Summer Time & The Livin' is Easy

This past weekend Kelsey and I jetted off to Cabo San Lucas to celebrate the kick off of summer and for surviving our second year in college. It had been some time since our last Cabo visit so we were excited to hit Medano Beach and see all the action we had been missing.

While hanging out at the Mango Deck, Kelsey noticed a boat out in the water with Body Glove logos. Not just any boat but a catamaran, and aboard that boat was our friend Cortez, whom we had not seen in a couple years. Excited to see such a new attraction in the water, Kelsey and I decided we had to check it out.

With just a hop, skip and a water taxi ride later, we were aboard the Body Glove Catamaran with Captain Cortez, First Mate TJ and their trusty water pup, Bailey.

Within minutes we were sailing far from the lively chaos of Medano's sandy beach and out into the beautiful and calm Sea of Cortez. Although Kelsey and I have been to Cabo countless times, seeing the iconic arc from a boat up close and personal was like seeing Cabo for the very first time all over again. Basking in the sunshine we sailed for about an hour out to the Pacific side.

Out at sea, we hopped into the water and floated around on rafts. For a moment there, I laid back and closed my eyes, and thought to myself, I am living the dream. Just us and the ocean, and Bailey of course. Bailey was one fearless water dog. It was as if she had lived on a boat her whole life. The second you tossed a toy off the boat she was right into the water retrieving it.

After some serious relaxation time, we climbed back onto the catamaran and headed for the shore. Little did we know that even though we were on our way back, the adventure was far from over. One of the fishing lines we had in the water was spinning like crazy, we had caught a fish without even trying!

Kelsey got first hand experience in reeling in the fish. After a difficult 10 minute battle, kelsey, with the help of the crew, wrestled a decent sized fish right up onto the boat! For a first timer you could say she was quite the fish reeling champ.

We took pictures and celebrated Kelsey's first catch. It was a great way to end the adventurous day.

If you are planning a trip to Cabo San Lucas, the Body Glove catamaran is the perfect way to experience the Sea of Cortez. I would 100% recommend it to anyone. They offer tours for $20 per person per hour and offer a variety of activities to keep the action and adventure going. From sailing to snorkeling or even just going to catch the sunset from the water, the memories will last a lifetime.

How to Contact
Body Glove Boat Tour:
044.624.141.6336











Want a first hand look at the catamaran in action without actually being on the water? Check out their short video on YouTube:

Learn more about the Body Glove Adult Swim Mask & Goggle Set by clicking on the picture!

Surf-A-Thon To Benefit Ocean Conservation

June 20 is International Surf Day and Project Save Our Surf has teamed up with the Surfrider Foundation and Surfing Magazine to present SURF 24, an all day surfing marathon to benefit our beautiful oceans. Enjoy live music, celebrity appearances, entertainment, and more. Event kicks off at 11 am on June 19 beside the legendary Huntington Beach Pier and benefits Heal the Bay, Inside the Outdoors, and the Surfrider Foundation.

Whether you live near the coast or not the ocean a vital part of our every day lives. Below Heal the Bay offers up some examples of why the ocean is important to all of us.

Why the Ocean is Important

Food
All over the world, people depend on fish and seafood for their daily food. More than 1 billion people worldwide depend on fish as their primary source of protein. Many of these people fish to feed themselves—they spend their days on the water bringing home enough seafood to feed their families. Unfortunately, as we pollute our oceans, we see more and more contamination in seafood. Some seafood is not even safe to eat anymore. Also, pollution decimates habitat and fish populations, meaning that there are fewer and fewer fish to catch. Just as important, fisheries around the world currently employ about 200 million people. If fish populations decrease, these people will find themselves with jobs.

Product Ingredients
You might not like seafood, but chances are you eat it every single day. Seaweed, one of the building blocks of the marine food chain, is a very important ingredient in many of our daily products. It’s often found in ice cream, toothpaste, brownie mixes, chocolate milk, coffee creamer, cottage cheese, egg substitutes, evaporated milk, frozen foods, desserts, frozen yogurt, infant formula, margarine, mayonnaise, multiple vitamins, relish, salad dressing, sour cream, and yogurt, to name a few. Seaweed is listed on a label as carrageenan, alginate, or beta-carotene. Carrageenan is a derivative of red algae that is used in gelling and stabilizing foods, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and industrial products. You might find Carrageenan in your ice cream or toothpaste. Alginates are algal derivatives from brown algae that are used as a thickener, creamer, and a stabilizer. You might find alginates in your brownie mix or salad dressings. Beta-carotene is an algal derivative (it can come from green algae) that is a yellow-orange food coloring sometimes found in cheese or mayonnaise.

