SWIMMING CAPS - WHICH ONE IS RIGHT FOR ME!

I know anyone can write an article on any subject but what fascinates me is how a person that isn’t a true swimmer can tell you the true difference in swim caps. Yes, we can research a topic; until you actually wear each type of cap and test them out yourself, your first hand information can not be expressed.

Many of my clients have asked me over the years, “What cap is better to wear in the water?” I will give you the 411 on the three types of swimming caps (Latex, Silicone and Lycra) that are most widely used by swimmers.

Latex Caps

-          Made of rubber- Not for Latex Allergic swimmers

-          Less Expensive

-          Fits tightly/Stretches

-          Protects hair from damaging pool chemicals

-          Pulls your hair out

-          Easily ripped or damaged

Silicone Caps

-          Made of soft material

-          Moderate price

-          Slick so it must fit tightly

-          Protects hair from damaging pool chemicals

-          Unlikely to pull out your hair

-          More durable

Lycra Caps

-          Made of fabric- Bathing suit material

-          Most expensive

-          Looser fit/more comfortable

-          Hair will get wet- exposed to pool chemicals

-          Longer lifespan- Tearing is very rare/wear out before ripping.

I have worn all of the above caps throughout my swimming career. My thoughts on all three are as follows:

1)   Latex Caps- Don’t like Latex Caps at all!  You may ask, why such a strong opinion. All I can remember about wearing Latex Caps is my hair was pulled out all the time!  Thumbs down to this cap. Sorry Latex Cap industry. Hopefully I don’t end up like Oprah when she talked out against beef and ended up in Texas on trial. Naaaa. I’m no Oprah…..at least not yet!

2)   Silicone Caps- I like silicone caps because they don’t pull out your hair and they do keep your hair from the exposure to pool chemicals. But if you read my blog, “OH MY HAIR”, you will be informed about the two hair care companies I recommend to all my swimmers so the pool chemicals don't hurt your hair.

3)   Lycra Caps- I wear only Lycra Caps.  Even though it does not keep my hair dry, the hair care products I recommend in my blog, “OH MY HAIR”, makes me not really be bothered. I have relaxed and medium length hair, swim often and the chemicals have not damaged my hair.

So you can see all three caps are made of different materials, act differently to the hair and perform differently in the water. Your preference, price point and comfort will determine what swimming cap works best for you. Hope this helps with your swim cap questions.

See you in water!

http://www.swimswimswimisay.com/

WHERE'S THE GREASE

OK. Now that you stopped shaking your head or laughing your probably wondering what am I talking about; I will explain. Well for all of us that swim, dry skin is a problem that haunts everyone on a daily basis. For Caucasians, dry skin is a problem but due to their complexion, no one can really can tell by looking unless you examine their skin up close. Now take a person with melanin in their skin, all you have to do is look and you see the dryness. Nothing ever has to be spoken, just look. The words "ashy skin" just pops in the person's head and linger in their thoughts like the smell of brussel sprouts being cooked and that scent just never goes away. Sorry I hate brussel sprouts and that smell. Yuk!!!!

All kidding aside, I have been asked by many what do I use after a long day of teaching or swimming to help my skin not look and feel so dry. I actually use 3 different products with very different price points. Let me say I have used everyone of these products and I truly feel they work the best. Imagine, I've always been told I have such soft skin and I do. But what puzzled me more was when a man would complement me about my skin in my head I would think " what kind women's skin have you been feeling-SANDPAPER?"

The first is a product made by Kiehl's called Creme de Corps. I was fortunate to have a friend, Bernie,  purchase a very nice gift for me for my 40th birthday with many products in this very large box. Thinking back that was the best gift, thanks Bernie. Kiehl's has some of the best products for all types of skin, hair, men, women, children and now pets. The cost is higher than most other moisturizers but the Creme de Corps is fabulous and last forever. The largest bottle with a pump cost $70/33.8 oz. A little goes a long way and as I stated before this product last a long time. No perfume smell and soft to the touch. This one is my favorite. If you purchase products from Kiehl's, they will ask you what other products would you like to try. They will give you samples so you can try new things out and see if you like it before purchasing a larger sized item. Great marketing! I like to use Creme de Corps after my evening shower but I also keep a sample size in my hand bag.

