Can swimming in saltwater everyday be damaging?

I've had my dreads for about 2 and a half months. I'm moving to a little island in Spain in September and I'll be hopefully swimming once if not twice a day in the sea. My dreads will be about 6 months old then and my question is that will swimming in saltwater every day be damaging to my dreads? I know saltwater is really good to speed up the locking process but will swimming so frequently be actually counter-productive or damaging?

updated by @miriam: 01/13/15 09:52:01PM

hey mariam, first of all, getting ur dreads wet everyday could be damaging as u have to give ample time between washes for drying. especially dreads when mature can take much longer to dry. if they stay constantly damp then u'll invite mold which will make ur hair smell awfull n it is very unhealthy overall.

yes salt water will speed up the whole dreading process. but salt water basically makes ur hair n scalp very dry. i dont think anyone who uses the sea salt spray out here uses it everyday either... i have never used sea salt spray myself. i stay close to the beach, once a while i just go out and have a nice dip n swim a lil. those who use the sea salt spray use it like twice a week i think. another thing, never let the salt water stay in for too long as it will fry ur hair n will get ur scalp really itchy n dry. its very necessary u wash ur hair well after swimming in the sea. plus sea water may even contain unwanted things which u certainly dont want to stay in there.. hope u have good journey ahead and have loadz of fun on the island. peace..

Congrats to your new move in September, what an adventure! As Ojas said, rinse hair after swimming in salt water. Salt water is the best for dreads. If your dreads dry completely in the sun before getting wet again, then you won't have problems. If they stay wet, mold can start to form in the center of your dreads. I once saw a website that sells bathing caps for dreads. Might be a good idea to invest in one for your second swim of the day or evening. Don't go to sleep with wet dreads...So a morning swim every day is great, your dreads will dry out...Peace

scuba instructor...!!?? man that is like a dream job ! enjoy life

Salt water is healing for you skin and scalp, I'm in the ocean almost everyday with exceptions to weather and plans. Ocean water is different in many ways from manufactured saltwater spray, ocean water consists of many different living organisms and there are so many things that can vary depending where you live but after being in the ocean you wanna make sure to wash your hair out with fresh water so the stuff washes out. If you plan on being in the ocean a lot drink lots of water to minimize dryness thought your skin and ultimately improving your overall health, not many people stay hydrated and it can lead to problems that can develop overtime but it helps keep you balanced. It does speed up the process and personally depending on your beliefs it's can heal you in many different ways.

Thanks to all of you! This helps a lot! Justin, I am insanely jealous of you being a scuba instructor, that sounds like a dream job. Thanks again!!