women wanted to protect their hair while swimming. The 1950s saw decorated caps come into vogue, and during the 1960s, colorful flower petal swim caps became popular. Men's long hair styles of the late 1960s and early 1970s gave rise to increased use of swim caps, not by me they didn’t! Without swim cap requirements, wearing swim caps fell out of fashion during the 1970s. Recently, Toks Ahmed and Michael Chapman created a swim cap specifically designed for dreadlocks, hair weaves or extensions, and voluminous hair. They named it the Soul Cap, but it was banned from the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo because of its size and configuration. Its use in future Olympics is currently under review. Many swimmers have trouble finding a swim cap that keeps their hair dry. "Double capping"—wearing two swim caps—can provide a tighter swim cap seal. An inner silicone or latex swim cap pulled low over the ears worn under a second traditional style chin strap swim cap with an inner seal may provide the protection desired. Double capping is also used by participants of open water swimming to provide warmth. In order to make as smooth a surface as possible for maximum streamlining, sometimes an inner latex cap is put on, followed by swim goggles over the latex cap, and then second snug silicone swim cap is fitted over both. One bastion of the swim cap is upheld by the English "Channel Swimming and Piloting Federation" and the "Channel Swimming Association" state that "one standard swim cap" may be used for official English Channel record swims. The cap must be approved by the official observer who accompanies the swimmer on the pilot boat across the channel. "Standard swim caps" that have been used by English Channel swimmers of record over the years include solid rubber "tank" style swim caps, molded rubber swim caps with chin strap, bubble crepe rubber swim caps with chin strap, silicone swim caps and latex "racing" swim caps. Swim caps that have neoprene within the cap construction such as the "Barracuda Hothead", or that are completely made of neoprene are not allowed for record English Channel swims. Several other long distance swims such as the Santa Catalina Channel California swim have similar rules for record swims. Swim caps worn for open water swims should be of visible colours that contrast with the water so that observers may safely monitor them, and operators of vessels may see them. Today I need not worry about a swim cap today as I hair very little hair to worry about! Stay in touch Peter gsseditor@gmail.com