4 hints for keeping your stuff safe at water parks

Going to a water park is a great way to have fun when the weather's hot, but keeping your belongings safe can pose a challenge. Here are 4 simple tips for keeping your personal items safe while you enjoy the water.

Ask staff at the water park you're visiting whether the complex has lockers for storage. Many water parks rent out lockers for the day for a nominal fee. If possible, rent a locker and store all of your valuable items in it, keeping the key with you. Lockers are an easy and convenient way to keep your things safe while still having access to them throughout the day.

One way to reduce the risk of your belongings being stolen is to ensure that you can always see them. To keep your items in your sight line, choose a chair or set of chairs that are visible from the pool. Then, while you're swimming, keep an eye on your chairs to make sure nobody is touching your belongings. Remember to move your belongings if you move to a different area of the water park.

When you go to a water park, bring as few of your personal belongings as possible. Do some research about the water park – like whether it accepts credit cards or only cash, and whether you will need ID to rent equipment or lockers – and then bring only the essentials. By not bringing all of your credit cards, keys and IDs, you can minimize the damage in the unfortunate event that your belongings are stolen.

For the items that you need to bring to the park, like credit cards or cash, don't leave them out in the open. One of the best ways to discourage thieves from taking belongings is to disguise them so they're not easy to see. Some clever hiding places for essential items include cigarette packs; empty, rinsed out sunscreen bottles with the tops cut off and replaced; and large cardboard packs of gum.

Your visit to the water park should be all about enjoying a hot and sunny day, so it's worth taking some precautions to prevent stolen belongings from spoiling your fun.