AskMen.com posted an article by their fashion correspondent, Sachin Bhola, debating whether or not you should wear a speedo (I believe the lowercase form of the word has become synonymous with the actual product description of a brief) for leisure swimming.

Leave it to AskMen.com to make some obvious jokes about briefs and thongs, but it makes for entertaining reading. The discussion continues on the comment wall, where some swimmers weigh in to justify their speedo usage for training, while others denounce the idea of briefs completely.

Take a look at some of the comments:

nelroshennie says: “My name is Jamie, yes, I’m a guy, and I’m not afraid to wear speedos. If you don’t like what you see, then don’t look. If you DO like what you see, kudos to you.”

Florida native says: “They dry fast so you don’t end up with a rash on your ass on the way home in traffic from the beach…”

Woman’s Perspective says: “Men should not wear speedos ever, period. It doesn’t matter how good of a body you have, speedos are not attractive on any man. I understand why certain swimming sports require them for aerodynamics, but they are still very unattractive.”

Personally, I’m a big fan of going with a brief under a square leg drag suit. That way, you get less-noticeable tan lines while at the same time offering a little loose coverage. Plus, the drag suit basically advertises that you’re a competitive swimmer (or an undercover diver at the beach… shhh).

Also, just to be a stickler, I doubt swimmers wear tight suits for aerodynamics since they’re underwater–the term is hydrodynamics.

If we had a choice, the only stories about lifeguards making the news would be about their good grades, how much they love their pets, or what kind of sunblock is their favorite.

Unfortunately, the only lifeguard stories that get reported are when something terrible happens–so when we do hear a story about them on the news, at least we can hope for a happy ending. Which was the case recently in Boca Raton, FL, as reported by CBS News 12.

On April 2nd, lifeguards at the Coconut Cove Waterpark were scanning the pool when they noticed a girl stop swimming and slip underwater. When the lifeguard reached the girl, she did have a pulse and was given approximately 30 seconds of rescue breathing before she began coughing.

Medics took the girl to the hospital as a precaution, and one witness said they could see the girl waving as the medics took her away. A happy ending for sure, and from the article it sounds like the emergency action plan was working perfectly–although one witness did say they were scared by the air horns.

You can read the full article here on the CBS News 12 website. I found this story through the new Aquatics International Twitter account (@aquaticsintl).

Looking for something to do? Check out the World Water Park Locator on WaterParks.com. You might be surprised how close you are to a seasonal water park, or even an indoor water park resort!

WaterParks.com also has useful information about water safety, what to bring when you attend a water park, and tips when looking for discounts.

Did you know what the United States has over 1,000 water parks? That’s more than all the other waterparks in the world combined! Check out this video of the world record 120-foot tall “Summit Plummet,” Blizzard Beach, in Walt Disney World. The YouTube video is tagged saying the slide is 150 feet tall, but the World Waterpark Association backs the 120-foot measurement.

WaterParks.com is the consumer website for the World Waterpark Association (WWA).

Nancy Shute blogs on parenting over at a little website called U.S. News and World Report. In a recent post, she describes her own indecision over whether swimming lessons would help reduce her child’s risk of drowning, or actually increase it by lowering their fear of water.

Thank goodness, in a landslide article supporting swim lessons, Nancy provides evidence from empirical research to back her claims:

“Young children are less likely to drown if they’ve taken swimming lessons, according to researchers at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Formal swimming lessons for preschoolers reduce their risk of drowning by 88 percent, the researchers found.”

She continues, and provides reasons kids should be taught to actually swim, not just float or hold their breath. Read Nancy Shute’s full article HERE.

Waterparks.org reports that, “one of the two top segments of waterpark-industry growth is that of the indoor waterpark hotel.” I’m no economic analyst, but I’m going to venture a guess that the economic recession might actually have a less severe impact on the attendance rates of water parks, amuzement parks, and hotel resorts. If you have one nearby, the waterpark hotel is the perfect destination for a staycation.

Definition: staycation: a dream vacation right at your doorstep (Urban Dictionary) When the price of gas and travel is too high, some look for local options to “get away” without really leaving.

Future Vacations says that “staycations do not necessarily mean stay-at-home, but rather it may mean that families can travel and stay in their home states.”

Will you still spend money on a staycation? Yes. But imagine how much money you would save going to an indoor water park hotel in Michigan, rather than driving or flying to Florida. With a simulated tropical (or other theme) environment, you can get the escape from winter weather that you desperately need without breaking the bank.

Gizmodo introduced me to this amazing video: a German water slide that does an upside down loop! Ok, so when you watch the video you’ll see that the loop is sort of slumped to the side. But remember, water doesn’t flow uphill, so that’s pretty impressive.

Not familiar with the The Virginia Graeme Baker Pool & Spa Safety Act? If you work in or around water, you should check out some of these useful resources. They describe the VGA in terms you can understand, and help you identify problem areas that might cause your pool to be out of compliance.

The National Swimming Pool Foundation estimates that as many as 80 percent of U.S. public pools and spas may be out of compliance already.

>>VGA FAQ provided by Aquatics International
>>Aquatics International Blog by Gary Thill.
>>News: Most Pools Fail to Comply with Safety Act.
>>Great links from Waterparks.org, including the CPSC Guide to Compliance.

Kast-A-Way Blog will be providing additional resources for lifeguard/rescue, aquatic fitness, and pool management in the near future. Bookmark this page to check for updates!

Source: Aquatics International Blog