Games to play in Swimming Pools
Created | Updated Feb 24, 2003
I don't know about you, but in general I find swimming pools boring. I
don't mean those sub-tropic paradises with slides, bubble baths, whirlpools,
tentacles from the deep and everything, but the basic rectangular one, where
the pool gets deeper to one side. Especially when you're alone there is not
much to do. But with friends along it can be different. Not having been to
a pool in some time I went with a couple of friends recently. And the
memories came flooding back. Here are some games that you can play along
with friends in a `classic' pool, without the aid of toys such as balls,
flippers and goggles:
1) Teasing The Girls. At the hormone eruption time that was the prime game,
_essential_ for learning to build solid relationships later on (NORMAN,
give me back my cane, or I'll hide your teeth!) With teasing you win
both ways. The objective is to get a girl to chase you. If you get away
you win, but if you get caught you _really_ win! [1]
2) Double Sumo: this game where one sits on top of someone else and
wrestles with another such couple, until one couple topples over or the
`horse' gets fed up and throws its rider off. Riders attention: the
latter will happen sooner if you fart too much.
3) Synchronised Diving
4) Synchronised Playing Dead On The Pool Floor. The trick is to exhale
before you go down, so your upper body doesn't float up. Then you can
really stay on the floor for a long time. If you like this `living'
think, don't take too long. You can also try floating face down, with
full lungs; you last longer, but you'll notice the legs and arms sinking
rapidly. It gives some funny twists and turns. You can play this game
by yourself, but it is much more fun with two. Unless you like to get
mouth to mouth resuscitation by the attractive rescue guard (of whichever
sex you like). Don't let them spot you practicing...
5) Long Distance Diving -- who gets furthest without dying?
6) Croquet Diving -- your friends spread their legs, and you swim through
them, underwater.
7) Underwater Handstand -- those synchronised swimmers don't have a clothes
pin on their nose for nothing, you know.
8) Underwater Handstand Bouncing -- do a handstand, then push off the floor,
down to another handstand etc, and keep going until you die/come up for
air.
9) Underwater Salto-Mortale (forwards and backwards). Ditto.
10) Trying To Float. Why do your feet always sink first? I once learnt
that you can save yourself from drowning by floating, but that never
works in the pool. Does the different build of women make a difference?
Or maybe it only works in the sea. The _Dead_ sea [2].
11) Hanging From The Side From Your Hands And Feet, Bobbing Up And Down.
This you can do by yourself, and is a typical thing to do when you're
tired and/ or bored. It does rather put an emphasis on your bum though.
12) Wading Match. Like zombies the competitors wade through chest-high
water to see who has the best combination of an aerodynamic body,
foot-grip on the tiles, and strength. The octopus usually wins...
13) Massage. This is possible for pools with a jetted water inlet. It's
nice to give your back and belly a massage, but have you noticed how
many people are getting off on them, all the time keeping a straight
face? Sign: either an extreme pokerface or extreme ecstasy (along with
moaning and screaming and stuff).
14) Do you have anything to add?
There are also a number of things that you shouldn't do in a pool. One of
them is entering the water, fully clothed, when you've had too much to
drink. This is probably the only time that you will be able to make sense
when you're drunk, when your buoyant voice, shouting whatever words you
like, will indicate that you're drowning. If you have some other examples
of bad games to play, please send them to me.
[1] Of course girls start growing earlier, so up to a certain age they are
stronger than boys. During that time, and later, if they manage to get
a big enough group together, the roles can be reversed!
[2] For the physics-impaired: thanks to the salt the water is much denser
and gives more support to your body.
don't mean those sub-tropic paradises with slides, bubble baths, whirlpools,
tentacles from the deep and everything, but the basic rectangular one, where
the pool gets deeper to one side. Especially when you're alone there is not
much to do. But with friends along it can be different. Not having been to
a pool in some time I went with a couple of friends recently. And the
memories came flooding back. Here are some games that you can play along
with friends in a `classic' pool, without the aid of toys such as balls,
flippers and goggles:
1) Teasing The Girls. At the hormone eruption time that was the prime game,
_essential_ for learning to build solid relationships later on (NORMAN,
give me back my cane, or I'll hide your teeth!) With teasing you win
both ways. The objective is to get a girl to chase you. If you get away
you win, but if you get caught you _really_ win! [1]
2) Double Sumo: this game where one sits on top of someone else and
wrestles with another such couple, until one couple topples over or the
`horse' gets fed up and throws its rider off. Riders attention: the
latter will happen sooner if you fart too much.
3) Synchronised Diving
4) Synchronised Playing Dead On The Pool Floor. The trick is to exhale
before you go down, so your upper body doesn't float up. Then you can
really stay on the floor for a long time. If you like this `living'
think, don't take too long. You can also try floating face down, with
full lungs; you last longer, but you'll notice the legs and arms sinking
rapidly. It gives some funny twists and turns. You can play this game
by yourself, but it is much more fun with two. Unless you like to get
mouth to mouth resuscitation by the attractive rescue guard (of whichever
sex you like). Don't let them spot you practicing...
5) Long Distance Diving -- who gets furthest without dying?
6) Croquet Diving -- your friends spread their legs, and you swim through
them, underwater.
7) Underwater Handstand -- those synchronised swimmers don't have a clothes
pin on their nose for nothing, you know.
8) Underwater Handstand Bouncing -- do a handstand, then push off the floor,
down to another handstand etc, and keep going until you die/come up for
air.
9) Underwater Salto-Mortale (forwards and backwards). Ditto.
10) Trying To Float. Why do your feet always sink first? I once learnt
that you can save yourself from drowning by floating, but that never
works in the pool. Does the different build of women make a difference?
Or maybe it only works in the sea. The _Dead_ sea [2].
11) Hanging From The Side From Your Hands And Feet, Bobbing Up And Down.
This you can do by yourself, and is a typical thing to do when you're
tired and/ or bored. It does rather put an emphasis on your bum though.
12) Wading Match. Like zombies the competitors wade through chest-high
water to see who has the best combination of an aerodynamic body,
foot-grip on the tiles, and strength. The octopus usually wins...
13) Massage. This is possible for pools with a jetted water inlet. It's
nice to give your back and belly a massage, but have you noticed how
many people are getting off on them, all the time keeping a straight
face? Sign: either an extreme pokerface or extreme ecstasy (along with
moaning and screaming and stuff).
14) Do you have anything to add?
There are also a number of things that you shouldn't do in a pool. One of
them is entering the water, fully clothed, when you've had too much to
drink. This is probably the only time that you will be able to make sense
when you're drunk, when your buoyant voice, shouting whatever words you
like, will indicate that you're drowning. If you have some other examples
of bad games to play, please send them to me.
[1] Of course girls start growing earlier, so up to a certain age they are
stronger than boys. During that time, and later, if they manage to get
a big enough group together, the roles can be reversed!
[2] For the physics-impaired: thanks to the salt the water is much denser
and gives more support to your body.
