Carry/concealment for swimming, other water activities?

C

cptnugget

Inactive
I'm pretty new to this forum, so please correct me if this is a silly question (I also searched the archives a bit to find an answer, but I may not have found the right thing). I ask to satisfy my own curiosity.

What do you folks who carry concealed do about kayaking, surfing, or just a trip to the local pool or splashing around with the kids?
 
I personaly would never have a weapon in public that I didn't have on my person. If I was to take a concealed pistol to a public pool then that means I won't be getting in that pool. Most modern firearms do ok with water (if properly taking care of) but I don't make it a habit to submerge my weapons in H2O. Kayaking and other water sports I would have to consider but I would still want to try to keep my weapon dry. Maybe a small dry bag or something like that but then your giving up acessability. I'll be watching this thread because I would like to do a three day canoe trip in the future.
 
I need to add something else. My wife is very comfortable with our firearms. I could see if one of us was within arms reach of the pistol, say in a bag next to your chair and your not going to fall asleep, then I would feel comfortable with the other one of us getting in the pool with kids. Of course my pistol is always in a proper holster.
 
In the past, for river sports I have placed my Glock 26 inside a ziploc bag, inside a good concealment waist pack. You can easily fire without removing the plastic bag; just draw as normal and poke your trigger finger through the plastic bag to fire.

When taking kids to the lake, I go with another responsible adult. We hand the pack back and forth to each other when we swap places -- one watches the kids in the water, the other watches the kids running around on dry land and also wears the waist pack with the gun in it. (If my friends weren't all gun nuts, I dunno...)

pax
 
I can understand having a revolver chambered in a magnum round when kayaking and doing water sports in a remote rural area due to the threat of bear attacks, panthers, etc....however, bringing the gun to the local pool and having it with you while swimming or sitting back on a pool chair sounds a bit excessive.:eek:

I think this thread ranks alongside threads such as "Is three guns enough for concealed carry" or "How many magazines do you carry?" Some people here watch too many Hollywood movies and think they are going to get into a 2 hour gun battle if they ever have to use a weapon in self defense.

Not to mention that local pools are usually located in middle schools and high schools, where it might be illegal for you to conceal carry. Read your state/local laws on that.:D
 
What do you folks who carry concealed do about kayaking, surfing, or just a trip to the local pool or splashing around with the kids?
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Squirt gun. :)

If you can't go to your local pool without packing a gun in with you, find a new pool.
 
Haven't been to a public pool in years. But when I was in high school, a good friend of mine was violently raped by a stranger in the parking lot of the local pool. Good neighborhood, just not for her that day.

pax
 
I am really concerned about the "mall ninja" mentality of some posters here in The Firing Line. If anything, I feel unsafer knowing some posters carry concealed weapons. A little common sense goes a long way.

No you don't need 3 or 4 guns on you at all times...you don't really need 4 or 5 loaded magazines on your person, and in all honesty, a .38 snub nose revolver or a .380 ACP is more than enough for almost all occasions. Unless you are a mafia member or drug dealer and someone wants to kill you bad, criminals will almost always run away when you pull out a gun, and definitely when the first 1 or 2 shots are fired. Remember self defense is all about deterrence, not offensive.

And am sure you can swim in your local pool without a .357 magnum strapped to your waist. If you are that paranoid, build your own pool in your backyard, put up 7 foot tall electrified fences, and lay a few bobby traps around the perimeter of your compound (warning: might be illegal to lay actual bobby traps)
 
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I carry mine on my side when I go fishing. That about the only water sports I do. Got a pool at the house but If I was to go to a public pool I would also be packing. Like some people already said have another trustworthy person an let them know its in the bag or whereever you decide to keep it.

osallent? Ever herd that all accidents are preventable?? Kinda same here. I try to avoid places I cant carry for reasons I would rather not discuss. Havin a gun in your bag or even 50 feet away in your vehical is better than not havin one at all.
 
Haven't been to a public pool in years. But when I was in high school, a good friend of mine was violently raped by a stranger in the parking lot of the local pool. Good neighborhood, just not for her that day.
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Point taken Pax. I was trying to be flippant with my response and your post caused me to put a bit more thought into this thread.

First, I think we all carry because we realize that we are responsible first and foremost for our own safety.

Secondly, I carry because it is my right to do so and with so many trying to curb that right, it is in all of our collective interest to encourage others to get their license (if needed) and carry as often as possible. The greater the number of concealed carry license holders in this country the better. However, as members of this group, we are all reponsible for our actions and we are all responsible for representing ourselves in the best possible manner.

