Public Swimming Pool Etiquette
When you are fifteen and raging with hormones, swimming is not usually synonymous with the terms etiquette and manners. My only thoughts back then were impressing whatever girls that might have been around the pool at a given time. I did, however, get an important lesson in manners because of that ignorance. I found out that swimming pool etiquette can also keep you from being a moron.
The short version:
I approached the pool in my bright yellow “Birdwell Beach Britches” of 1982 and quickly noticed the attractive blondes sitting on the other side of the pool. It was a new pool but I ignored that particular detail. Instead, I decided that I would get a running start and splash them as a typical teenaged introduction.
You know.... because girls love that.
Ahem...
As I built up speed and took off, I went head first into the pool with the perfect splash. It was aimed at the girls and splashed them completely as planned. It was a shame that I never got to enjoy it.
I was unconscious from diving head first into a three foot kiddie pool. I spent my entire summer with a huge scab across the front of my forehead. That really messed up my plans to say the least.
It taught me quickly that manners around a pool was a good thing and that I needed to learn some quickly.
Here are some rules I learned about pool etiquette that everyone should keep in mind:
Follow the rules of the pool
I could sit here and list off the various rules but that is silly. Every pool has different rules and you need to follow them each and every time. These might include no diving, jumping, running or whatever. Read the posted rules and make sure they are followed.
Take responsibility for your kids
I have twin ten year old daughters and I get the urge to turn the switch off. I really do. Still, you have to accept the fact that your kids will be the first ones to find the twenty foot deep section with no life vest the moment you turn your head. That, or they will splash the lady with the big hat and sunglasses sitting under the giant umbrella. Your kids are your responsibility and you have to keep them under control.
It is not the lifeguards duty to watch your children or the other adults in the pool. Stay close to them at all times and police their actions.
Clean yourself when you enter the water....and so on....
Chlorine can only do so much when it comes to bacteria and germs are unavoidable. Still, we can eliminate the worst of it by showering with soap and water before jumping in the pool. Having a nice long conversation with the kids about not using the pool as a toilet is a good idea as well. Nobody wants to see that.
Wear appropriate gear people
I can appreciate a great looking body as much as anyone, but seeing that on display at a public pool when kids are present is just disturbing. Why would anyone want to wear such things when kids are around anyway? Keep in mind that you are not on a secret getaway with your significant other. In public, wear something reasonable that does not come in a thong.
Keep the music to a low roar
I am lucky in that I love pretty much all kinds of music. When you go to the pool and you blast your radio louder than anybody else, you are pretty much saying that you don't care what they think or if you are bothering them. Keep your music at a low roar at least or else you will find yourself being asked to leave. Be mindful of others.
Swimming etiquette is really a simple matter of thinking of others. When I was young I was incapable of such things. That is why my parents should have been there to stop me from nearly knocking my head off on the bottom of the pool. Then again, if they had done that I would not have been able to learn these wonderful rules. Sometimes karma teaches us and that certainly taught me.
Don't bang your head on the bottom of the pool to learn your lesson. Learn from mine instead.
Be nice to each other and happy swimming!
(Submitted by Rodney)