One of the worst feels in swimming comes from water reaching into the nose. It is not only unpleasant, but it can also be a bit painful. This can easily be avoided with the help of swimming nose clips. In this article, we’ll show you how to put on a swimming nose clip and how to wear a nose clip for swimming to avoid any discomfort. It takes just a moment of your time, but it is proven to be an extremely helpful and useful tool.
Who Should Wear Nose Clips
Swimming nose clips are made and can be used for anyone, from kids to adults and from novice swimmers to experts. However, it’s the swimming beginners that will find it the most useful due to their lack of a proper breathing technique, and it will most definitely help them in their first months.
Types Of Nose Clip
Although their purpose is the same – keeping the water out of a person’s nose, there are a few different options to choose from:
- The basic, strapless nose clip comes in the shape of the letter „u“ and with padded ends so it doesn’t cut into the nostrils. It is most often made out of nylon or stiff wire, while the pads are made of TYR, latex, or silicone. It works by pinching nostrils together, this way preventing the water from reaching in.
- Nose clips with straps are the same as the basic ones, only with an additional strap that will allow you to put it around your neck. This will not only help you find it and make it easier to remove it from your nose, but it will also serve as an additional assurance it will stick to your nose instead of falling off during your swimming session. And even if they do fall off, you won’t have to chase them down
How To Put On A Swimming Nose Clip
Putting on a swimming nose clip is not complicated and it takes merely a moment, but it is good to know how to do it if you have any doubts and questions:
1. Wash Your Face
Before you enter the water, wash your face to remove the oils, or in case you’re a female the makeup off your nose. Wet wipes will also do the trick if there is no water source nearby.
2. Wet Your Head
Once you enter the pool, just before you put the nose clip on, dunk your head in the water to make your nose wet. This will provide a better grip for your nose clip. If you use the one with the strap, put on the swimming cap and the swimming goggles first.
3. Form The Upside-Down „U“
If you use a nose clip with a strap, put the strap around your neck. Then, take the nose clip in your hand and turn it so it looks like a letter „U“, just upside-down. Two padded ends will go on your nostrils, while the bottom of the „U“ will sit on the bridge of your nose.
4. Positioning The Nose Clip
Circular ends of the nose clip should be facing outward. To achieve this, make sure the flat end of the nose clip is pointed toward your face.
5. Sliding The Nose Clip
Using your thumbs and index fingers, pull the ends of the nose clip away, place them over the nostrils and press the upper part onto the bridge of your nose. Then, push the ends against the nose clip to complete the process.
Benefits Of Wearing A Nose Clip
Nose clip provides some important benefits:
- It will help you learn the flip turn by letting you focus on the turn instead of thinking about breathing.
- It will keep the water away from your sinuses and prevent possible inflammation due to the high amount of pool chemicals, or even bacteria and fungi.
- It will help you as you practice different swimming strokes. For instance, in freestyle, it will keep the water from entering your nose as you turn your head to take a breath. During backstroke, it will help you keep the head submerged when needed to keep the balance, and if you learn a butterfly, it will help you learn how to take a breath using your mouths only.
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When To Use Which Nose Clip
Different activities require different types of nose clips.
Nose clip with a strap is a great option when:
- You’re worried it may fall off as you swim.
- You plan to swim in the open water. It is not only harder to find it if it falls off, but the strength of the current may blow it away from your nose. The strap will keep it around your neck.
- If you plan to hang around the pool. This way you’ll avoid misplacing it.
Nose clip without a strap is good when:
- You don’t want to deal with a strap around your neck.
- You want something that will last longer due to the strap’s tendency to break after some time.
FAQ
Here are the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about how to put on a swimming nose clip and how to wear a nose clip for swimming.
Q: Should I use a nose clip when swimming?
It depends. If the possibility of water entering your nose bothers you and prevents you from enjoying your time in the water, or if you have sensitive sinuses, then yes, you should wear a nose clip. On the other hand, nose clips make learning to breathe through the nose more difficult.
Q: How can I swim without a nose clip?
When you master all the breathing techniques, you probably won’t need a nose clip. Work on your breathing patterns as much and as often as possible, and once you become familiar with those, you’ll discover you won’t need them most of the time.
Q: How do you keep water out of your nose when swimming?
One of the easiest ways to keep the water away from your nose is to learn how and when to push the air through your nose as you swim. This won’t keep the water out of your nose all the time, but it will lower the chance of any discomfort.
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Now when you know how to use a nose clip, feel free to try them out and find the one that works best for you so you can have fun without any worries.