Don't know how to swim!

[kelownagirl]

Kelownagirl, since you're shelling out for the perscription goggles, make sure you put the straps UNDER your swim cap instead of on top so that they can't get knocked off and lost! Wouldn't want you to lose those $$ things and be blind in the water!

Should I be wearing a swim cap? My hair is short-medium length but mostly off my face.

[Wahine]

Yup KG, I'd recommend it, especially if you colour.

[kelownagirl]

Geez, those are sorta uncool aren't they?

[Wahine]

[mtbdarby]

Swim cap question. Despite the "uncoolness" of the cap what's the trick to putting on and taking off without ripping my hair out? Any cap suggestions since I see different shaped caps out there?

And I've been looking for a UV spray on conditioner and can't find one. Any suggestions?

[HillSlugger]

I'll take a stab:

I like caps made of silicone

I wet my hair and then put on the cap starting at the forehead, stretching it over my ponytail to the neck. At this point the cap is usually folded on itself at the forehead and needs to be straightened out. After tucking in the wisps, I'm ready to swim. After swimming I remove the cap starting at the forehead.

[snowtulip]

Ok ladies, I've hit a wall. I'm mentally incompetent with this whole swimming thing. For the life of me, I cannot seem to get a breath in while swimming. This is what happens:
I push off the wall, my head is in the water, I do three arm pulls forward, then it's time to stick my head out to get air and I end up sucking in water, so then I end up having to stand to breath and start over.

Swim instructor says I'm still exhaling and start to inhale when my head goes back in the water, says I need to have all my air expelled by the time my head comes out of the water so that I can quickly inhale. Yes, makes sense, but for the life of me I can't seem to do it!

Any suggestions, it's beginning to really get to me because I can't move forward until I GET this. I can't seem to fully expel until my head is out of the water.

HELP!