Hammer Head Swim Caps
Hope To Change Swimming
Hammer Head Caps are designed with a honeycomb cushion inside to minimize accidental and repetitive head hits in the pool.
But they aren't just preventative, Hammer Head Caps are durable, and have a smooth, wrinkle free surface necessary for racing.
After an in-pool injury Hammer Head Caps were created in the hope of making every swimmer safer and more confident in the water. And at the end of the day isn't that what all of us want? Below is our interview with Co-Founder and CEO, Theresa Finn.
How did the Hammer Head® Swim Cap design come about?
Like all great innovations, the world’s only protective swim cap® started with an ah-ha moment. In 2013, David Burns was coaching a swim team practice doing backstroke drills with 40 kids in the pool when Madeline, his daughter, hit her head on the wall and broke into tears from the pain. While David responded to her, an older swimmer hit her head even harder – and had to leave the swimming pool with what turned out to be a minor concussion.
Later David remarked, “what do I need to do to protect you – get you a helmet?” Madeline replied “PLEASE!” and the idea for the Hammer Head Swim Cap was born.
As if meant to be, co-founder Theresa and husband Ken, swim parents to swimmer 8-year old Kaden, were sitting poolside. They knew David was on to something. As a Dentist, Ken went home that day and came back to practice with a banana-shaped non-porous foam insert to try inside a basic silicone swim cap. It did what we wanted! It helped to buffer the impact of accidental collisions with the wall or other swimmers. As a bonus, the cushion inside created a wrinkle-free exterior dome surface, eliminating drag for racing. So, Theresa and David proceeded with a patent search and sourcing the talent of our engineers, designer and eventually our manufacturer.
As an odd stroke of luck, and because of the HIT® technology inside, Hammer Head has a wrinkle-free, hydrodynamic dome surface that is ideal for racing. After being tested by Dr. Gary Hall, Sr., 3x Olympian and founder of The Race Club, Hammer Head is up to 10.5%, a huge benefit of reducing frontal drag.
Fast forward to today. David, a 20-year swim instructor and coach along with Theresa, experienced in establishing the business infrastructure, marketing strategy and manufacturing are co-founders of Mako International, LLC dba Hammer Head Swim Caps. The company was created to design, manufacture and market the patented Hammer Head Swim Caps for United States and abroad. Here is a link to Our Story.
How does the honeycomb design protect swimmers?
Did you know that on average, swimmers train more than any other sport at every athletic level? Combine this with congested practice and warm-up lanes, novice swimmers learning pool etiquette to avoid collisions and backstroker head hits with the wall are all the more reason for swimmer head protection! According to Swimming World Magazine, 500,000 head injuries result in a doctor visit annually.
The world's only protective swim cap has HIT Honeycomb Impact Technology® - tiny honeycomb pillars inside the cap to provide an invisible protective cushion, designed to absorb the shock from accidental and repetitive collisions with the pool wall or other swimmers in the pool or open water alike. Head hits occur above and below the surface and it's time aquatic sports have the same head protection as all other sports.
This patented technology makes it 50% safer than other swim caps giving swimmers a new level of confidence, combining head safety, speed, comfort and durability for the first time ever. Check out the Hockey Puck Challenge.
Have you seen a reduction in injuries by swimmers who use your caps?
Whether it is a backstroke swimmer miss-counting at the 5-meter flag and slamming into the pool wall or colliding with another swimmer in busy warm-up lanes, a triathlete entering the water in a mass competition start, an Artistic swimmer base launching the flier into an acrobatic move and hoping for an accurate landing, a diver entering the pool incorrectly at 25 MPH or a water polo goalie repeatedly heading the ball, there is a need to protect these heads like all other sports do for their athletes.
National Governing Bodies (NGB's) are recognizing the frequency and seriousness of head injuries, which is why USA Swimming, USA Triathlon, USA Artistic Swimming, USA Diving and USA Water Polo have all implemented mandates and concussion training certifications in an effort to make aquatic sports safer. Aquatic sports are moving in the right direction, although they are all reactive to a head injuries. In high school alone, medical professionals report around 2 million concussions per year. Unfortunately, head hits occur above and below the water and often never get reported. For more information, visit Swimming World Magazine.