Recreation
Our beaches and oceans are also very important for recreation. Here in Southern California, millions of people spend time on the beach throughout the year. If our oceans are dangerously polluted, we won’t be able to swim, surf, fish, dive or sail on those beautiful summer weekends. Not to mention, the beautiful coastlines that make California famous (and the reason many of us live here) suffer from ocean pollution issues.

Tourism
Throughout the world, people depend on tourism for their income. In California, tourism is a major industry, with visitors bringing more than $12 billion each year into the state (the Gross State Product for coastal tourism and recreation in 2000 exceeded $12 billion). Restaurants and hotels are full of people from all over the world who come to LA to go to the beach. In the Santa Monica Bay alone, beaches average 45 million visits per year. And in 2002, 22 million visitors spent $11 billion dollars in LA. Santa Monica generated $1.08 billion alone. If our beaches are dirty and unsafe, our economy will suffer.

Biodiversity
As we learned in beginning biology classes, food webs are the basis of life. All ecosystems depend on all of the individual species to make a complete, and healthy, whole. When we start removing threads from that food web, the ecosystem becomes unstable and less able to recover from natural catastrophes. We face unforeseen consequences as well—who knows which animals depend on a basic (and fragile) organism that might succumb to pollution? Every aspect of the ecosystem is vital to the ocean. When one species is in danger, the whole ocean is in danger too. And when the oceans are in danger, we are too.

Oxygen
As you know, plants produce oxygen. We depend on plants to absorb the carbon dioxide we exhale, and to produce fresh oxygen for us to breathe. Ocean plants (like algae or phytoplankton) in the ocean produce 60% of the oxygen we breathe. Without ocean plants, we wouldn’t have enough air to breathe. For every 10 breaths you take, the ocean gave you 6. That’s reason enough to work to protect it.

Sun Protection Guidelines for Children

Next week is "National Sun Protection Week," and we would like to share tips for protecting you and your children's skin against sunburn, skin damage and the development of skin cancer. The following tips are those presented by AboutKidsHealth:

• - Check the current UV index forecast for your region.
• - Reduce your child’s exposure to the sun.
• - Plan outdoor activities early or late in the day to avoid peak sunlight hours between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when the UVR levels are highest. Stay in the shade as much as possible when outside.
• - Dress your child for sun protection.
• - Dress your child in protective clothing to cover the upper back, arms, and legs, a hat with a wide brim, and sunglasses. Be sure to cover your child’s upper back when she is swimming.
• - Use sunscreen to protect your child’s skin.
• - Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen (UVA and UVB) with a sun protection factor (SPF) equal to 15 or higher. Reapply the sunscreen frequently, every one and a half hours, or more frequently if it is sunny or your child is perspiring heavily. Use a water-resistant sunscreen whenever your child is swimming.

Looking for swim clothing to protect your children from the sun's rays?
Visit Bass Pro, House of Scuba, or Amazon.com to buy online or visit your nearest Sam's Club or BJ's Wholesale Club to purchase Body Glove's latest one and two-piece 50 SPF float suits.

For more info on Body Glove Float Suits email info@cwicfluid.com.

Get In Shape For Summer With Aqua Fitness!

This summer if you are looking for a way to get outside, be active, and get away from that hot, smelly gym, then look no further than your nearest pool!

Aqua fitness is the latest craze in alternative exercise and is great for those with muscle and joint problems. Water provides a natural resistance helping you build muscle and lose weight without the strain of a high-impact workout and is an excellent choice for those just beginning a fitness regimen as well as the more seasoned exercise fanatic.

Because water fitness is great for all skill levels, an aqua fitness routine can be as simple as walking in the pool or doing a full on intervals training session. When you are ready, water weights and buoyancy aids can be used to increase your workout and build more muscle tone. The Body Glove Aqua Fitness collection it perfect for those looking to up their workout. As with any exercise the most benefits come from doing short intervals of strength training and cardio. If you are unsure how to start a water training regimen there are many resources on the Web or you can contact your local gym.

Below is a suggested interval training exercise from the Aquatic Exercise Association.

Innovative Aquatic Intervals

•Interval training is designed to alternate between periods of work and periods of active recovery or rest (less intense segments of training).

