How do you ladies deal with long hair?

[luckydays]

I have pretty long hair (length is about to the middle of my back and I just got 5 inches cut off) and it is a chore some days. If I don't really get it to lay flat in some way, it is one big knotted mess and takes a long time to get the tangles out.

For me, cutting my hair short is out not an option and truly not desirable.

I have gone through the braiding process and I don't mind doing it to keep my hair under control but it is not enough and my hair still ends up tangled. I have a beanie that works pretty good but I don't like the strap under the chin (it feels a little constricting) and a hood would work but in nice warm water it would be a little much. The doo-rag style does not seem to stay in place and causes my mask to move around.

I was looking for some sort of skull cap and was wondering if you ladies knew of one. Something like a ski cap or swimming cap but made of neoprene. If you have any suggestions I love to hear about it as well as what your regiment is to control your hair while diving. Thanks in advance.

 

[down4fun]

I too have long hair. Fo rme I put it in a ponytail and then braid that. It still gets tangled but once I am done with the last dive on the boat i rinse my hair, apply copious amounts of conditioner and comb it out with the conditioner in it, rinse and it's good to go.
ymmv

 

[cavew0man]

Me too... really thick, curly, tangly mess of hair. If I put it in a low ponytail at the nape of the neck, I find it always catches on velcro wetsuit bits or equipment, and also, because it's super thick, it moves around under my mask strap and has actually popped the strap right off the top of my head before.

What I do now, if not wearing a hood, is to put it in a ponytail on the very top of my head, and then either braid that or put those little elastics all the way down it. Then I pull the pony through to the top as I am putting on my mask. Seems to be working, and doesn't get caught or pull.

 

[gypsyjim]

Not a woman, but when I began diving my hair was very long. Had to use both pony tail and doo-rag, if not wearing a tight hood, but it was always a struggle to get right fit on doo-rag and still seal the mask. Pony tail and hood worked best for me.

 

[Jayde323]

I have long hair too, a few inches past my shoulders. I have not had any issue with the ponytail getting too tangled, but I do spray my hair with a leave-in conditioner before and after a dive. I have seen this in the stores, not sure how well it works. Hair Glove Neoprene Hair Wrap Same concept as the leather ponytail wraps for bikers. If anyone has tried one out, let me know how easy it is to put on.

My main issue is the little baby hairs around my face. I bought hair wrap OhMyTie! used it for the first time this weekend. It didn't come off my head like other head bands I have tried. The colors are a bit bright, but my husband says he liked it because he can spot me quicker in a group of divers. I like it and think it will be a regular addition in my dive bag.

Something like this could work too...http://www.scubadorag.com/cart/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=1_3

Hope this helps!

 

[Speargirl]

I had long hair at one time. This is what I used to do before I would go diving and still do some of it. I bring along in my bag conditioner I use aussie I run it threw my hair than I would braid it and use 3 bands and my hair is not thick. When I was finished diving I could take my hair down and the conditioner would still be in most of my hair so it made it so easy to rinse out and no tangles. My hair is now shoulder length and I still use conditioner so my hair does not dry out from all the salt.

 

[tstormdiver]

I deal with it by not having it. I keep mine very short. I had long hair form time to time in college, but it was a major pain, so I finally got it mowed down & have kept it that way. It's very quick & convenient. I literally wash, brush, go to bed with it wet & brush it out in the morning. The only down side is I get called "sir" a lot in the winter when I have my heavy coat on, hiding some of the other obvious stuff.

 

[tiggrr]

I have long hair too, a few inches past my shoulders. I have not had any issue with the ponytail getting too tangled, but I do spray my hair with a leave-in conditioner before and after a dive. I have seen this in the stores, not sure how well it works. Hair Glove Neoprene Hair Wrap Same concept as the leather ponytail wraps for bikers. If anyone has tried one out, let me know how easy it is to put on.

My main issue is the little baby hairs around my face. I bought hair wrap OhMyTie! used it for the first time this weekend. It didn't come off my head like other head bands I have tried. The colors are a bit bright, but my husband says he liked it because he can spot me quicker in a group of divers. I like it and think it will be a regular addition in my dive bag.

Something like this could work too...ScubaGoodHood

Hope this helps!

A friend with long hair used the same type of hair tie like your first link and she swears by it. I'm waiting for her to send me the link. I think it may be a bit longer than the one you found.

Oh lordy! And the 2nd link for the scuba good hood!!??!! Wow!! Some of those patterns are really exciting!!

I deal with it by not having it. I keep mine very short. I had long hair form time to time in college, but it was a major pain, so I finally got it mowed down & have kept it that way. It's very quick & convenient. I literally wash, brush, go to bed with it wet & brush it out in the morning. The only down side is I get called "sir" a lot in the winter when I have my heavy coat on, hiding some of the other obvious stuff.

I did that when I was first certified, just chopped it all off. Sometimes I really miss that just get up, brush, and go. Life was so much simpler back then.....

 

[Sas]

Well I used to have hair down past my hips and it was a *huge* hassle for diving. I solved this problem by shaving it all off (though, diving was not the reason I shaved it but it worked out very well for diving).

Anyway, I am guessing this is not something most people would be happy with but I found that the following helped when I had long hair: wearing a hood (you can get very very thin hoods that would be suitable for the tropics), braiding/plaiting hair and before a dive putting in a little bit of leave in conditioner and as soon as you finish the dive doing the same as this will make it very easy to brush out any knots that might have happened.

 

[marcaumarc]

My girlfriend/dive buddy does side braids, tucked back into themselves to make little loops, like this:

IMG_1300 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

She's tried various other styles, but this seems to be the best one so far.