Tik Tok Warning- Avoid Swim-Up Bars, Here’s Why

One of the most advertised amenities of any tropical resort would have to be the swim-up bar. Sure the pictures of those resorts usually include images of the lavish surroundings, the green lawns, the flowing palm trees, the acres of swimming pools, and in those pools, there are places to wet your whistle while the rest of your body stays wet too.

For most vacationers, the idea of never having to leave the swimming pool to get a drink is the epitome of luxury. I know several friends who have declined to stay at some properties because they did not offer a swim-up bar. You might be one of them but according to social media, there is a very good reason why you shouldn't drink and swim.  Or be around those who drink and swim.

I know you're just as shocked as I am that people would sit at a bar in a swimming pool and urinate right there in the presence of others. Not shocked? Actually, neither am I.

Let's face it, when people go to an "all-inclusive" resort, they want to drink their money's worth. That usually means normally sane people are well beyond the legal limit for alcohol by 10 in the morning. But, because they're on vacation, they feel the pressure to stay and drink more and we all know what happens when we drink more.

Personally, I don't find peeing in a swimming pool to be such a toxic trait. Now, if you're standing on the side of the pool and peeing into that's a totally different story. But today's modern pools and the pools constructed by resorts are designed to dilute and destroy the pee pee before it can cause a problem for you.

In fact, the next time you're at a public pool before you get in the water you can use your nose to determine if the pool you're about to swim in has a urine problem. If you get a strong whiff of chlorine, that means the chemicals in the pool water are battling an unauthorized contribution to the water level. The odor could be a tell tale sign that the pool's chemical levels are lower than they need to be.

Also, if you notice a lot of the swimmers in the pool area appear to have very red eyes and they aren't in Jamaica, then there is a urine issue in the pool too. It's enough of an issue to cause a health problem but let's face it the thought of swimming in a toilet used by strangers is not something a resort would put in a brochure.

There are some advantages of a swim-up bar beside the convenience of drinks and the extreme closeness of the "bathroom". If you're drunk and you fall off your stool, you generally don't have too far to fall. Also, you don't ever have to worry about washing your hands.  Okay, maybe those aren't advantages.

But the ocean is worse, not only do you have human waste, you have animal waste, industrial waste, and a bunch of creatures that hurt when you touch them. Make sure you save some pee for that in case that happens to you.