8 Dead Giveaways of a Swimmer; Some Looks Cannot Be Avoided!
Whether you always throw your hair up in a messy bun after practice, or you radiate the smell of chlorine, all swimmers have distinct qualities, making it pretty clear what sport they do. Read below to see eight features that scream ‘swimmer.’
Messy bun
The messy bun is a classic swimmer look. When your hair is all wet after practice, the easiest thing to do is throw it up in a messy bun so that the water from your wet hair doesn’t drip down your back. A messy bun is not only convenient, but it is comfortable, and some might even call it fashionable too.
Bleached hair
If you ever see somebody with bleached and ratty hair, they are probably a swimmer. This is a common look among boys in particular. Those who don’t wear a cap during practice are at high risk of attaining bleached hair from the chlorine. Note to self: Wear a cap if you are looking to avoid this issue!
Dry skin
On top of bleaching your hair, chlorine is also infamous for drying out your skin. Many swimmers struggle with their skin, especially their face, drying out or getting red and irritated. When the chlorine levels in the pool are higher than they probably should be, it will be difficult to avoid red and scaley skin.
Goggle tan line
Teams who swim outside year-round, or even just over the summer, are probably very familiar with the typical goggle tan line. Swimmers will most likely run into the issue of developing ovals around their eyes, or a line on the side of their head from the strap of their goggles.
One piece/ jammer tan line
Not only do swimmers have to deal with raccoon eyes from their goggle tan, but they will also struggle with the classic one piece or jammer tan line from their swimsuits. Females usually develop the oval shape tan line on their back, making their back significantly tanner than their front side. On the other hand, males sometimes develop a jammer tan line, causing their quads to be paler than the bottom half of their legs. Wearing a training bikini or speedo could help swimmers steer clear of weird and uneven tan lines on their bodies!
Chlorine smell
Anytime you go somewhere right after practice such as school, home, work, the grocery store, etc., those around you will most likely notice that you smell like chlorine. The worst part about this, is that swimmers don’t even notice that they smell like a walking chemical! From being in the pool for so long, swimmers get used to the smell, and don’t even notice it on themselves.
Carrying multiple bags
If you are off to school, or off to a long four-day meet, you probably have quite a few bags to carry around with you. Many teams at the high school and college level hold two practices a day, causing swimmers to pack their lives away into a few bags for the day. Between carrying around your backpack, lunch box, swim bag and maybe even a drawstring bag holding a change of clothes, swimmers’ hands are pretty full. When packing for a meet, swimmers usually pack a swim bag, equipment bag, duffle bag, backpack and maybe even their own pillow. Needless to say, it might be pretty easy to spot out a swimmer just because of the number of bags they carry around with them.
Wearing a parka
Drexel teammates proudly sport their parkas. Photo Courtesy: Megan Clark
Whether it’s cold and snowing outside, or 80+ degrees on the pool deck, you will never fail to see a swimmer sporting their team parka. Swimmers love wearing parkas to keep them warm on deck at a meet, or outside in the cold. Parkas are great because they are long coats that keep swimmers warm from head to toe no matter where they are. Athletes who wear parkas make it pretty obvious what sport they are a part of!
There are several features and qualities that represent swimmers pretty well. Many of them are pretty unavoidable, while some might be easier to steer clear of. What are some other dead giveaway features and tactics of swimmers? Comment down below!