My second recommendation is a product I also used off and on for years, Cetaphil. This product is recommended by Dermatologist and Pediatricians. It may not have the bells and whistles of the other two products I discuss but it works. This product seems to lock in /seal in the moisture. Cetaphil has a full line of lotions, creams, cleansers etc. Just visit their web site and read about each product and how they are to work. For example, Cetaphil Cream is very similar to the Lotion except the Cream prevents the recurrence of dryness and is a long lasting moisturizer. I actually keep a large lotion in my locker at the hospital because after a long day of washing my hands, I need something to make my hands not feel like sandpaper. I found Cetaphil 16 oz lotion at Target for @ $8.99. Great product for a great price.

The third product to make my list is any Shea Souffle by Carol's Daughter. The 16oz jar retails for @ $30.  The product is smooth, thick, soft to the touch and very light. It penetrates the skin well without leaving you all greased up. Carol's Daughter offers a number of scents such as Ocean, Almond Cookie, Estasy and Groove. What's also great about this product is that Lisa Price, the founder of Carol's Daughter, is always coming out with new products and retiring some of the others. This keeps you loving her Shea Souffles because you can't get bored and their is always something new to try. I also feel this product, plus any of her other products for hair, feet, hands, etc. are well worth the money spent.
I hope this helps you navigate the vast world of moisturizers. These are my recommendations that have worked for me. Experiment and see what keeps your skin all moist and baby soft.

See you in the Water.
http://www.swimswimswimisay.com/

Drowning and Wrist Pool Alarms

With the recent drowning of a 3 year old boy on Long Island, where I grew up, only makes every parent, child sitter or grandparent more aware of the dangers that are around us in the safety of our home environment. First my sympathy goes out to this family and all the families who have lost someone to drowning. A swimming pool is a great compliment to any home or community to be used by friends and family but unfortunately, a real danger surrounds this great body of water that all of us know on a hot summer day is the best way to cool off. To often we hear there was a gate around a pool but the child still got in. Children are quick and smarter than we think. In the blink of an eye, they are by your side and gone the next second.

As a swimming instructor for tots, children and adults, I believe in addition to all the safety equipment/safety tips for back yard pools, there is one additional item missing for the added safety of a small child- WRIST POOL ALARMS. I will be honest, have I ever used one-No- but think about it; it makes sense. The other alarms on the market are devices that detect a break in the water surface but birds and the wind can trigger it. This device is a wrist band that comfortably locks around your child’s wrist. A loud alarm sounds when your child’s wrist band is immersed in water.

For @ $157-$250, how can any responsible parent or pool owner that has small children around ignore this simple yet life saving device. Let’s be honest with each other, ALL of us have spent more on something that didn’t even last. A life is worth so much more than this small investment in the safety of a small person. Do your research and find a system that works for you, your family and guest. Green Turtle/Turtle Pool Alarm is one devise I am aware that offers the safety features needed.

Drowning is the second leading cause of accidental death among children so why wouldn’t anyone invest not to have to deal with a tragedy that is no one’s fault!

In closing, I say to all who have had a tragedy of drowning shatter their life, it was not your fault. Guilt and blaming will not change the action but speaking out about water safety, life jackets and swimming instructions will help another family avoid the sadness your family has been dealing with.  If out of this tragedy you can save one life than the death of your loved one will not be in vain.

http://www.swimswimswimisay.com/

Make a Splash Foundation "MAKES A SPLASH" in NYC

What a great way to end an amazing week. The Make a Splash Foundation  made its final stop on their year long  tour in NYC on Friday, Novenber 19th. For those of you who are not familiar with the Make a Splash Foundation, I will briefly explain their role in minority swimming and the reduction in the drowning rates.

The Make a Splash Foundation is a "arm " of the USA Swimming Foundation dedicated to decreasing the drowning rates of children and specifically minorities. The statistics and most of the research done  informed us of how tragic and deadly drowning is to the minority population. The Make a Splash Foundation is dedicated to reducing the staggering numbers by helping to raise awareness and raise money to provide low cost or free swimming instruction to many urban and high minority areas through partnerships with local Make a Splash providers (swim swim swim I  SAY is a local provider).

Heading this initiative is Cullen Jones, the Gold Medal Olympic African-American Swimming, who almost drowned at a very young age. Cullen spoke very candidly about his experiences as being the only African-American swimmer most of the time in the pool and his quest to achieve his dream. Though Cullen Jones is the figure at the head this ship, many other individuals are also involved in this project. Past Olympians that I remember watching win medals as a young girl are also lending their support. Let me stress the community of past swimmers of notoriety, who are Caucasian, are equally as concerned about these drowning rates. If you ever doubted it for a minute, watching and hearing the emotion from them proved that race, color or socio-economic background was the last thing on any of their minds. Being the only female, minority owned swimming company located in Upper Manhattan/Harlem in the room on Friday morning, makes me a very good judge of their dedication and commitment. To hear Rowdy Gaines and Mel Stewart speak passionately about their concerns proves their involvement, along with Cullen Jones, is true to their hearts. Imagine these Olympians getting into the water with kids that do not know how to swim and running clinics to teach them the basics of swimming and water safety.

