Hair style affecting drag?

[sashiyoop]

This is more for realistic (or as close as you can get with mermaids) design, but it's applicable to swimming. Does hairstyle affect drag when swimming? Would french braiding your hair down the center help you go (even the tiniest bit) faster than if your hair was loose?

[ImaginMertrix]

I know that hair in general does affect drag, that's why swimmers wear swim caps, to get that extra boost! I would imagine braiding it would help, but really I don't know, I usually swim with my hair free. ^^'

[Anahita]

I know on swim team if you didn't have your cap (and no one had an extra one to borrow) you were still expected to have your hair braided. I think though that was less to do with drag and more to do with the fact that long, loose hair gets tangled around your arms when you do your strokes. I'm sure it does affect drag though, if only for minimizing the surface area that's being pulled and spread around.

[Echidna]

The closer and sleeker the hair on your skull, the less drag you have.
Plus it doesn't get tangled on your arms when you're doing flips and rolls.

[Mermaid Cecelia]

A braid is a great idea, but if you want a fishy flair to add to that braid, a fishtail braid is a stylish alternative and still works the same :)

[sashiyoop]

Thanks, guys! That all made a lot of sense to me.

[Miyu]

I absolutely cannot swim with loose hair... It's fine for just playing around, but if I do any sort of real swimming, it just turns into a massive tangled mess (split ends, + the fact that my hair loves to try and dreadlock itself since I trained it to for years >.<). So I must braid it, and I try to make it some sort of mermaid-y style if I can. Mako Mermaids has a lot of really pretty braid examples, and I of course constantly refer to this site: http://www.dreamweaverbraiding.com/index.htm

[PearlieMae]

Check out Pinterest for lots of gorgeous braids! My hair is long enough to sit on, so I usually put mine up in a bun or a braid because the drag is hard on my neck and slows me down considerably. I figure that's why mermaids are always depicted out of the water messing with their hair..it's the only time I can let it down and untangle it! :D

[Mermaid Oshun]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hojtnnw3iZQ

[Miyu]

Thanks for that video Golden Pearl! I always wondered how "Knoxing your hair" was done!

[PearlieMae]

I wonder how you get it out!

[Yulia]

Gelatine dissolves in warm water, so a thorough shower should take it all away.

[Imogen Finnly]

What if you have short tight curly hair that is a mess no matter what when swimming?

formerly jayy