10 Beach Norms Swimmers Know all too Well
By Maggie Lasto, Swimming World College Intern.
Few people experience the summer like a swimmer. They are practically mermaids, after all. They can breathe on land but their fish tail always seems to draw them back to the water. All joking aside, going to the beach with a swimmer is sure to be an interesting experience. They’ll probably be annoyingly well-packed, they’ll bug you for wanting to sit on dry land, and they’ll be able to solve all your wet hair problems like a pro.
If you’re a swimmer who has been able to fit in a nice beach day between summer practice sessions, you’ll probably know these 10 beach norms all too well.
1. Everyone is jealous of your awesome towel.
Photo Courtesy: Pexels
As a swimmer, the one thing you know you’ll never be short on is towels. You know the ones that you save for those long championship meet days because they are thick enough to keep you dry three events in. They’re big enough to wrap around you like a blanket, keeping you warm even on the coldest pool deck: These are special towels. While they often cause a disturbance in your laundry cycle, you appreciate them because when you get to the beach, they’ll provide a space thick enough for you to lay down without overheating and wide enough for you to spread out without becoming a sandy mess. It makes you think that everyone should invest in a swim towel.
2. Your swim bag acts as the BEST beach bag.
Photo Courtesy: Taylor Byers
Non-swimmers packing for the beach often turns out to be a difficult process. But for you, it couldn’t be easier. Is your swim bag super heavy to carry on your arm? Nope. Do things fall out or get lost? Nope. Does your leaking water bottle make your dry clothes all wet? Nope. If you’re a swimmer, you know that your swim bag is the ultimate beach hack to make your life easier.
3. Say goodbye to your tan lines
Photo Courtesy: Laura Nagle
Finally, you can get rid of that awful circle on your back! (After everyone has pointed it out already, of course.) As for that ever-so-obvious cap tan – no matter how hard you try to even it out, you know it will be there for the long run.
4. You don’t understand why people are sweating on the sand.
Photo Courtesy: pexels
Try as you might to relax on the sand, you’re lucky if you make it 10 minutes before making a dash to the water. You spend your time in the ocean enjoying the feeling of the cool water rush against your skin. You might even grab your goggles first if you want to impress your friends by showing off a little with your open water swimming skills.
5. Having to deal with coach’s disappointment when they see your sunburn.
Photo Courtesy: Maggie Lasto
At morning practice, you told coach that you were going to “stay in the shade” and “relax” all day, so when you arrive at night practice with a sunburn, you know that you’re going to have a lot of explaining to do.
6. NOTHING is worse than experiencing your suit rub against your sunburn all practice.
Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr / Swimming Australia Ltd.
Forget about experiencing coach’s wrath: You know that this is the ultimate punishment. It’s like karma. The pain and blistering you suffer through for two hours is enough to make you regret your decision, and you tell yourself never to go to the beach again.
7. You prefer the taste of chlorine way more than salt.
Photo Courtesy: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports
In your opinion, water should never contain anything other than chlorine. Salt tastes disgusting and burns your eyes, and you don’t care about what other people think about the matter. You know you’re right.
8. Natural highlights? Oh yeah! (Just forget the green, please.)
Photo Courtesy: Andrea Staccioli / Insidefoto / Deepbluemedia
Between the exposure to chlorine, salt and sun on your hair all day long, you’re bound to see a color change. You appreciate it when you get that sun-kissed blonde look, but you know that it’s all fun and games until that green tint starts to show up! That’s when the panic starts setting in and you run to grab your chlorine removal shampoo!
9. Wearing a competition suit is natural.
Photo Courtesy: Meaghan Abelein
Of course you’ll be wearing your competition suit to the beach. They make them so cute these days that whichever you chose – one piece or two – you’ll be able enjoy the waves while looking cute at the same time! Being stylish and secure… it’s a win, win situation.
10. All that sunscreen is slippery.
Photo Courtesy: Pexels
Trying to hold a pull buoy between your legs with all that slippery sun lotion is a near impossible task! Maybe you’ll just do open turns for the first hundred?
If all this reading about summer has got you wishing it were already here, the good news is that we are less than one hundred days away from its official start! Have you started your countdown yet?
You most likely resonate with at least one of these beach norms. What are some things you and your swimmer friends have a habit of doing on beach days?
-All commentaries are the opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Swimming World Magazine nor its staff.
Great article!!!
Love #5!!! So true!! Well done Maggie!!
Erik Magnus Evensrud?