Sure, the pools are open for business, but for those who like to do things old school, the most obvious places to take a dip form the boundaries of Havre de Grace, Perryville and Port Deposit.

The Susquehanna River and Flats, not to mention Deer Creek and the nearby Bush and Northeast rivers, offer swimming opportunities on the wild side.

And, depending on what platform you use, swimming in the Susquehanna could put you on the wrong side of the law.

The long and short of the rules: If you swim from a boat (or, presumably, something floating in the water, but more about that presently) it’s OK. From shore, it depends. In Havre de Grace, swimming from shore is prohibited, and signs are posted (not that this stops the occasional outlaw dipper).

Up the river in Susquehanna State Park, swimming, or wading, depending on the time of year and depth of water, is perfectly acceptable, according to the Maryland Natural Resources Police. In other places, it’s more ambiguous. Under the Route 40 bridge in Havre de Grace at the north end of McLhinney Park is a small, sandy beach, which sometimes attracts swimmers, but technically, it’s out of the jurisdiction of the city police, as it’s on Maryland Transportation Authority territory.

Then there’s the matter of the off shore islands. Out on the Susquehanna Flats, the two Sand Islands, the byproduct of an early 1970s dredging of sand from the Upper Chesapeake shipping channel, have long been popular destinations for folks in boats looking for a place to enjoy a makeshift day at the beach.

On the nearby Battery Island, home of a rapidly deteriorating lighthouse, swimming from shore isn’t necessarily the first thing that would come to a visitor’s mind. The island’s shores are rocky and uninviting to those with bare feet.

A popular option for those looking for non-pool swimming opportunities, but don’t necessarily want to take on the expense and maintenance responsibility of a boat, is the truck tire inner tube.

At River City Truck & Tire at 1219 Old Philadelphia Road at the South end of Aberdeen, inner tubes with capacity for as many as two people are a popular item for people who’ve never ridden in anything bigger than a pickup.

“Last week, we had a lady buy a dozen,” said Sheila Cummings, the business owner’s daughter.

Though plenty of people buy inner tubes for outings on the Susquehanna, Chesapeake and other waterways, it doesn’t necessarily constitute a vital portion of the operation’s business. As a 24/7 emergency truck and tire repair operation, the lion’s share of revenue for the business comes from emergency repairs.

Still, the recreational tube business is steady this time of year.

But make no mistake, while River City Truck & Tire takes on repair jobs around the clock, there’s a charge of $85 right off the top for those expecting service outside the normal business hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Cummings advises those making non-emergency purchases of recreational inner tubes to visit during regular business hours.

These days, new tubes are selling for $25 each, Cummings said. A few years back, the company would end up with used inner tubes that were unsuitable for truck repairs, but perfectly OK, after a patch job, for floating on the water. Those sold in the $8 to $10 each range; unfortunately, for bargain hunters, used truck tubes have become relatively difficult to find.

Though swimming is regarded as just another recreational activity people engage in when they’re out on the waters of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries, Maryland Natural Resources Police strongly encourage those who partake of the activity to take safety precautions.

Capt. Bob Davis of the Natural Resources Police advises swimmers to know the depth of the water where they’re swimming, know what’s on the bottom (rocks, sand, grass or mud) and don’t dive unless you’re absolutely sure the water’s deep enough.

But that’s not all. Though there’s no rule against it, swimming in places where there’s a lot of boat traffic (like the main channel through the Susquehanna Flats) is ill-advised.

“Prop cuts are particularly nasty,” Davis said.

“A lot of it is just common sense things, but common sense isn’t always all that common,” Davis said, paraphrasing Mark Twain, whose characters were known to swim in another river a few hundred miles to the west.

Another key question for those who swim from boats that’s best to answer in advance: do you have the strength to pull yourself back into your boat? While a lot of recreational boats have swimming decks and ladders, the equipment isn’t universal. And, while it’s easy to jump off a boat that rides up pretty high in the water, pulling yourself a few feet up to a deck can be a different story.

It’s a problem such that Natural Resources Police go through special training should they end up falling off a patrol boat at a time of year when the water is cold and getting out of the water quickly can be a matter of life and death.

As for getting to and from a swimming spot by boat, the usual rules regarding use of personal flotation devices and precluding operating under the influence of alcohol always apply.

Another issue those who dip in the Susquehanna and Chesapeake have to deal with is the aroma. At this time of year, and in these parts, river water has a rather earthy piquant. Down on the Potomac, where a few businesses have set up shop and offer guided float trips in tubes, canoes and kayaks, the guide community has learned the river scent has a different effect on just about every body chemistry. As one guide noted a particularly odd aroma combination resulting from the mix of sweat and river water: lavender and onions.

The olfactory aspect of river swimming is one that may deter some, but keep in mind that the scent of chlorine isn’t necessarily all that inviting either.

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