The summer sun is blazing high in the sky,children are laughing in the water and parents are lounging in the rays trying to get their tan on. This scene sounds like a relaxing one to enter into, and it is, except for certain people present: the lifeguards.
Being a lifeguard allows for pools, water parks and other summertime fun to be available to the public in a safe way. Let’s face it, water is one of the most dangerous hazards out there. It doesn’t take much and a life is no more. It is a lifeguard's job to save those lives who need saving, but also to prevent the need for such.
I was a lifeguard for four years, and from my experience on the job here are the top 10 phrases that I used when I guarded at a health club. In fact, guarding those waters for the x amount of hours that I did, some of these phrases have become second nature and are almost exclaimed when I myself am the patron.
1. NO RUNNING!
There will always be those kids who know that they are not supposed to run, but they do anyway. It is almost like they know that they are going to get in trouble, so they run as fast as they can in hopes to get as many steps in as possible.
This phrase is used to grab attention, and to save the patron from the danger of harming themselves and others.
2. Walk please!
This phrase can be heard as someone is seen fast walking/jogging, or if they are already in the act. More of a gentler vibe, it is generally used to sound more polite and is often used in mild risk situations.
3. Don’t hang on the lane lines!
As a kid, I can remember being told not to hang on the lane line. I never understood why. Oftentimes people do not either, and that is why lifeguards have to say it so many times.
It is simple. The more the lane lines are hung on, the faster that they will break. In that situation, the lane line then becomes a hazard and lessens the potential fun that was to be had.
4. The kickboards are not for surfing!
Surfing is a really awesome activity if you are in the Pacific Ocean, not in a pool. Most of us have experienced the thrill of trying to stay onto the buoyant board that would rather be floating on the surface.
This phrase might seem pointless, but when out of hand the “surfer” and those surrounding them might end up hurt, and no one wants to go there!
5. No, you cannot dive there!
One would think that this is a no-brainer, yet this phrase gets a lot of use- whether from people asking if they can dive in a certain place, or if someone is about to dive into shallow waters.
This phrase aims at preventing head/spin injury which you never want, and the lifeguard doesn’t either!
6. Go under the lane line and not over!
Many people seem to come up with every excuse of why they want to climb over the lane lines, such as not wanting to get wet. The funny thing is, they often just get all wet anyway when they swim laps. This phrase piggy-backs off of phrase number three, but is referenced enough to stand on its own!
7. The pool noodles are for swimming only!
Something about the pool and being in water brings out the animals in people, especially children. All of a sudden they become on the front of a battlefield and their once used “floaty” is now used for other things. These include but are not limited to: war calls, weapons... the list goes on.
Just use the pool noodle for what it is designed for and stop distracting the guard from more pressing issues!
8. Sorry, we don’t have any goggles right now!
Working at a year round pool, this question gets asked a lot. It almost seems like people expect there be a complementary pair of goggles when they come. Sometimes there are goggles to be borrowed, but other times they walk off just like the last. Most of the time they are probably lost and found anyways, so the inventory is not kept in check!
Just to be safe, buy your own goggles and then when you come there will probably be a pair that you could borrow!
9. Swim to the side, please!
With splash zones off of the diving board and the slide comes zones of swimming. Not swimming to the middle of the pool, but to the wall.
It is known that plunging into the deep end off by the means of one of these is fun; hence why there is a line of more than just you.
In the end, swimming to the wall will yield a lot more fun for you and the other pool-goers, so please align your path trajectory in a like manner!
10. Don’t climb up the slide!
Most often heard by parents on play grounds, this phrase has made its way into pool areas that have slides. From the smallest “kiddy” slide to the “big” kid slide, there are always those who dare to try. Some are successful and are not caught until after the act, but others suffer the consequences and get hurt.
Climbing is fun, but please do not try to reach the top of the wet plastic. Here is a hint: there is a strong likelihood of getting a bloody face.
Whether you find yourself as a lifeguard at the pool, or a patron this summer, it is good to remember that ultimately, these words are said for the safety of everyone!
With that, try to have a relaxing summer, and at least attempt to make it a more relaxing one for the multitude of lifeguards out there who will be hitting the stands!
