Become a summer renaissance man - recreational activities during summer

Men's Fitness, July, 1998 by Daniel Frankel, James Benning

A complete guide to mastering the year's best season

Philosophy, architecture, science: Who needs 'em? Summer is about sun, sports, good times. The Leonardo da Vinci stuff can wait until the first snow.

To help you squeeze every last bit of pulpy fun from the warm months, we present a textbook of everything you need to know to have the best summer of your life. Knowledge is power, after all, and we've got seven pages of it straight from the experts. Want to have the perfect picnic? Mix the ultimate drink? Learn the secrets of on-the-sand sex? It's all here.

So read on, and become a summer Renaissance Man...

... at the beach

Escape the rip

Being swept out to sea is a lousy way to end a swim, and it's a much less far-fetched scenario than Gilligan's Island. Last year, rip currents accounted for nearly 11,000 lifeguard rescues in Los Angeles County alone. The sandy-colored death traps are usually 10 to 20 yards wide, and they generally fizzle out just beyond the surf zone. They don't look threatening until you swim into one. So the rip rule is this: Relax, and swim parallel to the beach until you're safely out of the cur- rent's pull, then swim back toward shore. Better yet, ask a lifeguard about current conditions before you swim.

Sculpt a masterpiece

Sand is fun. That's why kindergartners get a big box full of the stuff. At the beach, cater to this primal need by building a sand castle. The technique is easy. Sandy Feet (that's her real name) teaches the art for a living in South Padre Island, Texas. Here are her tips for getting started:

For tools, you'll need a shovel and a plastic knife, spoon and fork. Then go find some very wet sand. "Water is the glue that holds the sand together," Feet explains.

After scooping a handful, flatten it into a pancake by "jiggling" it with gentle pressure, distributing the water evenly throughout. Create towers by stacking progressively smaller cakes atop one another. Then, break the two outside prongs of your fork and use it as a column tool; the spoon is for scalloped ridges and arches; the knife is for fine detail.

Bodyboard like a badass

Bodyboarding anywhere is a blast, but while most beginners stick to sloshing around in the wash near shore, the real fun is found farther out, where the waves are still breaking. Find a beach with small, gentle waves, strap on a pair of swim fins and a board leash, then paddle just beyond the impact zone. As a building wave approaches, spin around toward shore, then kick and paddle as it forms behind you. When you feel its pull, angle your board down the wave and slide down its face. As you improve, you can ride down the length of the wave, just ahead of the curl. Once you've got that wired, take the advice of former pro J.P. Patterson and try a hand-drag 360: As you speed ahead of the wave, slide your weight toward the nose of the board, drop one hand in the water and spin like a top.

Hang it all out

Maybe you missed out on the whole '60s free-love thing, but that doesn't mean you can't liberate your body from the forces of sexual oppression by sloughing your suit. Summer's a perfect time to grab some extra-strength sunblock and head for a nude beach. "It's a great feeling," says Judi Ditzler of the Naturist Society. She recommends heading to an established nude beach, where nudity is allowed under law or at least tolerated through tradition. The Internet is loaded with sites to help you find one. When you get there, don't worry about Pinocchio getting too excited. "People expect a nude beach to be titillating, but the opposite is true," she says. "The mystery is gone."

... in (and out of) the sack

Have a hot fling

You spot her at a beach or nightclub. You make eye contact and exchange a few words. Before you know it, you've spent several nights together. It's summer. You're probably having a fling. Enjoy it, but heed the advice of Sacramento, California, relationship counselor Louanne Coie Weston, PhD: Don't assume a summer liaison will last forever. If you find that she has different expectations for the relationship than you do, talk to her about it. Be honest about your intentions and you'll save yourself a lot of heartache later. Finally, when it's time to say goodbye, don't make promises you can't keep. If you won't call her again, don't say you will. Instead, thank her for the great time.

Innovate with ice

We don't care how hot it is: Locking on to a sensitive part of your partner's anatomy with a chunk of frozen water is not a good idea. But, since cold can be bold, here's a better one. Surprise is key. During foreplay, slip a bit of ice from a conveniently placed cup into your mouth. Let it melt. Return to your partner's body.

Get busy on the beach

It goes back, way back, past that cheesy cocktail, past From Here to Eternity, all the way back to the epoch when life first staggered onto the sandy shores. But who are the brave people who actually have sex on the sand?

You, if you're someone who wants to keep your relationship fresh and your sex life vital, says Sylvia Hacker, PhD, who taught human sexuality for 20 years at the University of Michigan.