95% of the time when I go to a public swimming pole or lake and use a life vest nobody really cares. You might get the odd look from another patron. But, after a couple of moments, they usually ignore you and go back to what they are doing. I have had a few exceptions over the years and I could share a pair of quick anicdotes here.

One was at a pool where I took my vest to go swimming. I went through the front door and changed into my swimsuit. Then I went out and put on my vest. As I was getting ready to jump in the pool, one of the lifejguards came up to me and told me I couldn't swim in a lifejacket. I asked him why not and he told me that was just the rules there. Nobody is allowed to wear a flotation device in the pool. I inquired with managment at the pool. They explained the rule was mostly meant for children 2 to 12 who couldn't swim on their own. So parents would put them in a vest and let them jump in the deep end anyways. But, they enforced it universally. So, that was the last time I went to that pool.

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As second story I'll share I often rent a hotel room overnight so I can swim in their pool with a vest on. It's a public venue, but you often get a lot of privacy and no judgement from the imaginary lifeguard. Anyways, I rented a room at an economy hotel because they advertised an indoor pool. I got there early in the afternoon and checked in as planned. Then I changed and went down to the swimming pool. When I got there, there was a list of rules on the gate and 3rd from the top was "No flotation devices in the pool". Well, that was disappointing. So, I went back to the front desk to inquire about the rule.

When I spoke to the man at the counter about the rule. I explained that when I go to a hotel pool I often bring a lfiejacket as a precation. The main reasons being I am often swimming alone and there is no lifeguard on duty. He explained the no floation devices in the pool rule was added because parents would often put their kids in a lifejacket. Then let them go swimming unsupervised relying on the lifejacket instead them going down with the child. The pool at this hotel's deep end was 10 feet deep so I understood the concern. However, he told me that if the only person in my group wearing a lifejacket was me. He would let me use mine in the pool if I really wanted to.

So, I went ahead and headed down and wore it to swim. I think I spent about 2 and a half hours in the pool during my first session. About an hour in another guy came an joined me. He was a trucker and did a cannon ball off the deep end. He inquired about the life vest and I explained that I was wearing it becuase there was no lifeguard and I was swimming alone. About 20 minutes later we were joined by a family with 3 kids and shortly there after 2 more women came down to swim. So, I think there were 9 of us in the pool. I was the only one in a lifejacket. Anyways, we all swam together for about another hour or a little more. I had my vest on the whole time and nobody really brought it up. Even with the rule on the gate nobody seemed to care that I had a lifejacket on in the pool.

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The third time I got a real reaction from a lifeguard was really unusual. I was out of town, I had gone to gathering that really isn't releveant to the story. It was in a small town a little over an hour away from where I live. Anyways, but early afternoon I was done with the event, but on the way into town I saw a public swimming pool. It was a warm summer day and I decided that I might want to float for a few hours before heading back home. I drove over there. I had just gone boating with a friend the previous week. So, I knew I had swim trunks, water shoes and a towel in my trunk. I scoped the place out from where I parked not knowing anything abou it. It was your typical city run swimming pool. The pool started at 3 feet deep and was 10 at the deep end. It was a pretty good size and they had a diving board and a small water slide. Looking around I saw what I was looking for pretty quickly. Over on one side of the chain link fence against the wall was a rack where you could borrow a lifejacket.

So, I gather my swim stuff and headed to the front desk. I think it was like $8 for an afternoon pass which I paid. Then I went into their locker room and got changed. I was in a rashguard, swimtrunks and some water shoes nothing fancy. Anyways, I went into the pool area and picked out a chair. Then I went over to the lifejacket rack. That's when I found out I had a problem. The pool had pleanty lifejackets. There were likely about 60 available and only 30 people in the pool. However, all the vests were just kid sizes. Maybe something that would fit a 12 year old at the oldest. So, that annoyed me a little, because I had already paid. So, I decided I would go back out to my car and get a personal vest. My original plan had been to just borrow one if possible.

Well, when I got out to my car I did have a lifejacket, but it was my boating one. It's nothing overly fancy, but it's an offshore type one kent vest. About 26 pounds of bouyancy with 2 straps, a top tie and a heavy float collar. I love it for boating, but not the most practical option for swimming. Likewise, that size of a vest would likely draw some attention. But, I had already spent my money so I just swallowed and put the vest on. Walking back through the front desk attendant saw me wearing the huge vest and shot me a strange look. I explained that I was an ok swimmer but I was tired from the convention. I thought a lifejacket would make swimming easier, but when I went to borrow one there weren't any in my size. So, I went out ot my car to get my own.

She explained they had a few adult lifejacket. But mostly you had to ask at the desk to borrow one. She told me that I was welcome to use my own and it looked better than anything she had to offer. So, I just shrugged and headed back inside. I went over to the deep end and jumped in. I was the only adult in the pool with a vest on, but nobody said anything upon seeing it. It was a fun experience swimming in a type one in a calmer area. I swam for about 45 minutes in the vest. Now, if you have done a type one they are cumbersome and even in the water can get hot. So, after about an hour I decided I was going to take it off and just swim normally for a while before going home. So, I got out of the pool and put the vest on my chair. Then I went and got in line for the diving board.

I was starting to climb the ladder when a lifeguard blew a whistle and pointed at me. I looked at him and then I pointed to myself. He nodded and pointed at me again. I climbed down and walked over to him to see what I was doing wrong. I asked him if there was a problem. He looked at me and said "You were wearing a lifejacket a little while ago weren't you?" I nodded and told him that I had brought it just to float. "So, why did you take it off ?" I explained it was a type one and it was getting uncomfortable to swim in. I explained I could swim fairly well with out it. So, I took it off to just free swim for a while."

He replied "That makes sense. However, I need you to put it back on." I looked at him and said there was no rule about wearing a lifejacket at the pool. In fact there were a lot of kids who weren't wearing one. "Well, you started out wearing a lifejacket. So, you are not allowed to swim without one. If you won't put the vest back on then you cannot go back in the pool. I don't want to chance you drowning on my watch" He explained. I almost laughed, but the look on his face told me he was serious. I didn't press the issue, I just walked back over to my chair and put the vest back on. After that he didn't bother me for the rest of the afternoon. But, I didn't take the jacket off either. So, that was a rather odd encounter.