As someone with 6 years of Lifeguard experience at a waterpark, regular old swimming pool, and a summer camp, there are some things people should remember when going out for a fun day of swimming! Without further ado, here are 10 things to know at the pool...brought to you by your friendly, neighborhood Spiderman Aquaman.
Don't feel bad if a lifeguard blows a whistle or yells at you.
I hate making people feel bad. Part of being a lifeguard is yelling at people. It's our job to keep you safe and enforce the facility rules. I remember being a shy kid and crying underwater because a lifeguard yelled at me to walk when I was speed walking...but now I know that lifeguards say WALK. WALK. WALK. so many times in a day that they just yell it at anyone moving faster than a regular walk because a lot of people take speed walking into full on running the second we look away.
Stop putting your kid in swimming lessons instead of bringing them to the pool.
I get it, schedules are busy. If you are going to enter a child in swimming lessons, but never bring them to the pool...more likely than not they will fail. and that's okay. (but know they are pulling the rest of the class back if they won't get in the pool) How do you expect a child to learn to swim in one week in a class with 10 other kids if they have never even been in a pool before? It's not gonna happen. They actually refuse to even go in the water most of the time because their mom, dad, brother, or sister have NEVER brought them to the pool. It's like tossing a baby in the pool and they come out crying.
Don't make out (etc. etc. etc.) in the public pool.
The lifeguards are watching you. We are judging you. and everyone feels uncomfortable. especially the children.
It's better to wear a one piece with confidence.
Girls of all ages try to wear bikinis. They don't look any better than one pieces. So many teenagers wear bikinis and they feel nervous around everyone. Bikinis also perpetuates the idea that women should lay out tanning while the men get to go down the slides and play basketball. Some girls still go down the slides...and they have to hold their tops on! Trust me, you will cherish your memories of being carefree more than you will cherish your tan.
QUIT SUCKING ON THAT ROPE!
Got your attention? Seriously...I had to yell that across a pool. at a 14 year old. who had a NASTY pool rope..IN HIS MOUTH..and he was sucking water from it. In General..DON'T PUT POOL WATER IN YOUR MOUTH. 1. There are a lot of chemicals in the pool. 2. People pee in the pool. Even adults. When teaching lessons, a kid once told me his mom told him he's allowed to pee in the pool...note to parents...NO. HE'S NOT ALLOWED TO PEE IN THE POOL. Some kid is gonna try to suck on a pool rope and suck all your child's pee up into his mouth.
Wear your sunscreen.
The basic advice you expected to read right? BUT IT'S TRUE. I've read articles recently claiming that sunscreen gives you cancer...but you will get melanoma and a painful sunburn before that happens. I promise. Plus, the sun will age your skin faster. Dark tans are cute when you're 20, but be prepared to look like a leather couch if you keep that tanning up in your forties.
Don't plan on eating lunch at the pool.
Kids get dropped off at the swimming pool with twenty dollars that their parents give them for snacks. They proceed to spend twenty dollars on junk food. It's not our jobs to control your child's eating habits, but sometimes the people in the concession stand will cut them off. Older people also get upset that we don't have "hot dogs"...the thing is..a pool is for swimming, not a hot dog eating contest. If it was...there would be a lot more vomit in the pool and a lot more mandatory pool breaks because of it.
Lifeguards are not babysitters.
AGAIN. KIDS JUST GET DROPPED OFF AT THE POOL. "I'm Bored". I hear it every day from kids...my job is to keep the pool safe. I'll talk to you if it's safe for me to talk to you...but it is not my job to entertain you. I am not a babysitter, but every day I watch about 20 kids under age 10 on my own who just get dropped off. Please take your child to the pool, or have a babysitter take your child, or their responsible 16-year-old cousin (and NOT their 8-year-old cousin who can't even swim...ugh)
Drowning is silent.
When someone drowns, it can happen in the matter of one minute. It is silent. It can happen to someone who knows how to swim. If you see someone struggling and the lifeguard doesn't see it, yell at the lifeguard, stick out a hand if it's a kid, but don't try to save someone in deep water. (They will push you under water because they are scared! I teach kids at lessons to "reach or throw, don't go".) Luckily, I have NEVER had someone drown on my account or where I was working, but it could have happened if we weren't paying attention.
We see you sneakily break rules at the pool.
YOU AINT SNEAKY, SNEAKS! WE KNOW YOU'RE DOING IT. I typically let it happen once and let it go if I think it's safe enough...if you do it again I'll say "hey that's the second time you did that dive in the 4 feet...time to stop"!
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