With this thread, I have visions of someone with a gun tucked down their swim trunks splashing with their kids in a pool or catching a big wave and we can do better than that as a group.
 
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If you are that paranoid, build your own pool in your backyard, put up 7 foot tall electrified fences, and lay a few bobby traps around the perimeter of your compound (warning: might be illegal to lay actual bobby traps)
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Judge not, lest ye be judged yourself. This is a firearms board, where most folks are actively involved in protecting themselves. If you have times you feel like you don't need protection, bully for you. The OP does, so if you have nothing helpful to recommend to him, your happiness is as close as a different thread.

Maybe you don't need three or four guns, but someone out there might. And if they don't, they still may want them, and being America, that's just fine.

I personally like to have a pistol when I am fishing, and I DO get wet when fishing. I do exactly what Pax does, Ziploc, and then shove it in my holster. The condensation tends to build up inside, so I wind up stripping and oiling anyway.

It's an imperfect method, but we live in an imperfect world.
 
This is where I advocate owning a hi-point, unless you need defense against bears. Then a revolver would be in order. Otherwise, against humans, a hi-point goes bang and you're apt to not cry over a bit of wear on the finish from removing rust.
 
Carry/concealment for swimming, other water activities?
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The first thing that flashed through my mind when I saw this topic was an image of someone trying to stuff a small spear gun down their Speedos. :eek: I just can't help myself sometimes.

More seriously, there's a real problem with "carrying" concealed if swimming. I suppose that you could seal a small semi-auto like a Ruger LCP in watertight wrapping and carry it taped to your upper thigh underneath some baggie trunks. Otherwise, you would have to leave it locked in a car or in the possession of someone you trust with guns while you took a dip.

The lakes aren't much good for surfing around here but I would think you could do something similar.
 
No you don't need 3 or 4 guns on you at all times...you don't really need 4 or 5 loaded magazines on your person, and in all honesty, a .38 snub nose revolver or a .380 ACP is more than enough for almost all occasions. Unless you are a mafia member or drug dealer and someone wants to kill you bad, criminals will almost always run away when you pull out a gun, and definitely when the first 1 or 2 shots are fired.
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Thank you so very much for helping us understand what we need to adequately defend ourselves. You obviously have much more command of the subject than the rest of us who mistakenly believe that it will take more than the mere sight of a small caliber weapon to stop a threat to our lives. Have you considered teaching courses through which you could better pass on your extensive knowledge of this subject? :rolleyes:
 
There are times I substitute my concealed pistol for my pepper spray and going to the pool would be one of those times.

Self defense is all about compromises. If I knew I was getting in a fight I would wear Class IV body armor, an AA-12 and a M40A1, but that stuff is heavy and hot. The key is to be the best armed that is practical.

I am not as well armed with my pepperspray as I am with my pistol, but it will allow me to deal with most criminal threats. Remember guys, we are FAR more likely to be killed by a drunk driver on our way home than we are to be killed by a criminal with a weapon.
 
I've been thinking about this very question, as I'm planning a canoe trip this spring. My first decision was which gun. I decided on one of my least expensive, yet reliable, my Makarov. If it gets wet or ends up at the bottom of the river, no great loss.

I've also decided to go the dry bag or ammo can route. My gun in a zip lock bag, in a holster, is still going to get wet and I won't be able to give a wet gun the attention it needs for days. I will certainly tie the dry bag or ammo can to the canoe. I've watched my gear end up at the bottom of the river or just float away too many times.

I'd never leave a gun unattended at a swimming pool. It is either on my person or locked in the car.
 
I don't think it was such an idiotic question, although it needs qualifying. First, it should be obvious that one is not in danger absolutly everywhere and the whatever danger there is is relative. However, everyone has their own problems and their own solutions. The best thing I ever read on the subject appeared in an issue of gun world several years ago. There was an article about the Para-ordnance pistol before they started making complete guns, so that tells you how long ago it was.

The author of the article was a hunting and fishing guide in Florida, which is wet in places. It is also full of dangerous critters, probably more dangerous than mountain lions and certainly more dangerous than all those packs of feral dogs (and cats) that are referred to frequently around here. I've never seen the first feral dog but I have seen alligators (in Florida). His solution was an S&W Model 66 revolver with a 2 1/2-inch barrel. His reasoning was that he could carry at the same time a variety of loads for whatever might stick its head out of the water. There are snakes there, too. His recommendations was shot cartridges for the snakes, except in the water, where the shot cartridges just didn't work. For that, he used wadcutters. For everything else, 125-grain magnums. He was happy.
 
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