Man, what a headache yesterday. Woke up pumped for my morning tennis session only to find a surprise thunderstorm turned my local courts into mini swimming pools. Total bummer. Figured I’d wait it out – grabbed coffee, scrolled my phone, killed an hour. Went back… still lakes everywhere. Ugh.
The Patience Game (Spoiler: I Failed)
Checked the weather app – sunny all day, no more rain. Sweet. Sat on the bench like a sad duck waiting for magic. Sun came out alright, blazing hot even. Two whole hours later? Barely a difference. Felt like watching concrete age. Decided right there: screw waiting, I’m speeding this junk up.
My Half-Baked Speed-Dry Experiments
Grabbed my gear bag: extra towels, a squeegie from my garage, even a little battery fan I usually use for BBQs. Looked nuts probably. Here’s what I tried on one section:
- Squeegie Madness: Went Hulk mode scraping water towards the drains. Worked okay near the gutters, but middle court? Water just pooled back like a jerk. Felt like sweeping the ocean.
- Towel Army: Used my two big bath towels, stomping around soaking up puddles. Made ’em sopping wet fast. Now I just had heavy, useless rags. Great.
- The Baby Fan: Pointed that dinky fan at a damp spot. Held it there for 10 minutes straight. Arm got tired… spot was still dark and damp. Felt like an idiot.
The Actual Fix (AKA Stop Being Cheap)
Called my buddy who runs the rec center. Laughed his butt off when I told him about the fan. His advice:
- Quit messing around: Court surfaces suck up water deep down. Surface dry ain’t enough. Gotta push water out from below.
- Get the right squeegie: Ditch the window washer one. Need a wide, rubber-blade court squeegee. Lets you push way more water without it sneaking back under.
- Drain First, Scrape Later: Clear leaves/gunk from drains FIRST. Scoop big puddles toward them with the squeegie – big pushes, not little swipes.
- Dance the Diagonal: Scrape from the middle on a diagonal path out to the sides. Drains water faster than straight lines.
- Sun Does Most Work: After scrapping, let that sun bake the court naturally. Takes way less time once the standing water’s gone.
Borrowed his industrial court squeegee this morning. Night-and-day difference! Cleared six courts (mine plus some neighbors) in under 90 minutes after a drizzle. Sun dried the last damp spots quick. Lesson learned: Right tool, stop the DIY nonsense, listen to the pros. Backhand swings > puddle watching.