A visit to the Dead Sea

Have you seen pictures of people floating in the Dead Sea reading a book? It is an interesting experience but it is not all that intuitive. So before you take the plunge – Don’t!  "Plunge" that is. There are some things you want to take into consideration to prepare for this unusual phenomenon.Lastly, if you are staying overnight at one of the spas, make sure you take advantage of their salt water pools and spa treatments.  Indulge a little!

It is best to avoid shaving for a day or two before you head to the Dead Sea.  Shaving inevitably irritates your skin and causes small cuts or scrapes. Freshly shaved legs will definitely get the wow factor when you step into the salty water.  The same is true of any cuts or wounds you may have.  At the same time the Dead Sea is touted to have medicinal and healing properties so if you can stand the pain, it might help you heal faster.

Remove your jewelry – salt is corrosive. If your watch is waterproof it probably is not salt proof, so take it off and leave it in your bag. Along the same lines be very cautious with any electrical items you bring down to the water’s edge.  If you plan to take pictures make sure that your hands are free of salty water.  Take a few hand wipes to clean up before you grab for your i-phone or camera. If salt water does get on your items wipe them down quickly with a clean damp cloth.

Consider packing an old swimming suit for this experience. The salt water is very hard on spandex and elastic. The lifespan of your suit will be diminished considerably after this adventure. And naturally make sure to wash it thoroughly as soon as you get out.

There really is a method to bobbing around in the Dead Sea. After walking into the Dead Sea you need to just ‘lay back’. This is so counter intuitive it is really hard to do, but here is where you can learn a little bit about faith. You seriously can just gently sit down and lift up your feet.  Keep your arms out to the side and use them to maneuver your way around. 

Do obey the ‘no splash’ rule!  Remember this is the saltiest body of water in the world and you do not want to get it splashed on your face and especially not in your eyes. This is not the place to ‘swim’.  Keep your head up and out of the water.  You've probably already guessed that it’s not the place to gulp down a swig of water either.

Speaking of ‘not the place to swim’ take heed to the notices posted about venturing too far away from the shore. While you can float indefinitely individuals have been lost in the vast Sea and there have been fatalities. Remember you cannot just ‘swim’ back to shore, you can only float so make sure you are not out of range as night approaches.

When you finish up your float it won’t take you to long to dry off from evaporation. Although you may not be wet you will still have a good amount of salt caked on your skin. Take time to shower off soon after you finish up.


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