•Pace yourself; exercise should be challenging, but not painful! At the same time, push yourself to train hard, you should be breathing harder and faster on the work segments.

•Begin with about 1 minute of work and 2-3 minutes of recovery. When that feels easy, increase the amount of activity while decreasing the amount of recovery.

•It is important to stretch your muscles before and after you work out to help prevent injury.


STRETCH – 5-10 minutes

WARM UP – 5 minutes

Heel High Jog: Travel in a Box Pattern - 8 to 10 Rreps.
Jumping Jacks: 8 to 10 Reps.
Jacks in 3’s: Jump Out, In, Out & Bounce Out / Jump In, Out, In & Bounce In - 8 to 10 Reps.
Ankle Reach Front / Heel Reach Back: Reach opposite hand toward foot but maintain tall posture throughout - 8 to 10 reps. on each side

TRAINING CYCLE ONE

Jumping Jacks: 8 to 10 Reps.
Level II Jack: Bend at knees & hips as if sitting in a chair, shoulders at water’s surface; gently touch the pool bottom, but do not jump - 8 to 10 Reps.
Level II Jack & Tuck: Tuck the knees to the chest as the feet come together for each Jack, concentrate on contacting the abdominals as you tuck - 8 to 10 Reps.
Tuck Hold: Tuck the knees to the chest maintaining the feet off the pool bottom by sculling the arms vigorously; gradually increase the time you stay suspended - 8 to 10 Reps.

RECOVERY
Knee Lifts Front: 8 to 10 Reps.
Knee Lifts Corner: 8 to 10 Reps.
Heel High Jog, Legs Wide: 8 to 10 Reps.

TRAINING CYCLE TWO

Knee High Jog: 8 to 10 Reps.
White Water Run: Run as fast as you can, pulling the elbows behind your body as you pump the arms. Create as much turbulence, “white water”, as you can - 8 to 10 Reps.
Level II Tire Run: Drop into seated position and run with the feet Out, Out, In, In as if running through tires - 8 to 10 Reps.

RECOVERY
Jog or Walk around pool with various strides:
•Backward
•Side Steps
•Giant Steps
•Walk a Tightrope

TRAINING CYCLE THREE

Ski Variations - 8 to 10 Reps. each
•Cross Country Ski (Lead with the palms for more resistance as the arms swing at the sides.)
•Cross Country Uphill (Dig deeper with the arms, increase the stride length, tuck the knees as the legs switch positions)
•Downhill Moguls (Jump side to side; feet together & knees slightly bent)
•Level II Moguls (drop to seated position, but increase the distance between jumps and tuck the knees to the chest as you alternate sides!)

RECOVERY
Level II Jack with CC SKI ARMS: Alternating arm swings front & back - 8 to 10 Reps.
Level II Ski with JACK ARMS: Lift arms laterally & return to sides - 8 to 10 Reps.
Water Walking

STRETCH – 5-10 minutes

A Body Glove Item that Everyone Needs!

There is a Body Glove item that is perfect for boating, pool fun, swim training, first time snorkelers, water aerobics, men, women, children, adults, and even dogs!

It's the Body Glove Hydrosling!!!

Now available at http://www.bodyglove.com/store/products_detail.php?product_id=25342.

Chasing the Sun -- A Suggestion for Finding the Sun Once Again

Winter is without a doubt here for most states in the US -- record snow fall and rain has been leaving many dreaming of a way to escape, including me! I'm a California girl at heart -- to me this means that I hold the sun & the Pacific Ocean dear to my heart.

Tomorrow is going to be another chilly, rainy day here in the OC -- so if I could I'd jump on a plane and head to one of my favorite warm spots in Central America -- Bocas Del Toro, Panama. There you can find a pristine nature preserve and Rain Forest -- not to mention the ocean water is so warm you can stay in for hours. Oh...and the vitamin D is easily accessed there -- so no need for sun therapy for a few months if you live in a dark, rainy climate.

While you're there I'd suggest taking along some easy to pack snorkeling gear -- such as the Body Glove Enfold Combo. The Enfold is great because if you want to go zip lining or hiking through the rain forest, the combo fits in a sun glass sized pouch and can be taken along on the adventure.

Or if you're near sighted and don't like to wear your contacts in the water, the Body Glove Optical Mask is a great buy!

If you are lucky enough to escape to a beautiful,warm island getaway I'm jealous as all can be!! Feel free to send me some pictures to make me jealous!! Jen@cwicfluid.com

-- Post by Jen of CWIC