Grupo Mayan Resorts: Swimming in Large Bodies of Water
August 11th, 2009
Typically, say the Grupo Mayan experts, a large body of water is considered an ocean or a very large lake. Swimming in a large body of water is drastically different than swimming in a small pond, creek or swimming pool. Along with the vast freedom that you feel in a larger body of water comes a lot more risk. Being prepared on what to do and how to react when something happens out in the ocean or large lake is one of the factors that could save your life.
There are also factors that you will face outside of the water that are important to keep in mind as well, say the Grupo Mayan pros, but first we are going to focus on actually swimming in an ocean or large lake.
Grab that sunscreen and lather it on to all exposed areas of the skin. Grupo Mayan experts cannot stress the importance of skin protection from the sun. The sun is great but it can also be deadly.
You need to protect your eyes as well, say the Grupo Mayan experts, so choose some goggles that are colored blue for sunny days and green for cloudy days. Clear goggles are more made for pools and will not protect your eyes from the pollutants of the larger open waters as well as light pollution.
Make sure that you always test the water especially if it is a particularly warm day and you are hot, some might be tempted just to dive in to cool off but you have to remember the air temperature is much warmer than the water temperature and depending on where you are, there could be a 40 to 50 degree difference in the temperature from the air to the water. Jumping into cold water like that, say the Grupo Mayan professionals, can send your body into immediate shock and that is never a good thing.
Additionally, to keep things safer, if the water is below 65 it is always advisable to wear a wetsuit. Dry suits are also becoming more popular but if the air temperature is really warm, I do not recommend a dry suit because you can easily get overheated in a dry suit. Allow your body about 20 minutes to get used to the temperature of the water before you submerse yourself totally.
Once you are done swimming, make sure that you get out of your wetsuit as soon as possible and get some dry clothes on as well as try to hydrate yourself with warm fluids. Water that is not cooled is also good too, say the Grupo Mayan experts.
Watch out for things in the ocean that can cling to your skin and never swim during a storm. You should always have a great time, but that great time can be turned into a tragedy if you are not taking the right precautions.