4 tips to keep you in the water and out of trouble this summer
Well, Gamecocks, we’re finally closing in on the final few precious days of the school year. The thermometers are starting to climb, pollen levels have been elevated to “high alert” and almost every professor is making a last-ditch effort to cram in all the material they should have already taught you over the past three months. But more importantly for these steamy Columbia days — the pools have opened up. And whether you’re splashing around at the Strom Thurmond Wellness and Fitness Center or are shoulder-deep in the tepid waters of the Woodlands (we all remember that YouTube pool party sensation), there are a few pool rules every swimmer should adhere to.
Do Wear Sunscreen
As simple as this should be, we’ve all seen that one girl on campus — her usually translucent pallor has shifted to a shade just this side of fire-engine red, and she hobbles down Greene Street, cringing with even the tiniest move. True, our beloved parents used to slather themselves with baby oil before (literally) crisping themselves in the hot sun. But we also used to think heroin could cure the common cold. While an SPF of at least 30 is recommended for bathers, you’ll rarely see a bottle more than 15 laying out around the pool. It doesn’t matter if you don oil, spray or lotion, anything is better than expecting the water to keep you covered for the day. Plus, your grandmother won’t have to watch you peel your shoulders at graduation.
Don’t Try a Deep Dive
Folks, there’s no diving board at the pool for a reason. It’s shallow. And I don’t mean shallow like Kanye West picking out names for his and Kim K’s baby — I mean shallow like you’re going to knock your noggin if you try a double-flip cannonball into the pool. Besides the fact that you’re going to be about five beers in when you decide to leapfrog over your unsuspecting best friend in the “deep end” (is 5 feet really considered deep in college?), there’s no telling where you’re going to hit. Sure, you could casually splash safely into the water. Or you could land on top of that terrified freshman girl who just tried her first cup of boxed wine. The risk is yours.
Do Wear a Suit That Fits
Remember that super cute bikini you bought at Target last year? Remember when you didn’t eat a steady diet of Moe’s Mondays, Chicken Finger Wednesdays and $2 pizza lunch at Dano’s? That bathing suit does. Whether you accidentally put on a few pounds tailgating in the fall or even shed some when you finally hit that growth spurt, make sure your suit is neither bagging nor sagging when you hit the pool. As much as you don’t want to dive in and lose your trunks, we don’t want to see it either. It’s a win-win: You get to pick out a new suit, and we don’t have to watch you try to cover yourself with a koozie.
Don’t Forget H2O
If this will be your first summer in Columbia, heed this warning now: It gets hot down here. Actually, hot is putting it lightly. This city is a stifling sauna in the summer, with temperatures climbing into the high 90s on a near-regular basis. “Oh, the high is only 85?” you’ll say one day. And you’ll say it with a smile on your face and a song in your heart because you’ll actually be able to walk to the mailbox without suffocating. That said, it’s especially important to remember this while spending hours on end at the pool. Fact: Alcohol can dehydrate you pretty quickly in the baking sun, so pack some water and chug it in between beers. Take a lap in the pool. Just try to avoid the floating beer pong table.