SUN SAFETY
Zoom Flume Waterpark:
You’ve braved another New York winter and now that summer is just around the corner, it’s time to gear up for some fun at Zoom Flume Waterpark! What’s a better way to make some great family memories and burn a little bit of that summer energy than to spend a day at our waterpark? Gathering the crew and heading off to a day of fun in the sun is always welcome, but some of the side effects, like sunburns, are not so welcome.
Thanks to tons of research on the causes of skin cancer, we are now aware of how to protect ourselves against ultraviolet rays and prevent cancer. The research about sun damage isn’t meant to scare you out of the sun, it’s meant to arm you with kowledge. Protecting yourself is simple and quick, and once it becomes a habit, you won’t even think about it.
Zoom Flume has some simple suggestions for protecting you and your family:
1. Wear Sunscreen
With all the information about skin cancer out there, sunscreen application should be a staple when it comes to spending a day outside. Even if your skin rarely burns, it needs SPF of at least 30. Damaging rays don’t always cause a burn, so it’s important to apply and reapply sunscreen when spending a day in the sun.
Parents: If you make sunscreen part of the routine before leaving the house to go to the pool or the water park, it’s much easier
to make sure you’ve applied it thoroughly. Antsy, jittery kids make for a hasty application of sunscreen!
Another important note: Wearing a white tee shirt as a substitute for sunscreen does not work. When a white tee shirt gets wet, the amount of sun protection it offers is less than an SPF of 5.
2. Wear Sunglasses
How often do you think about protecting your eyes? Be sure you and your children are wearing sunglasses that provide 100% protection from ultraviolet (UV) rays. The label will indicate how much protection they offer- if it doesn’t say it, it probably
doesn’t have it. In fact, regular tinted sunglasses can actually do more damage to your eyes, because the dark tint causes your eyes to dilate. Once dilated, your pupils will let in more UV rays, which can cause serious damage, including permanent damage such as blindness. Luckily, it’s an easy and fashionable fix, because one of the safest and surest bets for keeping your eyes protected is to wear sunglasses.
3. Wear a hat
A hat literally offers your own personal face shade. It blocks direct UV rays from hitting the top of your head (scalp burns – ouch!) and your face. It also helps block the sun out of your eyes, which not only protects them, but saves you the headache from squinting. Sometimes even the highest SPF protection and sunscreen reapplication won’t keep you from getting burned, especially if you’re fair skinned. A hat is always a safe bet.
4. Limit Exposure Time
If you’ve paid for a day pass at our waterpark, then you want to get good use out of it! However, sometimes you just need to take a break from the sun or limit your time spent in direct sunlight. Try to eat lunch at the food court or take a break in a
shaded area when possible. Reapply your sunscreen and try to measure your exposure. Maybe it’s time to enforce keeping that hat on!
5. Know that UV Rays Penetrate Clouds
You can still get UV damage on an overcast day! UV-A and UV-B rays penetrate the clouds and reflect off of pavement, sand, snow, and water. The only way to fully protect yourself is by following the same sun-protection steps you would on a bright sun shiny day. That means lathering on the sunscreen, wearing sunglasses, and wearing a hat.
The benefits of sunshine are numerous – in addition to boosting Vitamin D levels, the sun can improve your mood on a psychological level by reversing seasonal depression. A nice warm sunny day will get you outside and active, which is always healthy and smart. The good news is, protecting yourself is easy. Teaching your children sun safety at a young age will instill a lifelong habit of using sunscreen, wearing protective sunglasses, and being a good judge of how much sun is enough for one day.
Now come out to Zoom Flume Water Park and enjoy a day of fun for kids and grownups alike!
information provided by
Sunglass Warehouse. Visit them at http://www.sunglasswarehouse.com/