I would like take a moment and speak about Rowdy Gaines. He introduced a video of a mother, Wanda Butts and the unfortunate story of the drowning involving her son, Josh. Rowdy expressed how he has seen the video many times and he still can not hold back an emotional feeling when watching the video. Wanda Butts turned her life changing experience into a positive force and founded, The Josh Project, in Toledo, Ohio, to help provide swimming instruction and safety lessons to children who do not know how to swim. I ask everyone before you leave this blog, please take a moment to go to the above web site, and read about her efforts in making a change. I had the pleasure of speaking with Wanda Butts this evening and let me convey what Wanda and I spoke about - "Josh did not die in vain because of all of our efforts." The Make a Splash Foundation is helping Wanda make sure in conjunction with her own efforts that Josh will be remembered and that he did not die in vain.

I sit here on a Sunday evening after teaching swimming this morning, and just want to thank the Make a Splash Foundation, USA Swimming Foundation, and The Josh Project for their dedication to making a difference in the reduction of drowning victims. As a local partner of the Make a Splash Foundation and a swimmer myself, swim swim swim I SAY hopes one day most of the content of this blog pertaining to drowning will no longer be fact and primarily part of our past. I urge all to visit the Make a Splash web site and make any donation to further the cause to end the drowning rates of children and minorities.

See you in the water!
http://www.swimswimswimisay.com/

WHY TAKE SWIMMING LESSONS IN THE FALL OR WINTER?

After speaking with a parent following the summer about swimming lessons, I felt this was an opportunity to visit the topic - “Why take swimming lessons in the fall or winter.” Returning a call to the parent and explaining we were starting a new session of lessons this fall and had room for her 6-year-old the parent replied, “Well, I don’t want her to take lessons when it’s cold out!”

Think about it parents, children have no swimming lessons all fall, winter and spring. Summer comes, the pool opens, the hot weather is upon us and the children want to get right in the pool because it’s hot out.  PROBLEM - THEY CAN’T SWIM! This is the sole reason why the drowning rates between the months of June and August increases over 90%. Not 5%, not 10%, not 50%, upwards to 90%!
HUMMMMM……. If lessons were done in the off-season, children would be already prepared to enjoy the summer, swim with supervision and the drowning rates would not increase to an outrageous level.
If it is cold out, what do you do, bundle up! If you’re worried about catching a cold because of a wet head, wear a hat! I do not blow dry my hair before leaving the pool. I have a wet head all winter long. My solution for the wet head - A Big Furry Insulated Hat! Can’t feel the cold at all. Plus gloves, scarves, and buttoning up coats do help.

Just to prove my point, a mother who has taken swimming lessons with her 2 boys throughout the winter months asked me how she could keep her and her boys from getting sick/catching a cold in the dead of winter. I told her very simply - BUNDLING UP!!!!! Mom did not have a problem from swimming lessons; now school germs, that’s a whole other subject.

I guess my long-winded answer is, just like anything else, think. Dress warmly, cover your head, use a scarf, and wear gloves. Do you think Michael Phelps as a child in Maryland stop swimming in the winter to become a Gold Medal Athlete?

Rip Tide/ Rip Current: Understanding and Surviving This Phenomenon

As the summer approaches New York City, staying cool is the only relief anyone wants to experience. But I beat very few of you if any, including myself, know that the week of June 5-11, 2011, was the “Rip Current: Break the Grip of the Rip®” Awareness week. Last year in New York City, ironically, Rip Tides/ Rip Currents caused several swimmers to loss their lives or nearly drown at several nearby beaches. The scary fact to the above is that most drownings are due to exhaustion while fighting a Rip Tide/ Rip Currant.

