Dealing with long hair

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Pre-dive: (1) apply deep-conditioning treatment to dry hair then make a low braid - I used Moroccan Oil Intense Hydrating Mask. (2) Keep braid protected from wind and sun, especially on boat where winds are high. Whilst diving: (3) wear a hood... it doesn't matter if its cute or not. I'd rather protect my hair whilst diving to be cute when on dry land. Does anyone look cute diving?? Uh, no. Post-dive (4) unbraid, freshwater rinse followed by gentle towel-drying, a COMB, not a brush and spray-in conditioner.
 
Ice Princess, I was tempted after spending an entire week diving to do the same! But I don't think I could rock the short hair cut.

I tried a hood to contain my fair hair, but it was too tight at the neck and too loose at the top of my head. The idea of a bandanna/do-rag occurred to me while diving but I haven't tried it yet. Seems cheap and effective, no hood or cap required!
 
My hair is down to the middle of my back and has a bunch of layers in it, so I deal with in layers. Part of the reason I do it this way is because I can't French braid my own hair to save my life. I kinda do a cascade of pony tails and braids instead, taking the top section and securing that with the good metal-free elastics, then braiding the pony from this section and pulling the middle layer into a second pony, then braiding this middle bit down to the nape of my neck, where I make a third pony which gets braided to the bottom. It seems so much more complicated than it really is as I typed this.

After the dive or between dives if need be, I LOVE the Aussie leave-in spray conditioner. Without that I'd never be able to get a comb or brush through my thick hair.
 
Mine isn't. Not at depth. If my ponytail starts to sag, I just take the elastic off, gather up my hair up again similarly to how I'd do it on land and snap that band back on.
 
Do any of you have tips on how to tie a do-rag so that it doesn't slip when taking the mask on and off? My do-rag comes off with the mask and I'd rather not lose it at sea.

Also, taking the mask off and putting it back on at the surface (e.g. at the surface before or after dives) is still a hassle. The natural impulse is to have my mask hang around my forehead (a no-no) instead of around my neck. When I place my mask around my neck (where it should be, if not on my face), I find that I have to take it off completely before I can get it into place properly again. Any tips here?

Don't ask why I keep removing and replacing my mask. It's all the little things. :p
 
Don't ask why I keep removing and replacing my mask. It's all the little things. :p

Ain't it the truth!!! It really is all the little things! I swear by my Harley Davidson spandex beanie. I'm attaching a link to a place in Milwaukee (House of Harley) that sells them over the internet. Their price is cheaper than what I have paid in the past ($13.99). They refer to it as a skull-cap. It is made of spandex and has an elasticized band that keeps it in place on your head. You COULD pull it down over your ears, but I pull mine across my forehead and it just circles above my ears and to the back. No tying needed. I have worn it with a hood and it still stayed in place. It's not the most attractive accoutrement - but we're diving - nuff said, right?

SK98630.JPG


Harley-Davidson® Men's Strong H-D® Skull Cap SK98630

---------- Post added June 22nd, 2014 at 04:53 PM ----------

Oh, and when I wear the Harley skull-cap I usually have a ponytail that I tuck up under it to keep the hair from getting tangled in the top of my tank - and I tuck the side hairs under so they don't get caught in my mask strap (hate it when that happens).
 
I'm hoping you can tell how the skull-cap holds my hair in place in this photo. Clearly, the hair on the bottom half of my head isn't under the cap but otherwise it works quite well. When I put on my mask I make sure the cap goes over my ponytail in the back and right up to the skirt of the mask in front - and this mask has the strap that has a "hole" in the back (it's not a hole but it's as if there is an upper and lower section of the strap) and that is where my ponytail resides for the dive. the pony helps to keep the mask in place too.
PICT0040.jpg
 

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