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Why Lifeguard Uniforms are the Color they are, and how that’s Changing

Why Lifeguard Uniforms are the Color they are, and how that’s Changing

lifeguard uniforms, watermen gear, original watermen suits, boardshorts, earn your salt, stay salty, original watermenErgonomics is a fancy word for scientific studies conducted to understand the interactions of humans and other elements of a system. The ergonomics study done recently for lifeguard personnel questioned what color uniform (boardshorts or swim suits) lifeguards or other first responders should wear to be noticed in a crowd.

In 2009 the study declared that fluorescent colors, including yellow-green and orange, are easiest to spot in daylight and lime shades easiest to see in low lighting. So should all lifeguards and first responders wear fluorescent colors to be easily recognized in crowd?

 Florescent Lifeguard Uniforms

Do the traditional color lifeguard boardshorts or Lifeguard swimming suits standout enough to gather attention and demand control when needed?  In the early 70’s a lifeguard ad promoted a new trend of florescent bright as the sun orange, yellow and lime lifeguard trunks. The lifeguard agency tried it for a year and returned to standard red shorts because no one associated the florescent lifeguard apparel with true first responders.  The U.S. Fire Administration replaced red fire trucks and beach emergency vehicles with lime-yellow fire vehicles with white upper cabs. This action, even though the vehicles could be seen better, started trouble because people in the community did not associate the color lime with fire trucks or the yellow-green vehicles as emergency vehicles. A battle began between the community and fire department. The community ordered an ergonomic study which confirmed that fluorescent yellow-green and orange greatly increased vehicle visibility, but the report also concluded that the public did not associate the emergency vehicles with the new colors and recommended that public association was more important than paint color.

 Do Lifeguard Uniforms Matter?

In the early years of lifeguarding, fishermen were recruited to be lifeguards. Each morning after going fishing in the morning the fishermen wearing their fishing clothes became lifeguards and used their boats as lifesaving devises. The fishermen encountered several problems as they tried to help the distressed swimmers. They struggled to control their small boats in windswept choppy waters and getting the swimmer into the boat was a difficult problem. But the biggest problem was that the general public didn’t respect the fishermen and called them a nuisance. It was so bad that when a distressed swimmer was in trouble they refused help from the fishermen until they passed out in the water. The fishermen lifeguards went to the lifeguard board with their dilemma. The counsels’ answer to the problem was to give them a lifeguard uniform, which seemed to resolve the respect problem.

A state beach in Florida received a complaint letter from a mother stating the trouble she had while at the beach with her kids. One of her children had drifted out to far into the water and she tried to find a lifeguard in the crowd. No lifeguard was to be found, no uniformed lifeguards were anywhere to be seen. Her child was pulled back to shore by an onlooker. The beach supervisor replied he was sorry the mother could not find a lifeguard, but it was their policy to let the lifeguards pick out their own swimwear, so as it turned out the female lifeguard was mixed in with the 100’s of people on the beach.

 Introducing the Yellow Lifeguard Uniform

Colors play an important part in our daily lives.  Colors evoke feelings, emotions, memories and provide warnings of potential hazards and dangers. But are the colors particularly important, or is it more important having a lifeguard uniform that is distinctive and the same throughout the respective areas?  All lifeguards at any facility, beach, or recreation area should wear corresponding uniforms. Lifeguard uniforms give the appearance they are rescue ready, and give the look of authority, making them easy to identify by visitors. Lifeguards must stand out and be easily recognizable in huge crowds. Aquatic facilities and Waterparks have increased in size and numbers. Waterparks can span as much as 35 or more acres and can support staff of 250 or more.  Red, blue, and black lifeguard uniforms may no longer have a place in these aquatic facilities. Florescent safety yellow for lifeguard uniforms has benefits that support everything from lifeguard safety to guest satisfaction. Safety yellow lifeguard uniforms do have advantages over the present-day uniforms because florescent safety yellow allows lifeguards to be seen across the large facilities. More important it helps lifeguards find their closest teammate for support when they need it.  Red, navy, and black have been the lifeguard uniform colors of choice, but as the industry and profession moves forward, someone will still have to answer the question, should lifeguards wear red anymore?

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Why Going Outside is Important?

Why Going Outside is Important?

out doors, outdoor gear, stay salty, earn your salt, watermen clothing, original watermenFor those in cooler climates the summer is their chance to go outside without having to bundle up in a few layers. Even so, we meet people from time to time (from both cold and warm climates) that seclude themselves indoors for a majority of their free time. We get it.. After a long week of work dealing with tourists or deadlines, or other stresses and possibly a lack of sleep (especially in the recent heat!) the easy thing to do is to melt into the count to indefinitely watch Netflix. But if you can resist that temptation and find some rejuvenation outdoors, you’ll be better off for it!

Being outside is important to mental and physical health because natural light reduces stress and can actually boost your mood nearly immediately; and in addition to more exercise there are physical benefits from the sun including reduced inflammation, improved immune system and easier to sleep. It has even been said that going outdoors will make you more creative as well as a sharper thinker.

The benefits of being outside are vast, so we delve into some of the bigger ones below as well as some extra ideas and tips.

Mental Benefits and Physical Benefits

Beyond exercise

The physical benefits besides getting more exercise are much more prevalent than someone might think. Getting the right amount of vitamin D from the sun can be tough when working all day inside an office, so literally going on a walk during lunch and break times will physically benefit you.

Being outside can also reduce inflammation in many people. A study was conducted that those living around forests and other natural areas suffered much less inflammation than their city dwelling counterparts. The University of Wisconsin found that that living in areas with less than a 10 percent tree cover were found to have more instances of depression and anxiety than those who lived with more trees around. The interesting part of this is that race, income, or education played no part in this at all as the results were consistent throughout all factors.