The point of this blog is to educate you and your family about this natural occurrence in the ocean; most of all, how to deal with and survive if you get caught in a Rip Tide/ Rip Currant. Unfortunately, I must state some negative and frightening facts so you understand the force of Mother Nature. Rip Tides/Rip Currents are powerful channels of water flowing away from the shore. To visualize what it looks like, imagine two “C’s” next to each other and flipping one so the mouth of both are facing outward. The water that runs between the two “C’s” is where the Rip Tide/ Rip Currant happen. Rip Tides/ Rip Currents do not pull a swimmer under water; actually, it carries a swimmer away from the shore. The strongest point of Rip Tides/ Rip Currents is located at the surface where the surf is rough, dampening incoming waves that lead to an illusion of calm water.

Your response to being caught in a Rip Tide/ Rip Current may make the difference between life and death to be very honest. If you are caught in a Rip Tide/ Rip Current here’s what you must do:

1. DO NOT attempt to swim back to the shore directly against the Rip Tide/ Rip Current.
2. REMAIN CALM, CONSERVE ENERGY, and THINK CLEARLY
3. Think of a Rip Tide/ Rip Current as a treadmill that won’t turn off. You must step off to the side to get off the treadmill.
4. Swim out of a Rip Tide/ Rip Current by directly following the shoreline (swim parallel). When out of the Rip Tide/ Rip Current, swim at an angle away from the Rip Tide/ Rip Current towards the shore.
5. If you are unable to swim out of the Rip Tide/ Rip Current, FLOAT, RELAX, and CALMLY TREAD WATER to conserve energy. When you are out of the Rip Tide/ Rip Current, swim to the shore at an angle.
6. If you are still unable to reach shore, draw attention to yourself by waving arms and yelling for help.

If you see someone in trouble, don’t become a victim too:

1. Get help from a lifeguard
2. If a lifeguard is not available, call 911
3. Throw the Rip Tide/ Rip Current swimmer something that floats - a life jacket, a cooler, an inflatable ball, or noodle.
4. If you understand how to escape a Rip Tide/ Rip Current, yell out instructions.
5. Remember, MANY PEOPLE DROWN WHILE TRYING TO SAVE SOMEONE ELSE FROM A RIP TIDE/ RIP CURRENT.

The beach and ocean are one of the most magnificent creations and sources of enjoyment for many. But as any good thing, caution must be used at all times. The best advice in addition to the information above to survive a Rip Tide/ Rip Current is simple:

1. Know how to swim
2. Never swim alone
3. If in doubt, don’t go in the water

http://www.swimswimswimisay.com/

OH, MY HAIR!

OK, everyone. Here is my pet peeve comment made by my clients, “OH, MY HAIR”.  The title may make you say, “What?” but  believe me it gets said. Let me explain - I spoke to a father of a female child whose parents wanted to have their daughter learn how to swim. He and his wife are willing to pay for lessons and transport her anywhere. Here’s where it gets interesting; the daughter's only comment was “MY HAIR!”  If I had a dollar for every time someone said that to me, I would be rich. Here’s the problem - if you aren’t able to float or swim, you totally exclude yourself from many things. Yes, swimming is one but let’s not forget kayaking, lifeguarding, sculling, scholarship money, alternative exercise to decrease Hypertension, Cholesterol etc... The list goes on and on.

I am amazed and upset at times but not surprised. You may say why should it upset me at all. Ok, here are the reasons:
1) Drowning is the second leading cause of death among children
2) Out of 9 drownings a day 6 are minorities
3) The deaths that occurred on Louisiana, Long Beach, and a pool in Connecticut last Christmas all could have been avoided with water safety and/or swimming lessons.

Ask any parent or adult of a drowning victim if they wished they could do something different. I bet 100% would say YES.  Frightening to think “Your Hair” may someday put you in danger. Ladies, the long and short, your hair will not matter if something happens to you and you cannot control nor have an idea how to deal with your environment.

On the swim swim swim I SAY website , I recommend two companies, Carol’s Daughter and Jane Carter’s Solutions, for any type of hair. I do not make any money from boosting their hair lines. What is great about both companies - All Natural Ingredients, no Petroleum Jelly, no Wax etc. I have used both companies’ products for years. FYI Ladies - My hair is relaxed and down to the middle of my back. And if you would like my hairdresser’s name to confirm my locks of steel after all the swimming I do, call me. One more thing Ladies, I wash my hair at least 4 days a week between swimming and just working out. And my hair has not fallen out and actually has grown.

So I guess what I’m trying to say is, STOP with the “MY HAIR” comment. Your hair will be fine. Go get a wash and set after your lessons, bring your new hair products and leave looking great! Swimming and learning water safety can and will make the difference of survival for someone one day. And I hope because of “Your Hair”, family and friends will not be saddened by a statistic that did not have to be because of “Your Hair!”