Hair Care when diving

[kimbalabala]

I use a Lycra beanie to keep my hair from getting caught in my mask at the temples. I think I'm going to try coconut oil prior to diving. Not expensive and it's gotta be ok for the environment ... right?

 

[didi440]

I have long hair. And I despise, dislike, ok HATE hoods. I rinse my hair in fresh water after each dive. I also use Humectuss by Nexus between dives as long as I can get a rinse before diving. I keep my fine hair in a vertical pony tail because it stays out of my way. I also use the wide cloth headbands to control the wisps. My hair looks better after the dive trip than before.

 

[DukeAMO]

OK, I just got back from my dive trip, and I appreciated the advice on this thread. (My hair is shoulder-length, wavy, and thick.)

The dive beanie was perfect for me, and cheap too. It kept my hair out of my mask and kept it from floating around and tangling in the strap. Plus it made me a little warmer, which is nice because I was just wearing 3mm shorties. I'll put up with looking a little bit like an oompa loompa for that.

I also used leave-in conditioner. California Baby was the safest/least toxic one I could find at the stores I looked at, and it worked really well. It pretty much stayed in my hair all day. I didn't try to brush out my hair until I got back to the shower after diving (I'd just rinse it a little), but the conditioner made the brush go through my hair pretty easily anyway.

And on the boats I switched from the beanie to a buff, pulled in a tube all the way over my hair. No tangles from the wind, and I was able to wash the buff out in the shower and have it dry and ready for the next day. I was surprised how well the buff stayed on, even on very fast and windy boats. It didn't budge.

Thanks again!

 

[Cat276330]

Hair is a pain! Any advice on where i can get a good headband or something to keep my fringe from floating up and getting tangled? Ive tried hair pins but they just get lost whilst diving and headbands just seem to slip and dont stay in place. I hate hoods unless they are necessary for cold.

 

[Underwater Paparazzi]

i like the vertical pony tail.
you still get split ends but it stays clear of the mask and you always know which way the current is.

That just made me laugh out loud.

I have long hair that goes to the middle of my back, and cutting it all off is not an option. Subseries is my favorite, it's eco friendly, and it works great. Yes it's a little pricey, but when you think about what a lot of women pay to maintain their hair and all the products, it's just another tool. Their Reconstructor spray stays permanently in my dive kit and the shampoo/conditioner I just use the days I dive. I carry a small spray bottle of water in my dive kit too so I can soak my hair before I put the recontructor in. You end up using less product and it still works great. And like the others said, your hair will absorb less salt water if it's already wet.

Another option is the Body Shop carries environmentally friendly hair products and they always have great sales. I keep one of their detangling hair butters in my kit as a backup.

Once a week at least, I'll lather on a deep leave in conditioner right after the dive before I even gear down and rinse it out when I get home in the shower. Keeps the split ends and dry hair to a bare minimum. I like the K-Pak Joico Reconstructor.

Like I said....cutting my hair was not an option. haha

I'm a cold water diver, so I dive mostly with a side braid under a hood, but when I am in warm water I do two braids wrapped into buns on top of my head. I call them teddy bear buns, lol. Keeps the bangs back, its out of the way of the mask strap, and it looks pretty cute in underwater pictures!

 

[TheRavenCT]

A standard swim cap will keep your hair mostly dry. If you pick a brightly colored one, it will also make it easier for your buddy to identify you

I've been wondering about diving with a swim cap. How well does a swim cap work for heat retention?

My hair is super gross from Lake Travis in Texas - that lake is dirty. Combined with the sun, my hair coloring gets messed up. I might suggest wearing a hat on the boat, too.

 

[Reefdiver77]

I have baby fine chin length hair. I am unable to do anything with it while diving. It floats in front of the mask, etc. Headbands slide right off. Too short to braid. I purchased a pink doo rag at a Harley Davidson dealer. It is pink kerchief type material and stretchy. Problem solved. Another thing I do is take a bottle of fresh water with me on the boat. I rinse the saltwater out of my hair and then put leave in conditioner on my hair and comb through with a very wide toothed comb.

 

[tracydr]

my hair gets soo gross after diving, I'll be in coz for a week diving everyday, what can I do to help minimize damage to my hair from the salt water?

I use an oil spray from Redkin with sunscreen in it. I apply it each morning, make sure I apply a fairly generous amount.
I'm very, very fair skinned and blonde with low lighted hair. (semi permanent color). I wear a floppy hat every minute I'm out of the water. If I'm going to spend any time bobbing on the surface (for a class) I put my hat on and tuck it in my BC when I descend.

---------- Post Merged at 09:22 PM ---------- Previous Post was at 09:11 PM ----------

I have baby fine chin length hair. I am unable to do anything with it while diving. It floats in front of the mask, etc. Headbands slide right off. Too short to braid. I purchased a pink doo rag at a Harley Davidson dealer. It is pink kerchief type material and stretchy. Problem solved. Another thing I do is take a bottle of fresh water with me on the boat. I rinse the saltwater out of my hair and then put leave in conditioner on my hair and comb through with a very wide toothed comb.

I may have to get one of those do-rags for warm water diving. I've used a tropical, Lycra hood for years but it's worn out. I was looking at stretchy, Lycra do-rags and thought they might work.

 

[otterfox]

I don't comb (or do anything) to my hair after diving until I'm taking a shower. Once I'm in the shower, I saturate it with conditioner, and only then do I comb it out. The comb then slides through easily with no tangle effect. After that I usually just rinse it --- I save shampooing for the end of the trip or at least only every four or five days or so. I figure the natural oils don't need to be taxed any more than they already are with diving.

This is my routine too. Whenever I go water skiing, snorkeling, diving, etc..in salt water I try not to mess with it until I shower. My hair is very long (most of the way down my back) so I ALWAYS wear it in a tight french braid or in a bun to keep it back. If you just can't stand it, I would rinse your hair with fresh water (if possible), saturate your hair with spray-in conditioner, and patiently brush through it. Lately, I've also taken to wearing a speedo swim cap when going on longer dives. It's not the prettiest thing, but it virtually eliminates tangles if you put your hair in a bun and then wear the cap.

I always giggle at women in the movies who do all these activities and still have great "beach" hair afterwards. :snicker:

 

[Bexny]

I dive with a 3mm beanie which does wonders for keeping my long hair from getting tangled in my regulator and mask strap. After diving, I always rinse and condition. I shampoo every other day and use a good dollop of deep conditioning hair treatment/mask as my conditioner. It's a little pricier than using regular conditioner but makes a huge difference. In the mornings before diving, I rub some leave-in conditioning treatment through the bottom half of my hair. Basically, long hair means spending a lot of money on various conditioners but for me, it's worth it.