How does being outside reduce stress?

Natural light reduces stress and boosts your mood. Restoring mental energy by doing something active simply like taking a long walk can rejuvenate a person by when they return to the office after lunch. Additionally, exercises for breathing deeply and centering your mind can help produce endorphins which have a myriad of health benefits.

 

Of course, physical activity also does this and has been proven to increase productivity and moods. Triggering the release of these endorphins can be done daily and it can certainly help your career and your daily life. It will help stimulate effective work relationships and even has been shown to help increase productive collaboration in the office.

Some Fun Ideas and Safety Tips

One of the most relaxing things that can be done outside is going to the beach. If you’re not near the ocean like us, many lakes, rivers and lagoons have beaches, too!! A beach is always full of different activities to suit your personal liking, and even something as simple as walking along the shore can be the workout you need for the day. Paddle boarding, body surfing and swimming are all great ways to have a blast outside while also exercising. Get some fins for body surfing the waves or swimming to a buoy with more leg power.

As the season winds down and shifts to fall, you should consider one of our high quality rashguards as they help keep in body heat as well as protect skin from getting irritated. Not to mention, these rash guards can also help with the few bumps and bruises along the way that come with body surfing.

Taking a short walk and just sitting in nature is a great way to unwind from a stressful day or week. Hydration also affects your mood so don’t forget to bring a water bottle. And we always advise wearing one of our snapback hats and some shades to shield your eyes and stay comfortable.

Keep Switching It Up

The spice of life truly is variety and even some of your favorite activities can start to seem mundane if done the same way for a while. The easiest way to keep yourself prepared for a random outing and adventure is to keep at least some basic athletic, water sports apparel and gear in your vehicle. This could include quick-drying hiking gear of some kind or even some stylish and comfortable retro shorts and sandals, and perhaps a volleyball, frisbee or some other kind of sports gear.

There are groups of people online who want to stay active and try new things, and encourage others to do the same. Join one of these groups to try something that you would have never before thought of attempting.

Start making going outside a part of your daily or weekly life and it will easily become a habit in just a matter of weeks. Be proactive about trying to live a more active lifestyle! That’s the start of something amazing for both your body and mind.

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What a True Watermen Wears

What a True Watermen Wears

watermen, true watermen, stay salty, earnyour salt, boardshorts, watermen gearWatermen…true Watermen… the term is sought after, respected, yet the TRUE definition has remained a mystery. The earliest use of the term started in the 12th century and was used to describe the water ferry drivers who fared passengers across dangerous waters in some of the most volatile weather conditions imagined. It has since become a word of controversy. Seeking to put an end to the squabbles using the historic past verbiage and the present-day usage, the most suitable definition would be that a true Watermen is a lifestyle of someone who is noted for their knowledge of the water, having a sound understanding of the dangerous currents, winds and extreme tides on the water. They are described as “a sturdy, rough breed” with their own jargon, where miles are paddled and bodies are hardened by water. Present day Watermen not only know the physical facets of water, wind, tides and how to use them to their advantage, but how to use their bodies and equipment in, on, and below water pushing themselves and their equipment to the limits.

True Watermen and Waterwomen are the elite class of beachgoers. They live all over the world, travel to remote and desolate places. They do unthinkable, unpredictable and unimaginable feats with water. Some compete, some just enjoy but they all think, live, and dream to be in, on, beneath, or above water.

Watermen need equipment that is high quality, dependable and able to withstand the knocks, bumps and bruises of radical use.

At the height of the Cold War, a German scientist named Max Kramer was curious how dolphins could move at such fantastic speeds. Kramer covered a torpedo with simulated dolphin skin made of a rubber membrane, and under laid it with a viscous fluid. He demonstrated that a dolphin skinned torpedo could modify the flow of water, enabling it to reach new top speeds.

How Watermen Shorts (compression shorts) were born?

We as a company, saw the need to develop the first of its kind amphibious high-performance new skin for true Watermen. So, we designed low drag compression shorts for the water that mimics the streamlined, hydrodynamic bodies of fish and mammals. These low-drag new skin shorts shave time off your races, while providing support and extra warmth to your southern region.

Watermen Shorts – Uses

Watermen Shorts answer the demands of nearly every facet of an all water-based, active lifestyle, great for competitions and athletes from all walks of life. Compression shorts made for water are fantastic for triathlons, ironmen, swim competitions, skiing, white water races, windsurfers, divers, kitesurfers, SUPs, or free divers, but they are widely worn under boardshorts and wetsuits are rash free support.

Watermen Shorts – Benefits

  • Compression shorts keep muscles warm to prevent muscle strain
  • Compression shorts help after your event to relieve pain from muscle stiffness and soreness
  • Compression shorts decrease the heart rate and the lactic build up in athletes.
  • Compression shorts reduce the time taken for muscles to repair themselves and help stabilize joints

Watermen Shorts – Built for Water

Not only do the compression shorts provide ultimate water efficiency, they are built to last. Compression shorts are made from a blend of super silky Nylon, Lycra and Spandex to keep them soft and lightweight, where as cotton would weigh you down. They are super fast drying and wick away sweat from the body preventing chafing and rashes. Compression shorts can be worn in the summer and winter. The material has a UPF 50+ which protects you and the material from the sun damage. No need for an uncomfortable pocket cup because their front is doubled lined and non-revealing. With material that so close to your body, we make sure compression shorts are made with antimicrobial and odor eliminating fabric. Watermen’s shorts are made to stand alone with their high fashion flashy patterns and can be worn as a jammer for workouts or as a support layer.

True watermen continue to tackle the challenge, the battle of the big, the better, the stronger, the faster and the more powerful. Driving these men and women is the adrenaline rush, the win and the finish. Stay Salty.

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Striped Board Short Liners – Watermen Short

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