by E Kuzmenko

Created on: May 28, 2010

It's summer and nothing sounds better than a cool swim in the pool. But be sure to remember as you put your toes in the pool, that water is not a joke. It is very serious and can cause collateral damage if misused. Some of the basic pool rules seem silly even to adults but beware of the dangers lurking, especially if there are no lifeguards around and you are alone.

#1 BUDDY SYSTEM

The buddy system seems to be the most valuable, even if it is in a pool. Especially if there is no lifeguard then you need at least your friend to be there watching out for you. Besides it's always more fun with somebody else.

If you're swimming during lap swim in a pool it wouldn’t be such a good idea to goof off. The serious swimmers get frustrated and you may be kicked out of the pool, so careful.

#2 CHECK THE DEEP END

Though you may see the 6 Ft. or the 5 ft. be sure to check the deep end and ask around to make sure you know how deep it is. Beyond that many pools have depth that varies and it is very important to recognize that and understand where you are going to be swimming and know the depth.

Especially with little children you want to guard their area and make sure they do not go too far deep. Pools are often wider than in length, so to reach the side it is more difficult. Be sure the beginners are aware and swim closer to the sides, for safety.

#3 NO DIVING, SERIOUSLY

The idea of diving into the clear blue water makes your heart beat with excitement, who can blame you? But what is important to realize is that as good as you are at swimming it is never smart to dive into a pool, especially public pools which don't always have a diving section.

At first 7 feet may seem reasonable to dive into but it's certainly not. The force of diving in is far grater and if something fails you are sure to hit your head and face possible brain damage.

It seems silly to think that such a little thing like diving would cause such a large problem, but then it's the little mistakes that make the biggest impacts. So just don't do it, no matter how tempted you may be.

#4 ROUGH PLAY NOT PERMITTED

A scuff there and here, it seems fun to joke around with your buddies in the pool. Pull somebody’s pants down, then do the water into eyes kind of thing. And if not that how about pushing them in unexpectedly, that should get them back right? Well, this is a really dangerous thing to do.

You shouldn't be endangering your safety as well as others who are in the pool. It is very easy for one of you to slip and fall and break something and hurt yourself. Why go to those consequences when you can simply avoid that mess altogether and not just do it in the first place, simple as that.

 5. NO GLASS, PERIOD

If you're at a resort and it's a late night, not much people around what's the harm of a margarita or something else in a glass cup, alcoholic or not. Glass gets set to the side, then forgotten and stepped on and if not that then accidentally thrown in the pool by somebody else. Then there is glass all on the bottom and this isn't good for anybody, maintenance for that kind of pick up is a real pain. Save your self and the others trouble don't bring glass, take along the plastic!

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