Hi,

My outdoors hat is a Columbia Coolhead Cachalot (it might be an older model but practically the same). I use it whenever I’m in the sun and quite often it is when I’m at the pool/beach. It is light, dries quickly, easy to store in a cargo pants pocket, and can be used with the neck guard or flipped in a second to be a baseball cap – being able to transform it into a regular baseball cap is a huge advantage. It is a good hat just really ugly, especially with the back folded down. So I want a replacement.

At first, I was looking into other hats with a neck guard but then I changed my mind and went back to search for brimmed beanies. So the first thing was to check with Columbia where I picked the Bora Bora II as my preferred pick. Also light and fast-drying that will be good for the pool, but not a great looker. Another big plus – it costs $20-$30.

Then I did the mistake of searching this forum which brought up two new contenders – the Shelta Seahawk and the Tilley LTM5. Both cost around $70 which is much more than the Columbia, but they look like they are worse it. The Seahawk will cost me over a $100 because of shipping charges (for some reason, the condor does not have this shipping fee).
The Seahawk looks better IMHO and I like the fact it has a size cinch, a feature I love in my current hat, and makes ordering online safer size-wise.
The LTM5 has the advantage of being easier to store as it doesn’t have the no-flip plastic in its brim. It will cost me about $40 less than the Seahawk.

TL;DR;

So my questions to you are, If you have either of the two:
How is it in the water? I am talking recreational swimming and pool games, with a lot of dipping.
How hard are they to store? You can easily flatten both into a suitcase but what about a pocket of a fanny bag?
And finally, if you had tried out both: which one did you like more and why?

I am open for any input and suggestions for any hat that can serve my needs.

Thanks for reading, D