Dr. Sandra Harrell, DPT, MS, founder of @theswimmersdoc, is a medical contributor for Hammer Head. She sustained a concussion in a NCAA swim practice doing sprint work when her teammate forgot he was sharing a lane and collided head on with her. Shortly following she reported splitting headaches, brain fog drowsiness, light sensitivity, making it difficult to perform daily tasks like driving and school work. She knew that if she had subsequent and even less-impactful collisions, her symptoms may be prolonged and her ability to recover will diminished.
Injuries are real for all ages and abilities. Why wouldn't you take every possible precaution to protect your future and have a better chance of continuing on in the sport that you love vs. dealing with injury and recovery?
So, to answer your question to the best of my ability.....if Hammer Head sales are an indicator of swimmers recognizing the need to protect their future, then I have to say YES!
Do Hammer Head® Caps accommodate long or thick hair?
We can't guarantee that the Hammer Head will work for swimmers with the longest and thickest of hair, but here are a few tips on how to wear your Hammer Head. You will want to make a low ponytail and tuck your hair up inside the back of your Hammer Head cap. Be sure to watch this video if your hair goes down to your knees!
Our Hammer Head® logo always goes in the front and the cap size is labeled on the back inside of the cap.
There is a front and a back to Hammer Head. It is the only swimming cap in the world with proprietary TEKFIT® cut designed to conform to the human head, larger in back and smaller in front. Hammer Head comes in three sizes, small-medium-large, to ensure the most comfortable fit and it won't pull hair when putting on and taking off.
How durable are they compared to other latex of silicone caps?
Hammer Head® raises the bar because they are made from premium silicone delivering the highest quality swimming cap on the market. Unlike other swim caps, Hammer Head is seam-free, all one part and built to last for years, not months. We are so confident we offer a 365 day no-tear guarantee. In fact, not one Hammer Head cap has ever ripped or torn.
Look at it this way...Hammer Head® caps are $34.95 each, unless purchased in bulk. Regular silicone caps will run you $10-$15 each. Multiply that by roughly 4-5 caps that rip throughout the year and you are looking at $40-$75, easily! Hammer Head is the best value and the quality is second-to-none, which is why we stand behind our caps 100%!
Are they intended for use in competition or primarily as a training aid?
Yes, as we always say...practice in it, compete in it and win in it!
The Hammer Head® Swim Cap is designed for daily practice, during meet warm-ups, and in competitive races. Worry not, if your team is sponsored by a major manufacturer we won't steal their thunder! Your athletes can double cap to enjoy the benefits of a comfortable, safe, drag free, hydrodynamic surface with Hammer Head.
We have already covered why Hammer Head's safety feature is one-of-a-kind. And for your competitive swimmers...you want the fastest race cap out there, right? You don't have to sacrifice speed for safety. Testing at top speeds showed it can reduce roughly 0.6 seconds in a 50 Free, which can easily be the difference between winning and losing a race. Now that is a competitive advantage! Take it from Olympian Dr. Gary Hall, Sr. as he explains Hammer Head® gives swimmers the confidence to maintain proper head form and swim faster with less effort. Here’s what Josh Davis, Olympic Gold Medalist says it is “the safest, fastest, most comfortable and longest lasting swim cap in the world,” as well as the “revolutionary benefits it brings to swimmers at all levels.”
You can also put your team logo (up to 6-colors) on your Hammer Head caps and take advantage of bulk order discounts.
What is the one piece of advice you would give to young and/or new swimmers?
Let's start by looking at the statistics, because just they don't lie.
73% of head injuries in practice occur from collisions with other swimmers or the wall
96% of head injuries at meets are during warm-ups
91.8% of parents would take steps to protect their swimmer's head if they knew of a solution
We are endorsed by Olympians Rowdy Gaines, Josh Davis, Tom Malchow, Dr. Gary Hall, Sr and Greg Dumer.
Our Mission Is Simple:
To make every swimmer safer and more confident in the water with the best swim cap technology, ever. We do this by giving swimmers a cap designed to minimize accidental and repetitive head hits in the pool, give competitors a cap with no wrinkles and built for racing and give parents a cap with greater value, built with strength and durability.
The one piece of advice I would give to a young or new swimmer is to look out for yourself and make your future a priority. If Hammer Head is the only product out there for swimmers to help minimize the pain and potential injury of head hits, then why wouldn't you? Swimming is not a combat sport, but it is a contact sport!
Hammer Head is swimmer & coach approved, swim mom certified and Olympian endorsed!